Hydrological Dispatch and Analysis Tool (Hy-DAT)

Overview

The Hydrological Dispatch and Analysis Tool (Hy-DAT) is a first-of-a-kind tool that provides a more accurate representation of hydropower generation in the Western Interconnection grid under a wide range of hydrological conditions. Hy-DAT integrates historical hydrologic observations with hydropower generation data from the Energy Management System (EMS) to represent hydropower operations across the Western Interconnection under a wide range of hydrologic conditions. By combining information on energy production and environmental constraints, it captures the complex interactions between water availability and power generation. Hy-DAT generates realistic operational profiles for individual river basins across seasons and hydrologic conditions while preserving the interdependencies among cascading hydropower facilities within the same watershed.