What are the minimum required real-time values that must be available to a Balancing Authority operator for ACE Calculation?

The correct answer highlights the essential components required for an effective Area Control Error (ACE) calculation, which is crucial for maintaining system reliability and balance in power systems. For a Balancing Authority operator, the real-time values for ACE, Interconnection Frequency, and Net Actual Interchange are fundamental.

ACE represents the difference between the actual power flow and the scheduled flow, helping the operator assess the balance of supply and demand in real-time. Monitoring interconnection frequency is vital as it reflects the overall stability of the interconnected system, indicating whether additional generation or load adjustments are necessary. The Net Actual Interchange is the measure of the power exchange with neighboring systems, which is critical in understanding how much power is flowing into or out of a Balancing Authority’s area.

In contrast, while system load and generation (first choice) are important for overall system management, they do not provide the comprehensive data for ACE calculation specifically. The third and fourth choices, which focus on voltage, reactive power, energy storage, and wind generation, also lack relevance to ACE calculation, as they do not directly impact the core measurements required to maintain the balance in real time. The focus must remain on specific values that directly affect system frequency and interconnected power flows.