Investigating Flexible Generation Capabilities at the Geysers

Investigating Flexible Generation Capabilities at the Geysers

Project will develop new tools and methods to investigate how operations and infrastructure at the Geysers may be modified in order to address the greater demands imposed on the grid by integration of intermittent renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar. This project will enable GPC to define the maximum load changes that are cost-effectively achievable at the Geysers in terms of magnitude, frequency, duration, and ramp rate. GPC will gain further understanding of how it can assist balancing the grid while CAISO continues to develop and define a new marketplace for acquiring flexibility capabilities from all generation resources in CA. The model will be verified through tests on selected wells, pipelines and a power plant, and then at a cross-tied location to determine effects on the larger steam field. Equipment, instrumentation and controls will be selected, installed and tested in various flexible generation scenarios. Pilot testing data will be collected, evaluated, and used to validate the model, and a comprehensive analysis will be performed to identify the methods and associated costs needed to flexibly operate the Geysers facilities while optimizing and protecting the geothermal resource. At the end of the project, GPC will review the results of pilot testing to determine what field management tools and capital improvements projects are needed to provide flexibility for integration of intermittent renewables. A cost-to-benefit analysis, taking into consideration the limits and costs of flexibly operating the Geysers, will be conducted to evaluate the investments needed by GPC to utilize the Geysers as a flexible resource. Approx. 73% of the requested funding will be spent in CA.

Lake