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DOE OSTI · 1659820

Inertia and the Power Grid: A Guide Without the Spin

Denholm, Paul·Mai, Trieu·Kenyon, Richard Wallace·Kroposki, Benjamin·O'Malley, Mark
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Abstract

This guide provides an overview of inertia’s role in the evolving power system. It describes the sources of inertia in the grid, the intrinsic interplay of inertia and other grid services, the factors that impact the amount of and need for inertia, and the changes that can be made to maintain reliability as it declines. The guide is intended for nontechnical audiences. And it introduces accessible examples to illustrate the concepts of inertia and other grid services that are required to maintain system frequency, which is a key indicator of health in the current grid. The guide also discusses alternatives to traditional inertia and provides several takeaways that may be informative to power system decision makers, planners, operators, analysts, and other stakeholders.

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24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMYgrid servicesinertiapower systemreliabilityrenewable energysystem frequency

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Denholm, Paul, Mai, Trieu, Kenyon, Richard Wallace, Kroposki, Benjamin, O'Malley, Mark. 2020-05-01. Inertia and the Power Grid: A Guide Without the Spin. https://doi.org/10.2172/1659820

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