ISO-NE summarizes factors that contribute to curtailment of wind power during grid operations

Over the past five years, the amount of wind power connected to the New England high-voltage power grid has grown rapidly—from approximately two megawatts (MW) in 2005 to more than 700 MW today. Another 2,000+ MW of wind generation has been proposed for the region. Rapidly evolving technology, public policy goals and requirements, and government programs such as the federal Production Tax Credit (PTC) are all contributing to rising wind energy development. The growth of this resource adds to the region’s generation portfolio and can also help meet state renewable energy goals. At the same time, it is also adding new and complex challenges to managing the New England power grid.

Recently, a number of questions have been asked about why the electricity output from wind power facilities in New England is sometimes curtailed by system operators. To provide insight into the factors that lead to wind curtailment, ISO New England published a Summary of Wind Power and Curtailment in New England. The document also highlights some potential enhancements that could help minimize curtailments in the future.