OPERATIONAL, COST, AND TECHNICAL STUDY OF LARGE WINDPOWER SYSTEMS INTEGRATED WITH AN EXISTING ELECTRIC UTILITY

摘要

The objective of this program was to explore the feasibility of the use of windpower generating systems as supplemental energy sources on existing electric utilities in the time frame of the next two decades. Specifically, the study was centered upon the geographical region served by Southwestern Public Service Company, an investor-owned utility with headquarters in Amarillo, Texas. The region includes most of the Panhandle of Texas, the Panhandle of Oklahoma, parts of eastern New Mexico, and some communities in southwest Kansas. The geographical area and transmission line network of the utility are depicted in Figure 1. The present capacity of the utility is about 2000 MW. Of prime importance, the region, as distinct from a collection of high wind velocity singularities, is character¬ized by very high wind power potential.