WIND SAVES CALIFORNIA’S GRID

CAISO: Wind, demand response helped avoid February emergency alert

Christine Cordner, March 21, 2014 (SNL)

“The California ISO was saved from calling an energy emergency alert in February due to an uptick in wind generation…[C]old weather caused natural gas price spikes and supply curtailments to Southern California generators [Feb. 6]…[N]eeds were met by increased output from northern California generation, higher imports, a Flex Alert call for conservation, and demand response…Demand response played a key role by reducing peak load by approximately 700 MW. In addition, the system benefited from 800 MW of additional wind generation, which started ramping up…just as CAISO was preparing to call a Stage One emergency alert…[G]as incidents are getting closer and closer to the edge [according to CAISO CEO Steve Berberich]…Wind resources provided 40% of total renewable energy in 2013, up from 38% in 2012, while solar resources provided 17% in 2013, up from 8% in 2012…[Geothermal] provided 27% of CAISO's renewable energy tally…[S]olar is expected to increase its share in 2014…” click here for more

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