Coordinating the Energy Generation of the Brazilian National Hydrothermal Electrical Generating System.

Coordination of the operation of the large Brazilian multi- owned hydrothermal generating system, at the institutional level, was achieved through a pool structure in which all member utilities share the cost of operating the thermoelectric system. At the technical level, a stochastic dynamic programming model, SDP, determines the optimal allocation of hydro and thermal resources in the system. The SDP model was extensively validated by 18 electrical utilities and officially adopted by the pool in 1979. Comparisons with a previously adopted model projected expected savings of $87 million in five years, a 28 percent reduction in operating costs. Actual savings from 1979 to 1984 are about $260 million. The SDP model is also the focal point of a chain of generation expansion models, insuring that the probabilistic criteria used for planning and the operation of the Brazilian system are compatible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]