Patent ID: 8538593

Claim:
A method for merging different load forecasts for power grid centers, comprising: providing a plurality of multi-stage engines, each of a multi-stage engine providing at least one of scheduling, commitment of resources, and dispatch of resources; implementing each of a multi-stage engine at a different time to provide the at least one of scheduling, commitment of resources and dispatch of resources; accepting area load forecasts from the plurality of multi-stage engines; saving load forecast data in a data base; using a processor of a demand forecast integrator to integrate individual load forecasts into a composite load forecast to present a comprehensive, synchronized and harmonized load forecast, the demand forecast integrator including or coupled to a user interface that allows an operator to review input load forecasts and modify load forecasts via an override capability, and an ability to merge multiple load forecasts that cover a same time range to form the composite load forecast, and a persistence resource that supports auditing, and archiving of load forecasts, the demand forecast integrator capable of merging load forecasts from 3rd party engines; and integrating the at least one of scheduling, commitment of resources and dispatch of resources for all of the multi-stage engines.