THE MINNESOTA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION
2006 MINNESOTA WIND INTEGRATION STUDY FINAL REPORTS AND PRESENTATION
In May of 2005 the Minnesota Legislature adopted a requirement for a Wind Integration Study of the impacts on reliability and costs associated with increasing wind capacity to 20% of Minnesota retail electric energy sales by the year 2020, and to identify and develop options for utilities to use to manage the intermittent nature of wind resources1. The law authorizes and directs the Reliability Administrator to manage the study. In July of 2005 the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission ordered2: 1) All Minnesota electric utilities to participate in the study; 2) The Minnesota electric utilities to contract jointly with an independent firm to conduct the study and to cooperate with completion of the study; and 3) The Minnesota electric utilities to use the study results to estimate impacts on their electric rates of increasing wind capacity to 20 percent and incorporate the study’s findings in resource plans and renewable energy objectives reports.
In the summer of 2005, a thorough and complete review of the current status and understanding of integrating wind power into electric power systems was completed. In September 2005, a broad stakeholder group was convened to develop the detailed study scope. This group included representatives of the Minnesota electric utilities, renewable energy advocates, community-based energy development, the Minnesota legislature, the Minnesota Department of Commerce, MISO, MAPP, and national technical experts. The resulting study scope focused on characterization of the Minnesota wind resource and quantifying reliability and operating impacts resulting from significant increases in wind generation.
The objectives of the study are to:
1. Evaluate the impacts on reliability and costs associated with increasing wind capacity to 15%, 20%, and 25% of Minnesota retail electric energy sales by 2020;
2. Identify and develop options to manage the impacts of the wind resources;
3. Build upon prior wind integration studies and related technical work;
4. Coordinate with recent and current regional power system study work;
5. Produce meaningful, broadly supported results through a technically rigorous, inclusive study process.
To read the 2006 Minnesota Wind Integration Study Final Report Volume I, please click here.
To read the 2006 Minnesota Wind Integration Study Final Report Volume II, please click here.
To read the 2006 Minnesota Wind Integration Study Presentation Volume I, please click here.
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