WASHINGTON - Wind power is helping create a more reliable, affordable and diverse electricity mix, despite the incorrect claims in Rob Port’s July 23 commentary.
Diversifying our energy mix with wind energy makes the power system more resilient, and better able to withstand disruptions. While conventional power plants can suddenly and unexpectedly go offline, changes in wind output can be predicted many hours or even days in advance and occur gradually, particularly across the large interstate power system that includes North Dakota. The Midwest grid operator has explained that wind’s impact on its need for reserve generation is “little to none,” and that far larger amounts of wind energy can be reliably integrated.
Wind plants far exceed the ability of conventional plants to “ride through” voltage and frequency disturbances, and provide far faster and more accurate voltage and frequency regulation than conventional power plants, both critical attributes for keeping the lights on.
Wind energy plays by the same electricity market rules as other energy sources; Mr. Port is simply incorrect when he alleges wind receives priority. All energy sources in the U.S. receive government incentives, and wind energy has received just three cents of every dollar spent on federal energy incentives since 1950.
Many states are already successfully integrating large amounts of wind power. Iowa reliably generates over 31 percent of its electricity with wind, while a dozen states are over 10 percent.
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The truth is wind energy is saving money and reliably providing electricity for families and businesses across the country.
Editor’s note: Goggin is the senior director of research at the American Wind Energy Association.
