A Game Theoretic Approach to Real-Time Robust Distributed Generation Dispatch

Power demands are rising at an exponential pace due to the increasing proliferation of high-energy consuming devices such as plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. It is well known that scaling traditional power generation systems to accommodate these soaring demands will be excessively costly and may lead to negative environmental ramifications. One approach to supplement increasing energy needs involves diversifying the generation mix to incorporate a large number of local distributed generators (DGs) for economical and sustainable operation. However, such an approach remains an open challenge due to the inherent generation variability of DGs. In this paper, we propose a distributed generation dispatch strategy that can effectively coordinate a large number of DGs to meet consumer demand in real time. Through theoretical analysis based on population games and simulation studies, we demonstrate that our dispatch strategy is scalable and allows for the seamless integration of alternative energy resources into the grid in a robust and an optimally cost-effective manner.