UWIG Update

September 2009

In this issue

• UWIG Updates Document Summarizing Status of Wind Power and Electricity Markets
• UWIG to Co-Host Workshop on PV Variability
• 2009 Wind Integration Short Course Draws Near, Few Seats Still Available
• Registration Open for Fall Technical Workshop, User Group Meetings
Distributed Wind Applications User Group to Meet in Cedar Rapids
• Scholarships Available for Co-ops, Public Power Utilities to Attend Cedar Rapids Meeting
• UWIG Coordinating Special Issue of IEEE Power & Energy Magazine on Wind Integration
• UWIG Co-sponsors International Wind Integration Workshop
• UWIG to Co-sponsor Distributed Wind Interconnection Workshop
• Dates for 2010 Forecasting Workshop Announced
• Dates for 2010 Spring, Fall Technical Workshops Announced

UWIG Updates Document Summarizing Status of Wind Power and Electricity Markets

UWIG has released an updated version of a summary table detailing markets and market rules for wind energy and capacity in North America. Capturing the state of markets as of August 2009, the document represents a significant updating of a table submitted by UWIG at the December 2004 FERC Technical Conference on Assessing the State of Wind Energy in Wholesale Electricity Markets and subsequently updated in September 2007.

The document was compiled by Sari Fink, Jennifer Rogers, and Kevin Porter of Exeter Associates with funding support from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Covering PJM Interconnection, the New York Independent System Operator, ISO New England, the Ontario Independent System Operator, Midwest ISO, Southwest Power Pool, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, California Independent System Operator, and Alberta Electric System Operator, the table presents responses to the following questions:

• Scheduling in Energy Markets: How is wind energy scheduled and procured?
• Imbalance Settlement: How are wind energy imbalances settled – either through a balancing market or another settlement procedure?
• Ancillary Services: How are wind plants’ ancillary service needs and costs recognized?
• Wind Forecasting: What role does wind forecasting play?
• Capacity Calculation: How is capacity value or capacity credit for wind plants calculated? Is there a distinction between capacity values for planning reserves (months and years time frame) and operating reserves (same-day to next-day)? If so, what is it?
• Capacity Recognition: How is capacity value recognized in capacity obligations and capacity markets?
• Wind Power Management: Are various restrictions imposed on wind power under certain circumstances, such as ramping limits or curtailment?

UWIG intends to update the document as regional electricity markets continue to evolve. The document can be found on the UWIG web site at http://www.uwig.org/windinmarkets.htm.

UWIG to Co-Host Workshop on PV Variability

UWIG is working with the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and the Solar Electric Power Association to co-host a workshop on photovoltaic plant variability and its impact on utility planning and operations. Targeted towards PV developers, utilities, DOE and its laboratories, consultants, and other stakeholders, the workshop will be co-located with UWIG's Fall Technical Workshop on October 8 and 9. More details on this event, including agenda and registration, can be found on the UWIG web site at http://www.uwig.org/pvworkshop-cedar_rapids.html.

2009 Wind Integration Short Course Draws Near, Few Seats Still Available

There are still a few seats available for the 2009 presentation of Wind Generation in Power Systems: A Short Course on the Integration and Interconnection of Wind Power Plants into Electric Power Systems September 14-17 in Charleston, S.C. Details on registration and accommodations can be found at http://www.uwig.org/shortcourse2009.html. Note that discounted registration rates are available for individuals from UWIG member organizations as well as those working in academia or government service.

Registration Open for Fall Technical Workshop, User Group Meetings

The Fall Technical Workshop will be held October 8-9 at the Marriott Hotel in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Turbine O&M User Group meeting will take place October 6 with the Operating Impacts and Integration Study, Wind Turbine Modeling and Interconnection Study, and Market Operations and Transmission Policy Users Groups meeting October 7. A tour of the Clipper Turbine Works manufacturing facility in Cedar Rapids is available to individuals who meet the registration requirements. Space is limited for the tour, which will take place October 9 for workshop participants. O&M User Group meeting participants will be able to tour the Clipper facility on October 7.

