These problems are fundamentally about the loss of what's called "spinning reserve".
In a traditional steam turbine generator system, a number of generators are run at well below fully capacity with a full head of steam in the boiler but essentially ticking over.
When there is a sudden requirement for extra power signalled by a relatively small drop in voltage, the inertia in the spinning turbine and alternator take up the load as the governer opens the steam valve releasing as much of the stored pressurised heated steam in the boiler to take up the load, as it is the reduction of temperature of the steam that is the primary source of power.
The loss of so many steam turbine powered systems is causing the problem.
If these issues are to be solved it is about insufficient energy storage systems such as inertial storage systems or batteries to take up the function of spinning reserve.
In certain parts of Australia Frequency is deliberately maintained throughout a wide range of load demands which means it is by other means (magnetic amplifiers) that voltage is used as the signal for power.
It is not until voltage signally cannot maintain the desired frequency that the under frequency load shedding kicks in.
In fact the obsession with frequency is so high that over time beyond any 24 hour period (and thus even years) that an electric synchronous clock is usually always within at most a few 100th of a second out, as the system frequency is adjusted up and down to correct for accumulated errors.
As a result frequency control is spot on but voltage control is generally pretty awful.
Use of load shedding or generation shedding to balance load and generation on a grid are a different mechanism than the continuous adjustment of generator output by the governor in response to changes in frequency that occur as mismatches in real power demand and generation result in changes in the kinetic energy of every synchronous machine.
Load shedding is triggered by underfrequency and undervoltage elements, generation shedding is triggered by over frequency elements.
I am aware that in New Zealand the distribution utilities (especially in Christchurch) perform 'peak shaving' to reduce the peak demand on some substations by turning off people's hot water tanks using a ripple signal injected on to the power system, but that is to alter the load profile not perform frequency regulation.
Every large system operator attempts to balance the positive and negative frequency errors from 60Hz to zero over a 24 hour period so that clocks are correct, that is not unique to Australia.
Can you provide any links to how voltage is used to regulate the frequency in certain parts of Australia? A magnetic amplifier is not a term I am immediately familiar with. It almost seems to me like a normal synchronous generator, where a current in the rotor causes a rotating magnetic field, which then induces a voltage in the stator that is much large (magnetic amplifier).
I am an EE and program power plants including turbine governors that regulate the system frequency so I am curious about any methods that differ from what we are doing in North America.
The Magnetic Amplifier is between the pilot exciter (a permanent magnet generator) and the main exciter and sends a "feed forward" to the pilot oil governer so it reacts before the speed of the turbo alternator slows.
In a traditional steam turbine generator system, a number of generators are run at well below fully capacity with a full head of steam in the boiler but essentially ticking over.
When there is a sudden requirement for extra power signalled by a relatively small drop in voltage, the inertia in the spinning turbine and alternator take up the load as the governer opens the steam valve releasing as much of the stored pressurised heated steam in the boiler to take up the load, as it is the reduction of temperature of the steam that is the primary source of power.
The loss of so many steam turbine powered systems is causing the problem.
If these issues are to be solved it is about insufficient energy storage systems such as inertial storage systems or batteries to take up the function of spinning reserve.