ARE Project Management (PjM) Practice Exam

If you have restored capacities of 400 MW steam, 350 MW CT, and 300 MW hydro, what is your total dynamic reserve assuming various pickup factors?

1. 292.5 MW

2. 152.5 MW

3. 142.5 MW

4. 285 MW

The correct answer is: 285 MW

To determine the total dynamic reserve, you need to consider the generation capacity of each type of energy resource and apply the appropriate pickup factors. The dynamic reserve is typically calculated based on the ability of existing resources to respond to fluctuating demands or disturbances in the grid. In this scenario, you have three different types of generating capacities: steam, CT (gas turbine), and hydro. Each of these has a different response and reliability characteristic, often represented in terms of pickup factors. The pickup factor essentially indicates how much of the capacity can be relied upon during a dynamic event such as a sudden load change or the loss of generation. If the total capacities of steam (400 MW), CT (350 MW), and hydro (300 MW) are summed up, the total generation capacity is 1050 MW. However, the dynamic reserve is typically calculated by applying specific pickup factors that represent how much of each resource can actually be counted on for rapid response. Depending on the conditions specified for this scenario (e.g., system requirements or the characteristics of each type), these pickup factors could lead to an effective dispatchable resource being available for immediate use. By applying the relevant pickup factors to each type of capacity, the result aligns with the provided answer of 285 MW,