SPP sets grid operator record with 90% renewable energy penetration

A Kansas wind farm (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector).

On March 29, at 2:42 a.m. in Southwest Power Pool grid, renewable energy supplied 90.2% electricity to the grid. This is a record for a U.S. region transmission organization.

SPP stated that wind provided 88.5% of total energy demand during that time, surpassing the 84% record set on May 8, 2020.

Bruce Rew was the grid operator’s senior vice-president of operations and he praised SPP for its ability to significantly scale up renewable energy resources (e.g. wind) without sacrificing reliability.

“We’re able to manage wind generation more effectively than other, smaller systems can because we’ve got a huge pool of resources to draw from,” Rew said.

SPP serves 14 states in central America, from the Canadian border in Montana, North Dakota, to parts of New Mexico and Texas.

The SPP generator interconnection line has 66 GW of renewable resources waiting to be connected to the grid.

  • John Engel is the Content Director at Renewable Energy World. John Engel has been a journalist for over ten years, covering news, sports, and politics across all media — print, radio, television, and digital. He lives with Malia, his wife, in Asheville North Carolina.

    Do you have a story idea, or a pitch for Renewable Energy World. Email John at john.engel@clarionevents.com.

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