IMPACTS OF THE DISTRIBUTED UTILITY ON TRANSMISSION-SYSTEM STABILITY

The distributed (or dispersed) utility concept is rapidly becoming a r eality in some service areas. In this framework, modular generation an d storage assets along with selected demand-side management programs a re used in place of the more traditional infrastructure upgrades to en sure reliable service to a group of utility customers. From among the many technical challenges associated with the proliferation of distrib uted resources, this paper deals with the impacts of distributed archi tectures upon the bulk transmission system. Bulk transmission system t ransient and small-signal stability are addressed through the use of e xtensive case studies, Planning tools and methods are discussed, and s ome general conclusions related to stability issues are drawn.