Ross Baldick PhD
Ross Baldick PhD provides strategic consulting to the electricity industry. Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Texas, he is the author of "Applied Optimization: Formulation and Algorithms for Engineering Systems."
Category Archives: commentary
Applied Optimization book: new and improved!
Last summer, when I was visiting the University of Cambridge to present a seminar, I happened upon the university press bookstore. And what did I find inside? A hardback copy of my 2006 book, Applied Optimization. Even if you are … Continue reading
Posted in commentary, education, news, research
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Renewable chic and the expense of small-scale solar
This is what I came across recently: a luxury brand store window display of “renewable chic,” where a solar panel, as part of the vignette, is being used to partially illuminate the mannequin. Putting aside the irony that the solar panel itself … Continue reading
Australia: more competition, affordable prices
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) recently released “Restoring Electricity Affordability & Australia’s Competitive Advantage,” a comprehensive report that analyzes the reasons for very high prices and “sets out 56 recommendations to reset the National Electricity Market, boosting competition, … Continue reading
Carbon emissions: Why can’t Texas be more like Germany?
Energiewende, German for “energy transition,” was the theme of the “Texas-Germany Bilateral Dialogue on Challenges and Opportunities in the Electricity Market” conference held in Austin in late February. The conference was organized by the German American Chambers of Commerce and … Continue reading
Comparing the US and EU electricity markets
Electricity markets have been restructured in many countries around the globe. There is a variety of different designs, and the differences can significantly affect our ability to handle new challenges, such as integrating high levels of renewables. What are the … Continue reading
Posted in commentary, media, presentations
Tagged electricity markets, grid, locational marginal pricing, renewables
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How to rebuild the grid in Puerto Rico
Hurricane Maria has caused huge damage in Puerto Rico, particularly to infrastructure such as the electricity system. My sincerest sympathies go to everyone there, both in PR and in other regions. As my previous work on electricity network interdiction suggests, repair of electricity networks … Continue reading
John Goodenough, batteries, and steam trains
My wife and I often enjoy BBC documentaries, and historian Dan Snow is a favorite host. In his series about the history of railways in England, he observed that, as the industrial revolution increased manufacturing in England, there was a … Continue reading
There’s more than one way to deal with a duck (curve)
The good news is: solar. The bad news is: uncontrollable rooftop solar. How do we utilize the production of rooftop solar in the middle of the day? This is an especially significant problem for California. The California ISO coined the … Continue reading →