UWIG Organizes Groundbreaking Study on Wind Integration with Utility Systems

Project to assess impacts of wind generation on utility operations

Arlington, Va. - July 19, 2001 - Spurred by the increasing number of wind generation facilities in development across the United States, an industry group has organized a project to study the impact of wind generation on electric system operations. The Utility Wind Interest Group (UWIG), a non-profit corporation whose mission is to accelerate the appropriate integration of wind power for utility applications, is providing leadership, technical review, and funding for the study, which is also receiving financial support from Xcel Energy, EPRI, the American Public Power Association, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Western Area Power Administration, and the Bonneville Power Administration. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is providing in-kind support.

This project will analyze the impacts of significant amounts of intermittent generation - such as wind plants - on the real-time operations and short-term planning of electric power systems. These functions, also known as ancillary services, are critical to reliable and economic operation of interconnected power systems, and represent tangible costs to those utilities providing them. The recent surge in wind power development in the U.S. has given urgency to questions regarding ancillary services and operational impacts in both the wind power and electric utility industries.

Brad Reeve, President of UWIG and General Manager of Kotzebue Electric Association, noted the important role of the project for electric system operators, "It has become abundantly clear that, as wind resources are used to fuel more and more of a utility's generation mix, it is incumbent upon that utility to learn all it can about the impact this environmentally benign intermittent resource will have on its ability to provide safe, reliable, and cost effective electricity to its customers."

UWIG has contracted with Arlington, Va.-based Electrotek Concepts, a power systems engineering consulting company, to conduct the study. The project will be a 12-month investigation assessing the impacts of large-scale wind facilities on power system regulation, supply/load balancing, and scheduling functions. The analysis will be conducted using case study data supplied by host utilities Xcel Energy and Bonneville Power Administration, and is being performed using conventional utility analyses and software tools supplemented by methods and models specifically developed for the project. The project will also make use of high-resolution performance data being collected and provided by NREL from several large wind plants.

According to Mark McGree, Manager of Resource Planning and Bidding for Xcel Energy, analysis of cost impacts will be especially useful: "Data from this study should provide utility planners and regulators with objective information about the ancillary costs of intermittent generation. This information is needed to compare fairly the costs of various generation resources. We look forward to the results of this study and intend to use it with our regulators and environmental activists and in evaluating responses to future Xcel Energy requests for generation resources."

Bonneville Power Administration, who is implementing a number of wind projects into its generation portfolio, is also looking forward to the results. As indicated by George Darr, Manager of BPA's Renewables Group: "We are considering adding large amounts of wind power to our system but we are concerned about potential costs and impacts. This study should help us make informed decisions about how much wind we should develop."

The Utility Wind Interest Group was established in 1989 to provide a forum for the critical analysis of wind technology for utility applications and to serve as a source of credible information on the status of wind technology and deployment. The group holds technical wind forums and engages in other technical program activities through the coordinated efforts and actions of its members. It operates in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy and its National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which provide co-funding for the group. The UWIG currently has 53 members spanning 21 states, including investor-owned, public power, and rural electric cooperative utilities, as well as associate member corporate, government, and academic organizations. For more information, visit the UWIG web site at www.uwig.org.