WIND IS GOOD FOR THE GRID

Blowing away myths: Study says wind energy could be even more reliable than baseload power

Kari Lyderson, February 13, 2015 (Midwest Energy News)

“…[Wind energy helps build a more reliable and balanced electricity portfolio from] the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) explained how wind can actually be seen as a more reliable source than conventional power plants — one that contributes to rather than inhibits the stability of the grid as a whole…[and therefore a good way] of meeting the Environmental Protection Agency’s carbon reduction goals in the Clean Power Plan. No one disputes that wind is a zero-carbon and low-cost source of energy, but AWEA’s report underscores that…[f]luctuations in supply or demand from any given source do not matter to grid operators… [V]ariations in the level of wind energy output are easily smoothed out over the grid as demand also rises and falls frequently and often unpredictably…Since wind’s variability is more predictable and involves a smaller amount of megawatts than the potential variability of power plants, less reserve electricity is needed…” click here for more

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