Scheduling of direct load control to minimize load reduction for a utility suffering from generation shortage

This paper adopts the method of dynamic programming to optimally determine the schedule of the direct load control, but its objective function is to minimize the amount of load reduction with appropriate constraints. This approach is intended to solve the chronic problem of severe power shortage in the summer for the Taiwan Power Company (Taipower or TPC). This scheduling scheme is to reduce the resulting inconvenience to customers as well as the effects to the total income from electricity sales to the minimum under the particular management conditions the TPC finds itself in.>