NYPA Day Ahead Scheduling for St. Lawrence Power Project

16 hydro
generating units with optimized short-term generation schedules

Fewer
transitions while maintaining optimal dispatch

Stringent
water regulation requirements satisfied

Challenges

The New York Power Authority needed to replace the legacy short-term scheduling software used at its St. Lawrence project.
The software had to work within the constraints of shared water-resource regulations between Canada and USA.
Water releases had to be perfectly balanced between the Canadian and American plants on a daily and weekly basis.

Solutions

ST Vista, the short-term scheduling module of Hatch's Vista DSS™ decision-support software, will optimize short-term generation at NYPA's St. Lawrence power project.
New functionality was developed in the form of additional operating constraints and run-control options.
The software manages water rentals between both plants; implements multiple schedules for flat, daily peaking or weekly ponding operation; and transitions between non-navigation and navigation seasons.
A custom user interface was also developed to simplify the use of the model for day-to-day operation within the control room environment.

Highlights

Reduced the number of transitions, such as unit starts and stops, while maintaining optimal dispatch.
Significantly strengthened automated data exchange between the scheduling software and other NYPA systems.
Improved overall effectiveness of the scheduling process.

Project numbers

912 MW Robert Moses St. Lawrence Power Project in New York
16 hydro generating units
1,045 MW at adjacent R.H. Saunders Generating Station in Ontario