Capacity for Generator Balancing (Schedule 10)

VERBS & DERBS (balancing service for the resource type) vs. VER & DER (resource type)

Wind and Solar are the primary resources classified as VER, and only thermal is currently classified as a DER

At What Cost? It’s complicated.  Depending on resource type and certain elections cost of this service will vary, please see BP and/or AE for more information.

Capacity on the FCRPS is set aside for use to cover deviation in actual load from the loads schedule.

 

VERBS is a Control Area Service necessary to provide the generator capacity* (ability to both increase and decrease generation) to follow within-hour variations of variable energy resources (primarily solar and wind) in the BPA balancing authority area. VERBS is separated into two components:

  1. Regulating Reserves -  reserves held for maintaining balance in moment to moment operations (these are not used for EIM dispatch)
  2. Non-regulating Reserves – reserves held for additional longer-term variability within the hour caused by scheduling error (i.e. EIM)

DERBS is a Control Area Service necessary to provide the generation capability (ability to both increase and decrease generation) to support the within-hour deviations of dispatchable energy resources from the hourly generation estimate/schedule.  DERBS has two applicable rates for when it must INC or DEC the FCRPS:

  • Incremental Reserve Rate – Applied when BPA must increase generation (primarily FCRPS) to offset the resource’s under-generation
  • Decremental Reserve Rate – Applied when BPA must decrease generation (primarily FCRPS) to offset the resource’s over-generation

* Generation Capacity is NOT Transmission capacity, the term refers to the capability of the generating resource.

Related Information

 Additional questions? Contact your Account Executive!!