UWIG Statement on U.S. Department of Energy 20% Wind Report

DOE released a report on May 12 documenting a scenario investigating what the production of 20% of our nation’s electrical energy from wind would look like. UWIG commends DOE for supporting the effort that went into analyzing and understanding this scenario. Given that UWIG’s member utilities are neutral with respect to power generation technologies, the UWIG Board of Directors neither supports nor opposes the scenario of producing 20% of the nation’s electricity from wind energy. UWIG is a technical organization which seeks to understand the impacts of high wind penetrations on the planning and operation of electric power systems, and to identify and resolve any associated issues, consistent with its mission. As such, UWIG participated heavily in the drafting of the section of the DOE report dealing with the utility system planning and operational aspects of the scenario.

UWIG is recognized as a leading authority and source of information on the subject of utility wind integration. It serves as a source of knowledge and expertise for many of its members who are engaged in wind integration studies, and provides valuable educational services to its members and the broader industry. Through its work with the IEEE Wind Power Coordinating Committee, and its editorial role in the special issue of the IEEE Power Engineering Society Power & Energy Magazine, as well as its participation with DOE/NREL in the IEA Annex 25 on wind integration in large systems, UWIG stays abreast of the latest information on utility wind integration topics from around the world. This information is presented at UWIG meetings and distilled into lessons learned and best practices which are shared in many public forums. Most recently, UWIG is participating in this regard with the NERC Integrating Variable Generation Task Force (IVGTF).

UWIG will continue to be deeply engaged in the study and analysis of high penetrations of wind energy on electric systems, and in identifying and resolving associated issues. The reliability of the electric system is of paramount importance for the health and welfare of the nation and its citizens. UWIG will continue to work to ensure that the reliability of the system will be maintained while making the transition to whatever future generation mix is required to implement public policy requirements dealing with a carbon-constrained future.