In this issue
A Word of Welcome
Welcome to the inaugural issue of the UWIG Update. This publication is being sent to individuals from UWIG member organizations as well as nonmembers to inform you about UWIG activities, meetings, and news. If you do not wish to continue receiving this publication, which will be sent out periodically (i.e., when there is news to report), please send e-mail to info@uwig.org. If there are others within your organization who would like to receive the UWIG Update, please send e-mail to info@uwig.org.
UWIG News and Notes
Registration Open for Fall Offering of Wind Integration Short Course
The Utility Wind Integration Group, in partnership with Energynautics and the American Wind Energy Association, will offer a second presentation for 2006 of Wind Generation in Power Systems: A Short Course on the Integration and Interconnection of Wind Power Plants into Electric Power Systems September 26-29 at the Marriott Downtown in Providence, Rhode Island.This course addresses issues related to interconnecting wind generation to electric utility power systems. Covered topics include wind turbine generator technology, modeling for power system analysis, and conducting planning and operating studies. Specific highlights include:
Instructors include Thomas Ackermann of the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, Nicholas Miller and Kara Clark of GE Energy, Bob Zavadil of EnerNex Corporation, Martin Hogdahl and Steve Saylors of Vestas, Michael Milligan of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Mark Ahlstrom of WindLogics.
This course is targeted towards power systems engineering and management personnel from utilities, RTOs, ISOs, and ITCs; consultants, manufacturers and developers involved with the evaluation and planning of the interconnection and operation of new wind plants. Regional planning entities and regulatory authorities will also benefit from this course.
Registration will be limited to 35 attendees. For more information, visit http://www.uwig.org/shortcourseprovidence.html or send e-mail to sandy@uwig.org. The room block will expire on September 4.
UWIG Fall Workshop
The UWIG Fall Technical Workshop will be held October 24-25 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This event will take place in conjunction with a meeting of Annex 25 of the International Energy Agency, The Integration of Large Wind Plants into Utility Systems, on October 26. A joint session on the European experience will be held during the UWIG workshop. The workshop will take place in conjunction with meetings of the UWIG User Groups on October 23; a tour of Horizon Wind’s Blue Canyon Wind Farm near Lawton, OK on October 25; and our inaugural UWIG golf outing at Rose Creek Golf Course in Edmond, OK on October 22. Information on the workshop, as well as a link to registration, has been posted on the UWIG web site at http://www.uwig.org/fallwork06.html.
UWIG Announces Location, Date for 2007 Annual Meeting
The 2007 UWIG Annual Meeting and Technical Workshop will be held in Anchorage, Alaska at the Sheraton Anchorage, July 23-25. This event will feature a Technical Workshop, meetings of the UWIG User Groups, and the Annual Membership Meeting. UWIG is exploring holding an additional meeting in Portland, Oregon in early 2007. We also anticipate another offering of the wind integration short course sometime in 2007.
UWIG Releases Wind Integration Summary
On May 19, UWIG released an assessment on the integration of wind generation into utility power systems. The document, titled “Utility Wind Integration State of the Art,” was introduced at the IEEE Power Engineering Society Transmission & Distribution Conference in Dallas.
The assessment summarizes a number of the key points raised in a series of articles on wind integration that appeared in the November/December issue of the IEEE Power Engineering Society’s Power & Energy Magazine. UWIG produced the summary in cooperation with the American Public Power Association (APPA), Edison Electric Institute (EEI), and National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). The assessment does not support or recommend any particular course of action or advocate any particular policy or position on the part of APPA, EEI, or NRECA.
The document is a summary of the best information available from around the world on integrating wind power plants into electric utility systems. It focuses on wind’s impacts on the operating costs of the non-wind portion of the power system and on wind’s impacts on the system’s electrical integrity.
“Utility Wind Integration State of the Art” is available for download at the UWIG web site at http://www.uwig.org/IntegrationStateoftheArt.htm.
