Basin Electric Power Cooperative
Peaking Power
Meeting the electrical needs of rural electric consumers in the region is a complex business.
Many factors, such as weather, equipment failure, fuel supply and uncertain demand for power are involved in producing energy to meet consumer demand 24 hours a day.
The best insurance for dealing with these factors is to have additional generating capacity in the form of peaking stations.
A peaking station usually runs when demand on the grid exceeds baseload generation capacity in the region.
Peaking stations are capable of moving from stand-by mode to full load within minutes, and some can be operated remotely. They often run during extreme winter heating and summer cooling days. They are essential for ensuring system-wide reliability when demand for capacity has been exceeded.
In a nutshell, the purpose of a peaking station is to be ready to run.
Basin Electric Power Cooperative
1717 East Interstate Ave.
Bismarck, ND 58503-0564 USA
701.223.0441