Wind Power Surge Challenges Grid Operator

Tom Banse
08/27/2008

Can there be too much of a good thing when it comes to wind power? The Bonneville Power Administration is confronting that question this summer. The regional grid operator has a pile of new connection requests from wind farm developers. There wouldn't be much of a story if you could schedule the wind minute–by–minute. But correspondent Tom Banse reports a fickle energy source like this makes life in the control room more interesting.

TRANSCRIPT

WHEN YOU FLIP A LIGHT SWITCH, YOU EXPECT THE ELECTRICITY TO COME ON WITHOUT THINKING. THAT DEPENDABILITY STARTS AT A HIGH SECURITY CONTROL ROOM IN VANCOUVER, WASHINGTON. THERE, ELECTRICITY DISPATCHERS FROM THE BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION (B.P.A.) MONITOR THE REGIONAL TRANSMISSION GRID. TWICE THIS SUMMER, THEY'VE BEEN PUT TO THE TEST BY UNEXPECTEDLY LARGE SURGES OF WIND POWER.

MAINZER: "It's something we have to keep our eyes on more and more and more going forward. But I wouldn't want to convey that this was people running around screaming, 'Oh my goodness, the lights are about to go out.'"

ELLIOT MAINZER MANAGES TRANSMISSION SERVICES FOR B.P.A. HE DESCRIBES TENSE MOMENTS WHILE DISPATCHERS SCRAMBLED TO DUMP EXCESS POWER. FOR THE FIRST TIME, WIND FARM OPERATORS IN OUR REGION GOT ORDERS TO IMMEDIATELY FEATHER THEIR BLADES. TONS OF WATER WAS ALSO PURPOSELY SPILLED OVER THE TOPS OF HYDROPOWER DAMS ON THE COLUMBIA RIVER.

NOW IMAGINE RUNNING THE REGIONAL GRID WITH THREE TIMES AS MANY WINDMILLS HOOKED UP. THAT'S HOW MUCH OF THE VARIABLE ENERGY SOURCE IS IN THE QUEUE.

MAINZER: "It takes your breath away a little bit. Because obviously it represents a huge potential resource. I think right now we're still trying to get our hands around the existing amount of capacity. The idea of putting that much more in over the next couple years, it raises a lot of important questions and things we really need to get our attention on as quickly as possible."

MAINZER SAYS THE RELIABILITY OF THE ELECTRIC GRID WILL ALWAYS BE PRIORITY ONE. THAT SAID, THE AGENCY IS LOOKING FOR IDEAS FOR HOW TO INCREASE THE FLEXIBILITY OF THE SYSTEM TO ACCOMMODATE THE FICKLE NATURE OF WIND. IT CAN CHANGE FROM A WHISPER TO A GUST AND BACK TO A WHISPER IN MINUTES.

SHIMSHAK: "Of course, you want to use the wind when it comes along because it is a free fuel and you want to make the best use of it you can."

RACHEL SHIMSHAK ADVOCATES FOR CLEAN ENERGY AS DIRECTOR OF THE NON-PROFIT RENEWABLE NORTHWEST PROJECT IN PORTLAND.

SHIMSHAK: "The biggest problem it turns out for wind is when it blows at night, when there's not much usage on the system. When you have too much supply and not enough demand, that turns out to be the most interesting situation."

SHIMSHAK ENVISIONS B.P.A. AS THE ORCHESTRATOR OF A FAST MOVING SWAP MEET. WHEN THE WIND BLOWS, A DISTANT COAL PLANT OR DAM OPERATOR CAN THROTTLE BACK. WHEN THE WIND CALMS, DISPATCHERS QUICKLY PUT A GAS–FIRED POWER PLANT ON LINE. SHIMSHAK SAYS THE NORTHWEST HAS A HEALTHY VARIETY OF ENERGY SUPPLIERS, BUT THEY COULD COORDINATE AND COOPERATE MORE.

SHIMSHAK: "You have a lot of hydro. You have a lot of gas in pipelines. You have a lot of coal in piles. You have a lot of customers who could use or not use their own resources. There's a lot of play in that system."

HORIZON WIND ENERGY IN ONE OF THE DEVELOPERS WITH BIG DESIGNS TO BUILD IN THE NORTHWEST. PORTLAND–BASED EXECUTIVE CHRIS TAYLOR SAYS THERE ARE PLENTY EXAMPLES OF OTHER COUNTRIES THAT HAVE INTEGRATED A FAR HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF WIND ONTO THEIR GRIDS SUCCESSFULLY.

TAYLOR: "If you look at the example of Denmark, or Spain, or northern Germany, these are places that are getting fifteen to twenty percent of their energy from wind without the lights going out."

THE NORTHWEST PRESENTLY GETS LESS THAN FOUR PERCENT OF ITS ELECTRICITY FROM THE WIND. ASIDE FROM COORDINATION, TAYLOR SAYS THERE'S ANOTHER BOTTLENECK. IT'S LIMITED TRANSMISSION CAPACITY. TAYLOR SAYS HIS COMPANY WANTS TO EXPAND ITS ELKHORN VALLEY WIND PROJECT IN NORTHEASTERN OREGON. BUT THERE'S NO ROOM IN THE WIRES TO GET ADDITIONAL ELECTRICITY TO MARKET. I'M TOM BANSE IN PORTLAND.

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