UWIG Membership Benefit: User Groups
The UWIG Board of Directors has endorsed an expanded UWIG role in information dissemination and outreach to members and the general public. This is being met by user groups focused on specific areas of interest to its members. These user groups cover the topics of Operating Impacts and Integration Studies; Wind Plant Modeling and Interconnection Studies; Distributed Wind Applications; Market Operation and Transmission Policy Best Practices, and Wind Turbine Operations and Maintenance. Initially introduced in 2003, the original intent for these groups was to gather, analyze, and disseminate information generated through the organization, its members, and other organizations in the U.S. and abroad. The board approved an expanded scope and accompanying workplan, which represents a significant expansion in the work of UWIG as the group continues to expand its role from one of providing educational programs and wind industry information to one of identifying and addressing major issues associated with incorporating wind plants into utility systems.
The key component of the workplan is a series of identified research projects or initiatives for each user group. UWIG previously completed two major funded research projects addressing the two most important issues identified by its members as barriers to wind integration. The first investigated the cost of ancillary services associated with wind plant operation on utility power systems. The second was the development of a suite of engineering applications consisting of web-based software, application guides, and measurement and case study databases to address the issues associated with the operation of small clusters of wind turbines on radial distribution feeders. Both of these projects were undertaken as funded activities with the support of UWIG members and other organizations.
Now UWIG is seeking long-term resource commitments from its members and related organizations to carry out the activities identified for each of the user groups. Support is being sought through coordination of parallel efforts, or funding that can be allocated to specific projects within a user group, to a specific user group, or to the collection of user groups. Highlights of the proposed projects include:
Operating Impact & Integration Study User Group – Wind Energy Forecasting System Integration – This project will determine the control room requirements for wind plant forecast information, and optimize the way in which such information is integrated into the control room environment. It will provide an operating wind plant output forecasting system for control room use in both operations-planning and real-time-operations time frames. It will also identify improved approaches to operations planning tools incorporating wind plant output forecast uncertainty.
Wind Plant Modeling and Interconnection Study User Group – Wind Turbine Model Inventory and User Experience – The objective of this project is to develop an inventory of wind turbine models available for power system simulation purposes and user experience with them. It also will deliver a web accessible database of models and experiences.
Distributed Wind Applications User Group – Distributed Wind Toolbox Support – This effort will provide enhancements and user training and support for the set of tools developed for the application of utility-scale wind turbines on distribution feeders.
Market Operation and Transmission Policy User Group – Renewable Energy Considerations in Competitive Market Design – This project will identify unique characteristics of wind energy and changes in competitive market design necessary to remove barriers. It will deliver a primer on Order 888 tariff and competitive market features important to wind, differences between them and among markets, and recommendations for improvements in both.
Turbine Operation and Maintenance User Group – Wind Plant Knowledge Base – This effort will develop a searchable knowledge base of wind plant operations and maintenance experience.
UWIG has shared all the results of its projects with members of the organization and some of the results with the general public. UWIG plans to continue this approach as it pursues support for the activities of its user groups.
A copy of the workplan, including a complete set of project descriptions, can be found on the UWIG web site at http://www.uwig.org/ug.htm.
UWIG Board of Directors
Henry Durrwachter, TXU Wholesale – President
David Kobus, Energy Northwest - Vice-President
Gary Thompson, Nebraska Public Power District – Secretary
Brent Petrie, Alaska Village Electric Cooperative – Treasurer
Jay Caspary, Southwest Power Pool
Steve Gilbert, Chugach Electric Association, Inc.
Elliot Mainzer, Bonneville Power Administration (Non-Voting)
Brett Oakleaf, Xcel Energy
Richard O’Conor, We Energies
Dale Osborn, Midwest Independent System Operator
Brad Reeve, Kotzebue Electric Association Inc.
Ex-Officio:
John Holt, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
Chuck Linderman, Edison Electric Institute
Chuck McGowin, Electric Power Research Institute
Michele Suddleson, American Public Power Association
Staff:
Charlie Smith, UWIG – Executive Director
Ed DeMeo – Technical Advisor
Brian Parsons, NREL – Technical Advisor
Sandy Smith – Communications Coordinator
Ashley Tharp – Communications Assistant
If you are not
interested in receiving announcements from the Utility Wind Integration Group,
please send e-mail to info@uwig.org and we
will remove your name.