Security provision in systems with large penetration of wind power generation

The electricity generation sector is currently under strong pressure to curb emissions of greenhouse gases. To achieve this, targets on the amount of energy that needs to come from “green” power sources are being imposed around the world. In response to these targets, large amounts of wind power generation are being integrated and are likely to represent soon a significant share of the overall generation mix in power systems. The presence of wind generation brings new challenges to the system operators (SO), since these power sources cannot be scheduled and dispatched in the conventional manner due to their inherent dependence on stochastic factors. Accommodating this stochastic production source does not simply reduce the overall production from conventional sources, but also increases the uncertainty on the system's residual demand. Operating the system under such uncertain residual demand has consequences on reserve deployment and thus on the overall system's security margins. The paper discusses the cost impact that the integration of wind power generation imposes on the daily operation of the power system. It also reports on recent results on techniques for determining the optimal amount of reserve required to securely operate a power system with a significant proportion of wind generation. Finally, it discusses the need to re-assess the security margins and the provision of operating reserve for systems with a significant wind power production.