Energy
Dictionary

 


unit commitment

Literally, the commitment of generating units to the production of energy. Unit commitment involves determining which generators in a given facility will be committed to meet the expected load over the near term. Unit commitment is usually scheduled a day in advance, and a generator is said to be committed once it is started. Nearly all generators are rotating devices, so a committed generator is often referred to as a spinning generator. A committed unit can remain offline indefinitely without producing energy.

See also:

load, generator, spinning reserve