Abstract-Wind energy is increasingly viewed as a desirable energy source, but it must be integrated into power grids and electric utility systems that are understandably oriented around issues of power, capacity and reliability. It is important to know the actual impact costs of significant wind penetration levels, and the paper first describes a study approach and the results of a specific wind integration study in North America. Once the impact costs are understood, it is then possible to design tools and operating practices to minimize these impact costs. Wind forecasting tools are a critical element in minimizing the impact costs and ensuring reliability with larger amounts of wind energy on the grid, and the approaches and reasonable expectations for state-of-the-art wind forecasting methods are described. The value of wind energy is increased, and larger amounts of wind energy can be used, if it can be scheduled using wind forecasting methods.
This paper provides an overview of major transmission planning activities related to wind integration studies in the United States and Europe. Transmission planning for energy resources is different from planning for capacity resources. Those differences are explained, and illustrated with examples from several regions of the United States and Europe. Transmission planning for wind is becoming an iterative process consisting of generation expansion planning, economic-based transmission planning, system reliability analysis, and wind integration studies.A brief look at the policy environment in which this activity is taking place is provided. A set of coherent and collaborative transmission planning, siting, and permitting policies and cost allocation method must be developed to achieve the intended objectives. The scale of transmission development envisioned for this purpose will require unprecedented cooperation across multiple jurisdictional boundaries. C 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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