Optimal Commodity Trading with a Capacitated Storage Asset
Management Science
Manufacturing & Service Operations Management
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A gas utility's profits depend on its portfolio of gas supply and storage contracts and their effective utilization. The Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company serves the Chicago market. Demand for natural gas depends on temperature, which is difficult to forecast. We developed an optimization model that considers multiple weather scenarios in determining a supply portfolio. We originally developed it to support filings of integrated least-cost supply plans with the Illinois Commerce Commission. With deregulation of the natural gas industry, the company has used the model to restructure supply portfolios, saving more than $50 million annually.