Southwest Power Pool study shows it can reliably manage 60% wind penetration
The new integration study assessed SPP capabilities with wind penetrations of 30%, 45%, and 60%. In addition to the bulk transmission system assessment, it included steady-state thermal and voltage stability analysis, ramping analysis, re-dispatch analysis, and outage analysis.
“SPP operations must ensure that it is prepared for changes that occur in generation output,” the study explains. At least at present, SPP’s fossil fuel plants will be critical for integrating wind reliabily.
“SPP currently has a combination of Non-Dispatchable and Dispatchable Variable Energy Resources (NDVER/DVER) installed within the SPP footprint. By maintaining a fleet of NDVERS, it limits available ancillary service capacity and requires thermal resources and DVERs to provide available capacity for ancillary services.”
And while those plants may need to cycle up and down more to accommodate intermittent generation, SPP officials told RTO Insider that their ability to integrate renewables reliably has enhanced over time.
