UWIG Co-Presents Webinar on Wind Energy and the Power System

On January 28, The Utility Wind Integration Group, along with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and American Wind Energy Association, presented the webinar Wind Energy and the Power System: An Interactive FAQ.

The webinar was led by Dr. Michael Milligan at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, who was lead author of the article Wind Power Myths Debunked in the November/December 2009 issue of IEEE Power & Energy Magazine. The article can be downloaded from the IEEE PES web site.

The webinar addressed a number of questions about wind energy, including

• How do grid operators deal with the changing output of wind generation?
• How can we change the way we operate the power system to better accommodate wind?
• Does wind need energy storage?
• Can you predict the wind?
• How much does it cost to integrate wind with the power system?
• Does wind power need new transmission, and how much does that cost?
• Does wind power need backup generation, and does that affect the fuel use and emissions savings of wind?
• Does wind provide capacity to meet power demand?
• What happens when the wind stops blowing?
• How much wind can be accommodated on the power system?
• How does wind compare to other sources of electricity, like coal or nuclear?

The slides for the webinar can be downloaded here.