Utility Integration Assessment
NREL researchers analyzed research data collected from this wind farm in Lawton, Oklahoma, to determine the impacts of wind energy on systems operations.
The integration of wind energy into the electric generation industry's supply mix is one of the issues industry grapples with. The natural variability of the wind resource raises concerns about how wind can be integrated into routine grid operations, particularly with regard to the effects of wind on regulation, load following, scheduling, line voltage, and reserves.
NREL's Systems Integration staff collaborates with utility industry partners and provides data, analysis, and techniques to increase utility understanding of integration issues and confidence in the reliability of new wind turbines. Their strategy is to define and complete activities, on a region-by-region basis, that provide system operators, planners, and relevant decision makers with the information and tools needed for equitable treatment of wind power in the energy marketplace.
