Workshop on Introduction to Electricity Market Complex Adaptive System (EMCAS)

Monday, June 1 - Friday, June 5, 2009
1200 Internationale Parkway, Woodridge, IL

This workshop is organized and hosted by Argonne's DIS Center for Energy, Environmental, and Economic Systems Analysis. The workshop is targeted towards university professors and graduate students working in the area of power markets who currently have an educational license for EMCAS. A limited number of additional participants who do not have the license may attend, subject to space limitations.

Overview: Countries around the world continue to restructure their electricity markets and open them up to competition and private investors. The main objectives of this effort are to reduce financial burden on the public sector, attract private capital, and achieve higher economic efficiency. However, the recent volatility exhibited by many restructured electricity markets, in combination with several prominent market failures, has highlighted the need for a better understanding of the complex interactions among the various market participants and the emerging overall market behavior.

Advanced modeling approaches are needed that simulate the behavior of electricity markets over time and model how market participants may act and react to changes in the underlying economic, financial, and regulatory environments. This capability is particularly useful for developing sound market rules that will allow these markets to function properly; while at the same time will ensure meeting the objectives for future development of the electricity sector.

A new and promising approach involves modeling electricity markets as complex adaptive systems using an agent-based modeling and simulation approach. Argonne National Laboratory has used these techniques in developing the Electricity Market Complex Adaptive System (EMCAS) software. By using this unique approach, EMCAS provides the ability to capture and investigate the complex interactions between the physical infrastructures (generation, transmission, and distribution) and the economic/commercial behavior of market participants, which are hallmarks of newly emerging markets. This simulation will help evaluate competitiveness of nuclear power and other energy options under different market conditions.

Format and Topics: During the workshop, participants will learn the basic features of the EMCAS software. Standardized case studies will allow attendees to test various market strategies and market rules and their impact on the emerging market behavior.

Expected Outcome: At the end of the course, participants are expected to have developed (1) an understanding of how various restructured electricity markets operate; (2) a simple case analysis of a competitive market; (3) the ability to begin an analysis of their own cases studies; and (4) an understanding of how various technologies, such as nuclear power, renewables, or distributed generation might be part of a competitive market.

Course Dates: The course runs from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday, June 1, 2009, to Friday, June 5, 2009.

Course Fee: The course fee is US$500 for University students and US$2000 for others. The course is for those who already have an educational license for EMCAS. If not, the participants can purchase the license from ADICA (http://www.adica.com) or during the training course. Refreshments are included in the course fee. Reservations are on a first-come first-serve basis. Fees are due by May 1, 2009. Registration reservations will be forfeited if payment is not received by this time.

Preliminary List of Course Instructors/Speakers

• Audun Botterud
• Guenter Conzelmann
• Vladimir Koritarov
• Matt Mahalik
• Michael North
• Prakash Thimmapuram
• Tom Veselka
• Jianhui Wang

Course Schedule

Directions and Accommodations: Argonne is located in the southwest suburbs of Chicago, IL. If you arrive by plane, you can fly into O'Hare International Airport or Midway Airport. Both airports are about the same distance from the laboratory. With normal traffic, you may need 30-45 minutes from either airport to Argonne.

Please click here to get a local map for your orientation.

There are a number of hotels in the area, including the Argonne Guest House, Extended Stay America in Darien IL, Holiday Inn in Willowbrook and in Bolingbrook, Ramada in Bolingbrook, Hampton Inn in Bolingbrook, The Oaks Hotel & Conference Center, etc.

Course Registration: Click here to register for the course. The registration form should be used to reserve a place in the course. Attendees will be contacted concerning payment arrangements following registrations.

For more information, contact Prakash Thimmapuram.