Engineering English
Economic Dispatch
Energy Engineering · Electrical Engineering · Last updated: July 30, 2026 · How this entry was written
Definition: Economic dispatch is a method for allocating generation output among available power plants to minimize total production cost while meeting system load and operational constraints. It is a fundamental optimization process in power system operation.
Example in context
“The system operator runs economic dispatch every five minutes to determine the least-cost generator schedule.”
“Sistem işletmecisi en düşük maliyetli jeneratör programını belirlemek için her beş dakikada bir ekonomik dağıtım çalıştırır.”
Where engineers use it
Economic dispatch is used in real-time operations and market settlement. An engineer needs it to understand how dispatch decisions affect locational marginal prices and system efficiency.
Synonyms: ED
In Electrical Engineering
Economic dispatch is the process of allocating generation output among available units to minimize total operating cost while meeting load demand and constraints.
“The system operator runs economic dispatch every five minutes to adjust generator outputs based on real-time fuel costs.”
Practice: can you use “Economic Dispatch” at work?
You are an operator trainee. Given three generators with different cost curves, you must calculate the economic dispatch for a forecasted load of 500 MW without violating ramp limits.
Show a model answer
“Economic dispatch finds the cheapest way to meet electricity demand.”
“Economic Dispatch” in 21 languages
| English | Economic Dispatch |
|---|---|
| Turkish | ekonomik dağıtım |
| French | répartition économique |
| German | ökonomische Lastverteilung |
| Spanish | despacho económico |
| Chinese | 经济调度 |
| Arabic | التوزيع الاقتصادي |
| Portuguese | despacho econômico |
| Russian | экономическое распределение нагрузки |
| Japanese | 経済負荷配分 |
| Italian | dispacciamento economico |
| Vietnamese | phân bổ kinh tế |
| Hindi | आर्थिक प्रेषण |
| Thai | การจัดส่งเชิงเศรษฐกิจ |
| Indonesian | dispatih ekonomis |
| Korean | 경제급전 |
| Bengali | অর্থনৈতিক বিতরণ |
| Dutch | economische inzet |
| Swedish | ekonomisk lastfördelning |
| Finnish | taloudellinen tehonjako |
| Ukrainian | економічний розподіл навантаження |
Frequently asked questions
What does Economic Dispatch mean in engineering?
Economic dispatch is a method for allocating generation output among available power plants to minimize total production cost while meeting system load and operational constraints. It is a fundamental optimization process in power system operation. In Energy Engineering, the term carries a usage-frequency rating of 10/10 in the Engineering English library.
How do you pronounce Economic Dispatch?
Economic Dispatch is pronounced /ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk dɪˈspætʃ/ (IPA). The Engineering English app plays audio for the term and checks your pronunciation with speech recognition.
How is Economic Dispatch used in a sentence?
Example from an engineering context: “The system operator runs economic dispatch every five minutes to determine the least-cost generator schedule.”
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