Generation system reliability evaluation has been used traditionally by planners and regulatory commissions to justify added generation. This proposal suggests that a multi-area evaluation would expose operational cost savings which accrue as a result of cooperation between neighboring utilities. While the hypothesis is believable there are theoretical modeling issues that must be addressed before it can be tested. This novel idea is the basis of this proposal. This proposal falls within the criteria of a novel research grant since it addresses one component of the emerging area involving utility cooperation for reliability. If the work is successful it will expedite work in the area eventually leading to deferred generation construction as a result of operational cost savings.
