WIND - MISO Wind Output Blows Past 10,000 MW

Overnight on Friday November 23^rd, Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator Incorporated (MISO) made some serious headwind by blowing past the 10 gigawatt (GW) mark for wind energy produced. Production topped out at 10,012 megawatts (MW) during that faithful evening, according to a statement from MISO.
The organization, which watches over the high-voltage system and offers open-transmission assistance over 11 states in the Midwest United States and the Canadian province of Manitoba, yesterday announced the milestone.

Minnesota Wind Farm via John Wollwerth/Shutterstock

This is quite significant, considering during the same period that day, wind output represented 25% of the energy being used within the MISO region.
Officials have been supportive of wind energy's upward trend as an energy solution in the Midwest US and Canada.
"Wind represents one of the fuel choices that helps us manage congestion on the system and ultimately helps keep prices low for our customers and the end-use consumer," said MISO's Executive Director of Real Time Operations Joe Gardner in the release.
"When we have significant quantities of wind being generated, we use less of other, more expensive, generation types to keep the system in balance."
Since 2006, wind capacity in the region has rapidly advanced, with the organization watching over 12,000 MW of registered wind capacity this year, in comparison to just 1,112 MW six years ago.
MISO is one of the largest energy markets in the world, grossing $23.6 billion in energy market transactions annually. The organization covers 11 states, including: Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, and the Canadian province of Manitoba. MISO's headquarters are located in Carmel, Illinois, and the company has centers both in Carmel and in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Source: MISO
MISO Wind Output Blows Past 10,000 MW was originally published on: CleanTechnica

http://cleantechnica.com/2012/11/28/miso-wind-output-blows-past-10000-mw/