JADE is a modelling package that implements a multistage stochastic optimization representing the New Zealand electricity generation sector, with a rich treatment of the hydrological aspects of the sector. Key outputs of the model include a water value surface for each stage or week of the modelled time horizon, typically a year, and corresponding marginal water values for each reservoir represented in the model.

One of the difficulties with planning and operational decision making in a hydro-dominated electricity system such as New Zealand's is the uncertainty and variability associated with inflows into hydro storage reservoirs. JADE is an ideal tool to aid decision making in the presence of such uncertainty.

Some high-level characteristics of JADE:

• The EPOC team at Auckland University created and maintain the JADE modelling package. Significant contributions over the years have come from A Philpott, G Pritchard, A Downward, O Dowson, and L Kapelevich.
• JADE supersedes DOASA, another EPOC model that the Authority has used for several years.
• JADE is formulated using the JuMP package, an algebraic modelling language for mathematical optimization written in the Julia programming language.
• At the heart of JADE is the Julia package for stochastic dual dynamic programming by Oscar Dowson, SDDP.jl.
• JADE can be solved with open-source solvers, although a commercial solver requiring a paid license, e.g. Gurobi or Cplex, is recommended for large-scale models.
• JADE is open source and available from GitHub.

The Authority will make JADE input datasets available at least annually or whenever a significant change on the electricity system needs to be included in the modelling. In addition, expected water values and the input data required to compute them will be published on a weekly basis.

Over time we will endeavour to continually improve the quality of the JADE input dataset.

If you have any questions or comments regarding our JADE input datasets, please contact us at emi@ea.govt.nz.