Transmission congestion
Open-knowledge reference entry
In power engineering, transmission congestion occurs when overloaded transmission lines in an electrical grid are unable to carry additional electricity flow due to the risk of overheating. During grid congestion, the transmission system operator (TSO) has to direct the providers to adjust their dispatch levels to accommodate the constraint. In an electricity market a power plant may be able to produce electricity at a competitive price but cannot transmit the power to a willing buyer. Congestion increases the electricity prices for some customers.
Definitions
There is no universally accepted definition of the transmission congestion. Congestion is not an event, so it is frequently not possible to pinpoint its place and time (in this respect it is similar to traffic congestion). Regulators define congestion as a condition that prevents market transactions from being completed, while a transmission system operator sees it as inability to maintain the security of the power system operation with the power flow scheduled for the grid.
A congestion is a symptom of a constraint or a combination of constraints in a transmission system, usually the limits on physical electricity flow are used to prevent the overheating, unacceptable voltage levels, and loss of system stability. Congestion can be permanent, an effect of the system configuration, or temporary, due to a fault in the transmission equipment.
Congestion management
Avoiding the congestion is essential for a competitive electricity market and is "one of the toughest problems" of its design.
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