Details about agenda, registration, and accommodations for the workshop can be found at http://www.uwig.org/falltechworkshop2009.html. Details for the O&M User Group meeting can be found at http://www.uwig.org/oandm_cedar_rapids.html.

Distributed Wind Applications User Group to Meet in Cedar Rapids

The Distributed Wind Applications Users Group will hold meet on Wednesday, October 7 in Cedar Rapids. This event will be open to UWIG members as well as cooperative and public power utilities that are members of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) or American Public Power Association (APPA). Information on registration and accommodations is available at http://www.uwig.org/falltechworkshop2009.html.

Scholarships Available for Co-ops, Public Power Utilities to Attend Cedar Rapids Meetings

Financial support is available for cooperative and public power utilities that are members of NRECA or APPA to attend the Distributed Wind Applications Users Group meeting or the Fall Technical Workshop. The Public Renewables Partnership effort led by Western Area Power Administration (Western) is offering thirty $500 travel scholarships to electric cooperatives and public power utilities to attend. To qualify for the scholarship, individuals must meet the membership requirements, have never previously attended a UWIG meeting, and submitted a scholarship request and received a confirmation e-mail from Western.

There is one scholarship per utility. To secure a scholarship, which can also be used to defray registration costs, please contact Randy Manion at 720-962-7423 or manion@wapa.gov.

UWIG Coordinating Special Issue of IEEE Power & Energy Magazine on Wind Integration

UWIG has been working with the IEEE Power & Energy Society on putting together the November/December 2009 issue of Power & Energy Magazine, which will focus on wind integration. UWIG Executive Director Charlie Smith and Brian Parsons of NREL are serving as co-guest-editors for this issue, which will come out in mid October. Articles include:

UWIG Co-sponsors International Wind Integration Workshop

UWIG is co-sponsoring the 8th International Workshop on Large-Scale Integration of Wind Power into Power Systems as well as on Transmission Networks for Offshore Wind Farms. The event will be held October 14-15, 2009 in Bremen, Germany. This workshop provides an international forum to

• Discuss technical and economic issues of the large-scale integration of wind power including the recent advances in transmission technologies (AC and DC)
• Discuss project experiences
• Discuss innovative ideas and present results from ongoing
• Stimulate interdisciplinary thinking between wind energy and power transmission industries, as well as universities
• Identify subjects requiring more research efforts

The workshop will be preceded by the Third Workshop on Best Practice in the Use of Short-term Forecasting of Wind Power on October 13. A field trip will follow on October 16.

For more information, please visit http://www.windintegrationworkshop.org.

UWIG to Co-Sponsor Distributed Wind Interconnection Workshop

UWIG, NRECA, APPA, American Wind Energy Association, Western Area Power Administration, and the U.S. Department of Energy Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program are presenting a distributed wind interconnection workshop January 20-22 at Western’s Electric Power Training Center in Golden, Colo. A flyer on this event can be found at http://www.uwig.org/WindInterconnflyer2010.pdf.

Dates for 2010 Forecasting Workshop Announced

For the third year in a row, UWIG will be conducting a workshop on Wind Forecasting Applications to Utility Planning and Operations. This multi-day workshop will be held at the Hotel Albuquerque February 10-11, 2010.

The workshop is intended to facilitate a better understanding of the use of analytical methods for wind plant output forecasting applications for power system planning and operations, and to provide a better understanding of power system planning and operations requirements. The workshop is intended to be a two-way dialog between wind plant forecasters and power system planning and operations personnel and their consultants. The format will consist of a series of panels, with focused presentations and opportunity for extensive dialog among the panelists and the participants.

Additional details on this event, which will be open to UWIG members and invited stakeholders from the electric power and wind industries, will be released later this year.

Dates for 2010 Spring, Fall Technical Workshops Announced

The 2010 Spring Technical Workshop will take place April 14-16 in Portland, Ore. and the Fall Technical Workshop will take place October 13-15 in Quebec City, Canada. Additional details will be forthcoming. Dates for the 2010 Turbine O&M User Group meetings have not yet been finalized.

UWIG Board of Directors

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