What characterizes a "generation outage"?

A "generation outage" is characterized by the unavailability of a generation resource. This term refers to situations where a power plant or generation unit is unable to produce electricity, which can occur due to various reasons such as equipment failure, maintenance issues, or other operational constraints.

When a plant is offline, whether planned or unplanned, it directly impacts the supply of electricity and the ability to meet demand. Understanding this concept is crucial for managing power flows and ensuring grid reliability, as the generation capacity needs to be appropriately balanced with consumption at all times.

Inactive consumers, scheduled maintenance of transmission lines, and overproduction of electricity do not accurately define a generation outage, as they relate to consumption patterns, infrastructure maintenance, or supply excesses rather than the status of generation resources themselves. Thus, the correct choice highlights the essential aspect of generation outages in power system management.