Effective power system operation requires well-planned commitments of generating units in a planning phase combined with responsive real-time dispatching of power in an operational control phase. Typically, the unit commitment plan is determined by an optimization model that considers a forecast for demand, fixed security constraints, and known unit availabilities. The operational controller considers actual random demand, varying security reserves, and unforeseen unit losses. This project will combine these tasks by integrating the planning and operating phases in a unified control framework. The emphasis in the planning phase will be on considering random effects, contingencies and the values attributed to potential ending states. The emphasis on the operating phase will be on considering longer term effects, recognizing conditions requiring corrective actions, searching for similar situations and potential actions for learning from both practical experience and simulated events.
