Approaches for managing wind in transmission
June 19, 2020
June 19, 2020
With increasing amounts of wind and solar generation in transmission and distribution, the way grids deliver greener electricity safely, reliably and efficiently is set to change.
Much discussion about renewables and the grid has focused on distribution-connected resources. In this report we focus on wind generation and the transmission system, another essential topic understanding how the grid needs to transform.
The optimal approach to integrating renewable assets as utility-scale wind into the transmission grid will differ by market.
With multiple markets achieving more than 20% wind penetration, it is widely accepted that about 30% wind penetration is possible with existing tools and learnings. However, achieving penetration beyond 30%, which will be required to achieve the 100% renewable electricity or net zero-emissions targets of many cities, states and regions, will be a challenge to achieve at a reasonable cost. There are several options for integrating renewables; which to use and what to emphasize will differ by the current situation and targets/opportunities of each market.
We explore approaches for integrating utility-scale wind assets into the transmission grid in four detailed case studies, including the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) and Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) in the United States, the Single Electricity Market (SEM) across Ireland and Northern Ireland, and in the United Kingdom’s electricity system.
New ways to integrate high penetration of wind generation require new digital capabilities. For utilities, knowing what capabilities they will need as wind penetration levels rise is the easy part. The real challenge is delivering these capabilities within a cost-minimizing regulatory framework in an industry riven with uncertainty and change. The required characteristics of a digital organization need to be agile and innovative in the face of change that is rapid and deep.
Industry, policymakers and regulators will need to work together to make an industry digital revolution viable. And this will need to happen fast so that technology constraints do not act as a limiting factor to the pace of renewable integration.
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There are six main implications for grid operators planning to integrate larger share of renewables.
Renewable generation assets are transforming the grids, and we are seeing innovations in market and product design. But what we are also seeing is that these transformations can be implemented incrementally and pragmatically.