2009 modeled electricity prices from HiGRID for the California grid

This dataset was developed to be used in
the CenSierraPywr model, created for the
project "Optimizing Hydropower Operations While Sustaining Ecosystem
Functions in a Changing Climate", for the California Energy
Commission. The model that includes hydroeconomic optimization
for hydropower production in the Stanislaus and Upper San Joaquin River
basins in the Central Sierra Nevada, California. The two basins have high
elevation reservoirs that are typically operated to maximize revenue from
hydropower production. Therefore, to better represent real-world
operations, the hydroeconomic optimization component incorporates
wholesale electricity prices from the day-ahead market. Wholesale hourly
electricity prices in the day ahead market drive much of the
decision-making process in releasing water from reservoirs for hydropower
production. These are hourly energy prices used to develop piecewise
linear price curves that are used by the CenSierraPywr routine.