EIA: Central U.S. Sets Wind-Power Records

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The Southwest Power Pool (SPP), a regional transmission organization for much of the central U.S., set two wind-power-related records earlier this year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

The SPP, which oversees the bulk electric grid and wholesale power market for a group of utilities and transmission companies in 14 states, set records for the highest share of electricity demand supplied by wind power in both a single hour (72%) and a full day (62%). On March 7, the SPP's wind penetration rate -- the share of electricity demand supplied by wind generation -- reached 62%. On an hourly basis, wind generated a high share of 72% of electricity demand in the early morning of April 27.

Industrial Info is tracking more than $18.5 billion worth of wind-power projects in the SPP states that are planned for completion in the second half of 2020.

Click on the image at right showing wind-power projects in the SPP states that are planned for completion in second-half 2020

Wind generation in the SPP region often is highest in the spring, when electricity demand is relatively low because of mild temperatures, the EIA said.

According to data from the EIA's inventory of utility-scale power plants, the SPP had 21 gigawatts of nameplate wind generating capacity as of March, which represents 20% of the total utility-scale wind generating capacity in the U.S.

In 2019, wind power provided 29% of the electricity demand in the SPP, ranging from a high of 37% in October to a low of 18% in August, the EIA said.

Bruce Rew, senior vice president of operations for the SPP, said in January that wind was the SPP's most utilized energy source in the fourth quarter of 2019, according to a press release. The organization predicted wind will overtake coal as the region's number one energy source in 2021.

The top five soon-to-be-completed wind-power generation projects in the SPP region, in terms of investment value, include:

• Xcel Energy Incorporated's (NASDAQ:XEL) (Minneapolis, Minnesota) $865 million, 522-megawatt (MW) Sagamore Wind Project near Portales, New Mexico; see project report
• Renewable Energy Systems RES Limited's (King Langley, U.K.) $700 million, 492-MW Maverick Creek Windfarm in Eden, Texas; see project report
• Energy Capital Partners' (Short Hills, New Jersey) $600 million, 200-MW High Prairie Windfarm north of Queen City, Missouri; see project report
• Duke Energy Corporation's (NYSE:DUK) (Charlotte, North Carolina) $585 million, 355-MW Frontier Windfarm Phase 2 Unit Addition in Newkirk, Oklahoma; see project report
• WEC Energy Group's (NYSE:WEC) (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) $550 million, 300-MW Thunderbird Windfarm near Elgin, Nebraska; see project report.

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