Wind power and electric utilities: a review of the problems and prospects. [USA]

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Abstract
The use of windpower poses a variety of problems for utilities primarily due to the uncontrollability of the power source and the high degree of variability of the wind. Differences in the dynamic behavior of the wind and of utility load patterns and the problems that arise from these differences are described. Utility capacity expansion methods and modifications to them to incorporate the characteristics of wind machines into the analytic procedure are outlined and results from initial studies employing these modifications are reviewed. These results indicate that, in general, storage devices are too expensive to be purchased by utilities if they serve mainly to balance the output of the wind machines; wind machines tend to supplant purchases of conventional baseload capacity but require additional peaking units; and the economic value of wind machines to utilities is composed of savings in both fuel and capacity related expenditures for conventional equipment.

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