Windpower Engineering & Development

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Most recent posts
    • News
    • Featured
  • Resources
    • Digital issues
    • Podcasts
    • Suppliers
    • Webinars
    • Events
  • Videos
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
  • Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

How did wind energy perform during the Bomb Cyclone? AWEA tells

By Michelle Froese | April 2, 2018

This blog post comes from the American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) Into the Wind blog. It was written by Hannah Hunt, Research Analyst at AWEA. You can read AWEA’s other blog postings here.

Stoney Creek wind turbine

Earlier this year, the eastern half of the U.S. faced one of these trials, as the “Bomb Cyclone” blasted the region with frigid air for a number of days. The result: no major power plant outages.

Extreme weather events offer an opportunity to take stock of our power system—how well will it withstand days of prolonged stress? Earlier this year, the eastern half of the U.S. faced one of these trials, as the “Bomb Cyclone” blasted the region with frigid air for a number of days.

The result: no major power plant outages, and a power system that held strong in the face of challenging weather conditions. And wind power made an important contribution to a resilient energy mix, helping to keep the lights on for American families and businesses.

As was the case during the 2014 Polar Vortex event and the Texas 2011 cold snap, wind output was well above average when the power system needed it most. Across the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast throughout the Bomb Cyclone event, wind production surpassed both average winter and average annual output.

Let’s first look at PJM, the grid operator serving 13 states and Washington DC. From January 3 through 7, wind output in PJM was 55%t higher than average wind output in 2017. During the highest demand periods on January 3rd to 5th, wind output was consistently three to five times greater than the level PJM plans for and compensates wind for in its capacity market. Wind’s capacity factor exceeded 50% multiple times during the three-day period.

PJM wind outlookIn New England, wind output was also well above average throughout most of the event, and more than twice its normal level during some of the most challenging periods on January 5th and 6th, as shown below. Wind output surpassed the region’s coal generation on those days.

Grid operator studies show values of renewables for resilience
In January, the New England grid operator released a report examining resilience to extreme winter weather under a range of different electric generation mixes for the mid-2020s. While initial reporting focused on scenarios that did not perform as well, a number of scenarios with higher shares of renewable generation proved to be more reliable and resilient than the current power system. In fact, three of the four of the most reliable portfolios were high renewable scenarios.

bomb-cyclone-chartPJM’s 2017 resilience analysis also found that scenarios with very high levels of renewables were among the most resilient. PJM’s study discussed a range of other events that can cause outages at conventional power plants as well, like flooding, drought, high temperatures, and coal barge and rail congestion.

Renewable resources like wind and solar PV are generally resilient to such disruptions because they are not dependent on deliveries of fuel or cooling water.

Previous studies have found that more than 96% of customer electric outage hours happen because of severe weather, rather than disruptions of electricity generation. High winds, falling trees, and other factors knock out power lines, causing lost power. Such was the case in Puerto Rico, where the island is still recovering.

The main issue wasn’t damage to its power plants, but rather the complete decimation of its transmission system. That demonstrates that building a resilient electric grid requires a diverse generation mix, as well as transmission and infrastructure upgrades.

Further analysis of the “Bomb Cyclone” can be found here.


Filed Under: News, Projects
Tagged With: AWEA
 

About The Author

Michelle Froese

Related Articles Read More >

Richardson Electronics to deliver pitch energy modules to TransAlta wind fleets
Equinor halts work on Empire Wind offshore project after federal government order
ARESCA wants input on offshore wind standards
US wind market has worst install year since 2013

Podcasts

Wind Spotlight: Looking back at a year of Thrive with ZF Wind Power
See More >

Windpower Engineering & Development Digital Edition

Digital Edition

Browse the most current issue of Windpower Engineering & Development and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading wind power engineering magazine today.

Windpower Engineering & Development
  • Wind Articles
  • Solar Power World
  • Subscribe to Windpower Engineering
  • About Us/Contact Us

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising

Search Windpower Engineering & Development

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Most recent posts
    • News
    • Featured
  • Resources
    • Digital issues
    • Podcasts
    • Suppliers
    • Webinars
    • Events
  • Videos
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
  • Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe