Hybrid Energy Storage and Gas-Fired Generation for Enhanced Operational Efficiency and Flexibility

Natural gas-fired power plants are essential for maintaining grid reliability and meeting electricity demand across the U.S. Their fuel efficiency, however, declines during ramping and partial-load operations, leading to increased operational costs. This paper proposes a modeling framework that integrates battery energy storage systems (BESS) with gas plants to improve energy efficiency and reduce fuel consumption. Using a mixed-integer linear programming approach, we model the dispatch of gas units under varying system operating conditions and heat rates. This hybridization enables smoother transitions and supports high-efficiency operation of gas generation units. A case study is conducted on a real-world gas generation unit using realistic dispatch profiles derived from production cost modeling tools. Results demonstrate that integrating a BESS with the gas unit can reduce fuel consumption and costs by approximately $9 \%$, highlighting the potential of gas-storage hybrid systems as an effective strategy for adapting to dynamic grid conditions.