Studies of power system operation commonly draw from two key databases produced by the US Environmental Protection Agency: the Acid Rain Program’s Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS) data, and the Emissions and Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID). Separate reporting requirements and heterogeneity in data aggregation between these two databases creates a barrier to systematic spatial and temporal retrospective power system analysis. This work describes the inherent challenges to this undertaking and documents a method for reconciling the two seemingly disparate data sources. While fundamental differences in data reporting and aggregation prevent us from achieving full coverage, this work represents an important initial step to aligning these two repositories of US power system data. We demonstrate the value of this linkage by computing relative unit-level, hourly utilization metrics for most thermal power plants in the US. Analysis of these metrics across time illustrates thermal generator cycling trends in California between 2011 and 2017. These unit-level results indicate that combined cycle units within California increased their part-load generation by 15% and resultant CO₂ emissions by 17% and decreased their start/stop frequency over time by 8.5% and resultant emissions by 47%. Open cycle gas turbines overall increased their generation- number of start/stop cycles by 97% and resultant emissions by 85%, part-load generation by 120% and resultant emissions by 100%, and full load generation by 40% and resultant emissions 18%. We also observe a temporal shift in thermal generation from morning hours to evening in California.

对电力系统运行的研究通常来自美国环境保护署制作的两个关键数据库：酸雨计划的连续排放监测系统 (CEMS) 数据和排放和发电资源综合数据库 (eGRID)。这两个数据库之间单独的报告要求和数据聚合的异质性为系统的空间和时间回顾性电力系统分析造成了障碍。这项工作描述了这项工作的固有挑战，并记录了一种协调两个看似不同的数据源的方法。虽然数据报告和汇总方面的根本差异使我们无法实现全面覆盖，但这项工作代表了对齐这两个美国电力系统数据存储库的重要初始步骤。我们通过计算美国大多数火力发电厂的相对单位级别每小时利用率指标来证明这种联系的价值。对这些指标的跨时间分析说明了 2011 年至 2017 年加利福尼亚州的热发电机循环趋势。这些机组级别的结果表明，加利福尼亚州的联合循环机组将其部分负荷发电量增加了 15%，由此产生的 CO₂排放量减少了 17%，随着时间的推移，它们的启动/停止频率降低了 8.5%，由此产生的排放量降低了 47%。开式循环燃气轮机的发电量——启动/停止循环次数增加了 97%，排放量增加了 85%，部分负荷发电量增加了 120%，排放量增加了 100%，满负荷发电量增加了 40%，排放量增加了 18 %。我们还观察到加利福尼亚州从早上到晚上的热量产生的时间变化。