Reliable, affordable, and clean energy systems underpin human and economy wellbeing in the United States and globally. As energy systems decarbonize, these three objectives – reliability, affordability, and cleanliness – could come increasingly into tension. This course will provide students an in-depth understanding of and hands-on experience with computational models that we use to operate and plan power systems. While the course will be grounded in the United States context, the model formulations and principles are applicable globally. Projects, problem sets, and readings will reflect diverse stakeholders’ viewpoints and introduce key skills and concepts. 

This course will specifically cover the following topics:

• Brief introduction to constrained linear and mixed integer linear programming
• Optimization in Python via Pyomo
• Unit commitment and economic dispatch (short-term operation of power systems)
• Capacity expansion (long-term planning of power systems)
• Resource adequacy (reliability of power systems)
• Emerging supply- and demand-side technologies in power systems
• Model application for environmental, technology, and policy analysis