It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the Third International Conference on Electric Utility Deregulation and Restructuring and Power Technologies (DRPT 2008) during 6-9 April 2008 at International Conference Hotel in Nanjing, China. This conference with its theme “Modern Electricity Market, Sustainability and Technology Innovation” is being organized by Southeast University (SEU) in collaboration with the IEEE PES, IET and Chinese Society for Electrical Engineering (CSEE).
Electricity markets are becoming increasingly competitive, with transactions being based more and more on prices set by market forces rather than regulation. In the new world of open competition, prices will be unbundled with lot of variability in the pricing options available to customers. These developments have created a requirement for substantial additional resources in the area of new product development, pricing and competitive intelligence. Many utilities must balance the need to exist in a competitive environment with the remaining obligation to serve some customers. They are exposed to greater price risks as long-term contracts that guarantee price and quantity are replaced by shorter-term transactions, including a thriving spot market in some fuels. Consumers, who are accustomed to stable electricity rates, now see prices that vary with supply and demand conditions. Due to the open competition, many utilities have recognized the need to develop substantially stronger marketing and risk management skills so as to effectively compete with new marketers and brokers in the marketplace.
Distributed generation (DG) offers grid benefits like reduced line loss and increased reliability. From a grid security standpoint, many small generators are collectively more reliable than a few large ones. Small generators can be repaired more quickly and the consequences of a small unit’s failure are less catastrophic. The provision of reliable power represents an important market niche for DG. DG is also well suited to provide the ancillary services necessary for the stability of the electrical system. New power electronics systems offer ways to control the routing of electricity and also provide flexible DG interfaces to the network. However, aspects such as the intermittency of certain types of renewable sources and limited control capability already put pressure on various aspects of network operation protection and control. Increased levels of DG affect relay co-ordination within distribution systems. Weak distribution networks with the addition of large amounts of nonlinear loads and inverter connected generators experience power quality deterioration that results in protection mal-operation.
In recent 20 years, the rapid growth of the economy and the electrical power industry in China is so energetic that it has attracted the attention of the world. Power industry in China is undergoing a significant change by breaking down its vertical management mechanism. Nanjing, the capital city of Jiangsu province, which lies in the middle of eastern area, is highly developing. The installed capacity and loads of Jiangsu province occupy the leading position in the country. The development creates absolutely opportunities for innovation not only in technical aspect but also in the area of operational mechanism. In the same time, it brings a lot of challenges to power engineers and researchers as well such as environmental issues, extra-high voltage transmission technology and wide area interconnections, new trend of industrial restructure and so on.
In October 2005, the Chinese government's proposal on the Formulation of the 11th 5-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development was released. According to this, the China power industry should continue resource saving and environment friendly development, and realize sustainable development. For the next five years, the China power industry will focus on optimization of efficient large-scale coal power plants, exploit hydro power while protecting the environment, actively develop nuclear power, strengthen power grid construction, increase power transmission from West to East, and speed up development of renewable energy such as wind, solar, and biomass.
The overriding goal of DRPT 2008 is to provide a perfect forum to power engineering professionals and researchers for free discussions of new ideas, research, development and applications, including techniques and methods in the deregulated power system, and to provide an exhibition of current hardware and/or software in the related fields. Also we are going to open a window of deregulated electric utility in China to the international researchers and engineers.
I trust you will find your presence at this important event in the electric power community to be of significant value. I am looking forward to your attendance.
Sincerely,
Guoqing Tang
Chair
DRPT 2008
