Automatic Generation Control

Automatic generation control is a system for adjusting the power output of multiple generators across different power plants in response to changes in electricity demand. Electric grids must keep generation and consumption in constant balance, because an imbalance changes the grid's operating frequency, speeding up or slowing down generators and threatening the stability of the system. Automatic generation control continuously monitors system frequency as a signal of that balance and, when it drifts from its target, adjusts the output of many generating units at once to restore equilibrium, rather than relying on a human operator adjusting a single designated regulating unit by hand. Spreading the correction across multiple generators reduces wear on any one unit and improves the overall efficiency and stability of the system. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/