Regional transmission organization Southwest Power Pool (SPP) reports that its eight-state market recently reached a new wind generation peak, at least its third such record of the year.
On Oct. 8, SPP's market experienced a new wind generation peak of 6,434 MW, and two days later, the record was beaten again and rose to 6,467 MW. According to SPP, the previous market peak was 6,325 MW, set on April 5. Last week's highest wind penetration accounted for up to 31.8% of overall market load, just shy of the 33.4% wind penetration record made on April 4.
"As an RTO, we're charged with – among other responsibilities – ensuring a reliable supply of power to customers. Our footprint's load is growing and diverse, especially with regard to wind energy," says SPP spokesperson Tom Kleckner, adding that SPP has about 8 GW of wind capacity and another 27 GW being developed.
Further, Kleckner says that SPP has signed off on over $2 billion in transmission-expansion projects over the past two years, "much of it because of the region's current and potential wind resources." Those potential resources, he explains, include an estimated 60 to 90 GW in Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Nebraska and the Texas Panhandle.
