The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (ERCOT) announced the successful implementation of the first operating day of Real-Time Co-optimization Plus Batteries (RTC+B) in ERCOT’s electricity market.
The RTC+B market design change is a major part of the strategic development of the current ERCOT market. The goal is to allow for enhanced flexibility in real time for ERCOT to procure energy and Ancillary Services in a more streamlined way.
The new functionality will include modeling improvements, as well as the consideration of batteries and the state of charge they have available for providing energy and Ancillary Services. By using resources more efficiently, ERCOT stands to gain several operational improvements, including better congestion management, fewer manual operator interventions, and the replacement of inefficient supplemental reserve mechanisms.
“Real-Time Co-optimization Plus Batteries represents the most substantial enhancement to the Real-Time Nodal market design since its inception in 2010,” said Pablo Vegas, ERCOT President and CEO, in a statement. “The implementation of this program marks a significant step forward toward more efficient markets and improved grid reliability.”
Ahead of the December 5 go-live date, ERCOT’s RTC+B Task Force (RTCBTF) worked with stakeholders to conduct testing and market trials, which included launching a series of training videos explaining key changes to business processes and systems. The RTCBTF was created to coordinate and review the necessary ERCOT and Market Participant activities to mitigate risk and support the RTC+B Program’s implementation.
Through its Technical Advisory Committee, ERCOT will continue including stakeholders in discussions as it determines which incentives to prioritize now that RTC+B has launched.
Keith Collins, ERCOT Vice President of Commercial Operations, added, “These improvements bring real operational and reliability benefits to the ERCOT System, along with projected wholesale market savings exceeding one billion dollars annually. We anticipate those savings will ultimately benefit electric consumers across the state.”
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