Short and medium term operation planning in electric power systems

This paper presents a digital computer package for solving the complex problem of short and medium term hydro-thermal coordination and unit commitment. This package called REDPLA, is a set of advanced application programs and mathematical optimization, developed by the Electrical Research Institute in Mexico. The package is used daily by the Electric Federal Commission (EFC) in the operational planning of the Mexican Electric National Grid (SEN), determining a generation schedule for Hydro and Thermal units, in the country, taking into account continuously, the physical and operative constrains of the elements of the power system. On the other hand, the regulation of the public service of electric power in Mexico, makes necessary that these tools consider into the solution the possible existence of producers external to EFC. The paper is not focused into the description of algorithms, these have already been treated in other forums in which examples with representative Mexican Electric System models have been shown.