| The US power system has undergone a number of changes over the past decade driven in part by increasing penetrations of variable renewable energy, distributed energy resources and grid-scale battery storage, as well as increasing consumer participation and shifting load profiles to name a few. These changes are anticipated to continue in the coming decade and beyond, likely accompanied by others—technological, socio-political, and market-oriented—that may substantially change the operational requirements of the power grid. The varying degrees to which these changes manifest will drive changes in the value that hydropower resources can provide to power systems. Many hydropower resources have technical capabilities to provide a range of grid services that have traditionally been largely untapped due to either low system requirements for these services, or a lack of clear price signals for the value that they provide to the grid. We will establish a framework for quantifying the system value generated by conventional hydropower and PSH through the provision of grid services, as well the system factors that may augment these value streams in the future as power systems continue to evolve. The outcomes of this work will help stakeholders make prudent decisions regarding changes in operating practices and directing capital investments to improve resources’ abilities to provide various grid services. |
