Engineering, economics and regulation of the electric power sector

Lectures: 2 sessions / week, 1.5 hours / session

Recitations: 1 session / week, 1.5 hours / session

IDS.505J is a graduate-level course. A background in policy analysis, microeconomics and/or engineering and science is preferred. Open to advanced undergraduates with permission of instructor.

The course presents an in-depth interdisciplinary perspective of electric power systems, with regulation providing the link among the engineering, economic, legal and environmental viewpoints. Generation dispatch, demand response, optimal network flows, risk allocation, reliability of service, renewable energy sources, ancillary services, tariff design, distributed generation, rural electrification, environmental impacts and strategic sustainability issues will be among the topics addressed under both traditional and competitive regulatory frameworks.

The course will make available the engineering, economic and legal basis to critically evaluate the regulatory instruments that are used worldwide for electricity supply activities that are performed as regulated monopolies or under competitive conditions. Most of these regulatory approaches are also of application in other industrial sectors.

The knowledge acquired in the course will provide the comprehensive understanding of electric power systems that will be needed for research in this field, as well as for future professional activities in the energy sector, whether in industry, government or consulting.

The final grade for the course will be computed based on the take-home assignments (50%) and a final term paper (50%), including presentation and discussion. Participation in class (lectures and recitations) will be taken into account when determining the final grade.

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