Aside from places where a continuous supply of energy is a must to operate (e.g. hospitals) periods of high demand also prevent catastrophic impacts on normal people (e.g. heaters during a cold winter day).
Optimization of energy generation. Greener and/or cheaper.
Generation can come from different sources (coal, gas, wind, solar, etc.)
Each generation source has different characteristics including the cost to operate, ramp-up speed, renewable or not, etc.
By getting an accurate energy forecast, the optimal (cost and green) sources can be prioritized.
Objectives:
Business case
Forecast demand > generation.
Optimization of energy generation. Greener and/or cheaper.