Cascading imbalance in coupled gas-electric energy systems

There has been growing interest in modeling energy systems as a whole in order to deal with the interdependence within modern energy systems. Previous analyses, however, have been limited in their ability to assess potential adverse impacts associated with the independent dispatch of energy systems, which is typically done today. A fundamental property of coupled systems is that imbalance in one network may lead to imbalance in the interconnected networks, and this may happen recursively which leads to a cascade of imbalance. Herein, a framework is developed to understand the above phenomenon when network damage occurs. The modified Belgian gas-electricity networks are used as an instance, and the modeling of gas-fired generators and electricity-driven compressors is taken into account. Two different operational strategies (i.e., independent dispatch and joint dispatch) are compared and it is demonstrated that the independent dispatch will lead to greater loss not only in total cost but also in individual energy supply. The reason behind this conundrum is researched and the existence of cascading imbalance phenomenon is shown in the coupled energy systems. Moreover, this paper provides evidence for the recommendation of cooperation between different energy industries for the purpose of energy optimization and resilience enhancement.