CA is shooting for 33% RE by 2020. This is likely to change the daily load curve. With high solar penetration, in summer the load curve will match solar generation, while in winter, the net load curve will have two peaks--early morning and evening. California Independent System Operator (CAISO) has initiated these to mitigate the impact (Source: North American WindPower, Jan 2015):
- Increased focus on flexible resources
- Implementation of a storage mandate
- Market design enhancements for intra-hour scheduling
- Creation of energy imbalance market
- Development of time-of-use pricing
- Assessment of demand response options