When it comes to integrating wind generation into the Pacific Northwest power grid, one of the major problems has been the absence of an organized market in the region, according to panelists at a conference. "We have an aversion to markets in the Pacific Northwest," said Robert Kahn of the Northwest and Intermountain Power Producers Coalition, which represents independent producers in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Utah.

When it comes to integrating wind generation into the Pacific Northwest power grid, one of the major problems has been the absence of an organized market in the region, according to panelists at a conference.

"We have an aversion to markets in the Pacific Northwest," said Robert Kahn of the Northwest and Intermountain Power Producers Coalition, which represents independent producers in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Utah. "Maybe its time for the 17 balancing authorities in the Northwest to get over that."

In particular, Kahn criticized the Bonneville Power Administration for failing to act to help integrate renewables. "Bonneville needs to be reminded that it should solve problems," Kahn said Monday.

He encouraged FERC to "prod its sister agency" to fully implement the measures of the order 890, which involves pro-forma open-access transmission tariff guidelines, which Kahn said have been much more successful in getting renewables on the grid.

FERC should "encourage BPA to adopt new tools to respond to the variability of wind and other intermittent resources," he said.

Kahn also suggested that another solution would be to treat wind and other intermittent resources as must-run generation resources.

All is not doom and gloom in the Northwest, countered Brian Silverstein,
BPA's senior vice president of transmission services.

He said BPA has completed its first network open season in 2008 and expects to add 2,700 MW of wind to its system this summer.

Another 2,000 MW of renewable resources have requested large generator
interconnection agreements be signed in the next six months, he said.

Silverstein agreed with previous panelists that a big obstacle is getting major transmission lines built.

But another problem is wind forecasting, which tends to leave a big gap between output forecasts and the actual performance of resources, he said.
"This is not just a Bonneville issue," Silverstein said. "This is something that Bonneville cannot accomplish alone."

Web link: http://www.platts.com/Electric%20Power/News/770018...