Load frequency control in hybrid electric power markets

Open transmission access is a legal requirement in the United States, and will shortly become an administrative reality. As the amount of electric energy using open access grows, significant technical problems will emerge. Something as simple as frequency control becomes challenging when implemented in a competitive, distributed control environment. This paper provides a short introduction to the load frequency control problem, and to the hybrid central-bilateral marketplace which seems to be the emerging open access organizational structure. It identifies technical issues associated with load frequency control in this market structure, and identifies technical solutions, such as standards and algorithms, needed for the operation of this key component of national infrastructure in the face of profound structural changes.