Generation expansion planning in competitive electricity markets

Abstract

This paper describes a formulation to solve the long-term power generation expansion planning assuming a competitive electricity market. In a competitive environment each company aims at maximizing its profit through its individual expansion plan. In this formulation there is an inter connection between the expansion plans proposed by each company in the sense that the decisions taken by each company are influenced by decisions of the other players. In this formulation we assume there a centralized entity in charge of evaluating each plan both technically and economically taking into account a set of pre established constraints. As a result of that assessment, this centralized entity sends new information to the players. Using this scheme it is possible to assess the influence that the decisions of each company have in the decisions of its competitors, leading to the referred interconnection. The adopted solution approach is based in the decomposition of the global problem in a main problem to be solved by the Independent System Operator (ISO), and in several sub problems one per generating company. Finally, the paper includes a Case Study designed to illustrate this approach as well as its interest for several agents acting in the electricity market.