KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Dec.13, 2006 — EnerNex Corporation announced today that it has completed a project for the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the potential operational impacts of wind generation on utility power systems in the state. EnerNex collaborated with forecasting firm WindLogics to perform this work. The study built on EnerNex’s efforts in a 2004 study of the Xcel Energy-NSP control area for the Minnesota Department of Commerce and was expanded to include all electric utilities serving Minnesota customers.
The study evaluated and quantified reliability, operating and market impacts of three levels of wind generation: 15, 20 and 25 percent of Minnesota retail sales in 2020. The study found that the total integration operating cost for up to 25 percent wind energy delivered to Minnesota customers is less than $4.50 per MWh of wind generation. The 25 percent penetration level of wind is predicated on operating in the Midwest Independent System Operator (MISO) service area, control area consolidation (currently underway in MISO), geographic diversity of the wind power and adequate transmission.
The study process included a Technical Review Committee comprised of the contractors and numerous stakeholders from both the private and public sector: Minnesota utilities subject to the Minnesota Renewable Energy Objective of 10 percent by 2015, MISO, Midwest Reliability Organization/Mid-Continent Area Power Pool, Minnesota Department of Commerce, Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, Community-Based Energy Development, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Utility Wind Integration Group. MISO was a key study participant that supplied power system data and technical expertise, as well as much of the system modeling.
The Minnesota study is the latest in a series examining how utilities can manage ever-larger amounts of wind power on their systems, and it comes at a time of strong growth for the wind industry. A number of these studies can be found at the Web site of the Utility Wind Integration Group at http://www.uwig.org/opimpactsdocs.html. The three volumes summarizing the study results can be found on the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission Web site at http://www.puc.state.mn.us/news_events/index.htm#electric.
EnerNex Corporation provides engineering and consulting services, along with software solutions and customization, for the electric power industry. EnerNex focuses on providing services around the development and application of new and emerging electric power technologies to engineer a cleaner, smarter energy system of the future. For more information on EnerNex, visit www.enernex.com.
Contact: Carrie Parks
Phone: 865-218-4600 ext.6142
carrie@enernex.com
www.enernex.com
