Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 6.2
Installed wind power capacity in the United States at the end of 2013.
Source: NREL
2014
By 2013, wind power was generating up to 25 percent of in-state power in places such
as Iowa and South Dakota, but the lack of transmission lines to move the power to demand
centersalsoledtowindpowerbeingcurtailedorshutdownduetotransmissionconstraints.
This pattern of curtailment shifted the focus from building wind turbines to enhancing the
transmission system to support them.
6.3.2 From Turbines to Transmission
While sophisticated turbine designs are crucial for maximizing power production, wind
turbines only help the electric system if they are connected to the grid. The rapid
development of large-scale wind power in the United States starting in 2007 has
underscored the need for additional transmission-line expansion. As transmission
line-siting authority rests with state PUCs, creating coordinated transmission plans to
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