August 27, 2014 – When equipped with the appropriate modern plant controls, wind applications can substantially enhance grid resiliency. That’s the conclusion reached by GE’s Energy Consulting business, which presented the findings of its frequency response study on wind power and grid resiliency at CIGRE 2014 (International Council on Large Electric Systems) in Paris, France.

“The conclusions demonstrate that wind power can be more effective in maintaining frequency than thermal generation when wind farms are equipped with grid-friendly controls,” said Nicholas Miller, lead author of the study and senior technical director for GE’s Energy Consulting business. “These findings should show that the future of wind energy is bright, and it will continue to play a larger role in the power we consume.”

Questions about how the U.S. electrical systems would respond to a large-scale interruption of generation (e.g. multiple power plants tripping offline) were the catalyst for the study, explains GE. Sponsored by the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the GE study modelled the country’s Eastern Interconnection.

The study explored how the grid could respond to a major event and maintain its resiliency with significant wind power added to the generation mix. The conclusions of the study found that wind can be more effective than thermal generation in controlling frequency on the grid due to its ability to respond more quickly.

“While GE’s study considered the impact of wind power on the Eastern Interconnection of the U.S., the lessons we’ve learned can be applied in Europe and around the globe,” added Miller.