Value_Added Posted June 21 Share Posted June 21 19 hours ago, JRM said: In the United States nuclear power plants do not load follow. It is not allowed. They operate all or nothing. They may operate at reduced capacity due to maintenance limitations, but they are generally operating at 100% output. This isn’t entirely accurate. Constellation (previously Exelon) changed reactor power depending on grid conditions at plants that were money losing due to negative power prices. They no longer do this since the state and federal subsidies covers their costs but is is certainly allowed. https://www.nice-future.org/docs/nicefuturelibraries/default-document-library/exelon.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRM Posted June 21 Share Posted June 21 (edited) 2 hours ago, Value_Added said: This isn’t entirely accurate. Constellation (previously Exelon) changed reactor power depending on grid conditions at plants that were money losing due to negative power prices. They no longer do this since the state and federal subsidies covers their costs but is is certainly allowed. https://www.nice-future.org/docs/nicefuturelibraries/default-document-library/exelon.pdf That's different. The nuclear power plants absolutely respond to the grid operators (and always have), but it's the reactor operators moving the power level rather than the turbine and generator automatically adjusting to load changes on the grid. Big difference! In my experience this situation was fairly rare, but I didn't operate in a de-regulated market like most of Exelon plants. From your citation: "The site receives the signal on a computer in the Main Control Room, operators confirm the dispatch signal with the Constellation Generation Dispatcher, and then a Nuclear Regulatory Commission-licensed Senior Reactor Operator at the site authorizes the load reduction. Reduced power is maintained until a dispatch signal to raise load is received." Edited June 21 by JRM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sholland Posted June 21 Share Posted June 21 I agree with JRM. Day-ahead scheduling is not load following. Nuclear reactors need to operate at a steady state because of Xenon poisoning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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