New all time high for wind energy set Sunday
FOLSOM, Calif.
Wind power is gaining speed. The California Independent System Operator Corporation (ISO) reports a new record was set when turbines spinning within the ISO power grid combined to produce a new record of 4,196 megawatts (MW) at 6:44 p.m. on Sunday.
The ISO is the main operator for the state’s high voltage network, serving about 80 percent of the Golden State. On Friday, total wind levels surpassed the 4,000 MW milestone when 4,095 MW helped to power California. Previously, the all time record peak output for wind energy was3,944 MW on March 3, 2011.
“With these impressive wind production levels, California is well positioned to meet the33 percent by 2020 green power goal,”said ISO President and CEO Steve Berberich.“Our control center operators are tracking a steady increase in renewable energy and we are leveraging the latest forecasting technology as well as complementary flexible resources to capture and optimize this carbon free power supply.”
There is a total of 5,899 megawatts of wind plant capacity installed within the ISO grid. Not all of the wind power was available yesterday as a result of routine generation and transmission outages. California is now the second largest producer of wind power next to Texas. The independent system operator ERCOT, which serves about 80 percent of the Lone Star State, reports 10,407 MW of wind generation installed and achieved a record peak of 9,481 MW on February 9, 2013.
In 2011, 921.3 megawatts was installed in the state.. Most of that activity occurred in the Tehachapi area of Kern County, with some big projects in Solano, Contra Costa and Riverside counties as well.As of late last year Kern County was reviewing a number of other proposed wind projects that would generate a combined 4,600 megawatts of renewable energy if approved.