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The Oklahoman Electronic Edition

By Jack L. Perkins
Chief Executive Officer of Tri-County Electric Co-op

Wind generation is in the news in our area frequently. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t hear at least one question about it myself. I would like to publicly answer a few of the more common questions we receive about wind generation. In addition, I make myself available to anyone whose question is not answered here. Our door is always open for our members at Tri-County Electric.

Is Tri-County Electric opposed to wind generation?

This question is the one heard the most often by Tri-County Electric employees. The answer is a resounding no — Tri-County Electric is not opposed to wind generation. I can’t stress this enough. We support wind generation wholeheartedly.

 

Will Tri-County Electric purchase the energy produced by my wind generator?

Due to contractual obligations, Tri-County Electric cannot purchase energy from any source except the Purchase Power Agreements currently in place. The Purchase Power Agreements were necessary to finance the generation resource owned by Golden Spread Electric Cooperative, Inc. and Southwestern Public Service Company d/b/a Xcel Energy Inc. The coal-fired, natural gas-fired, and diesel-fired generation resources that currently meet our members’ energy needs were financed based on these agreements.

 

Can Tri-County Electric get out of the agreements?

The simple answer is no. In order to eliminate these obligations, Tri-County Electric would be required to pay its remaining portion of the debt related the future purchases by Tri-County Electric or to sue. Both processes are expensive, in terms of millions of dollars, which would have to be paid by the members.

 

Is Tri-County Electric purchasing wind energy?

Yes. Both Purchase Power Agreements include wind generation resources as a piece of their generation mix. The amount of the wind component in the mix, at any one time, is difficult to identify because of the nature of wind generation. The wind component changes on an hourly basis. Wind generation is dependent on the wind blowing and, contrary to popular sentiment; the wind does not blow all the time.

On the hottest day of the year, when air conditioners are running full throttle and usage is at its peak, the amount of wind generation available will be zero or very close to zero.

During times of average wind speeds, the percentage of wind generation is currently about 20 percent of the overall generation mix. This percent is increasing steadily.

Some of the developers indicate that wind is available 40 to 45 percent of the year. In 2007, the two 10 MW wind farms on the Tri-County Electric system were available 32 percent of the year.

 

If 20 percent of the generation is based on wind and the wind is free, why is my bill so high?

The wind energy is free, but the wind generators themselves are not free. The cost of the wind generator must be recovered through the energy produced. That means that the capital cost of the generator and the infrastructure necessary to connect to the electrical grid are recovered over a shorter time than a normal generator that would run closer to 100 percent of the time.

 

Is there capacity on the transmission system owned by Tri-County Electric?

Yes. The available capacity is dependent on where the interconnection is made. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and Southwest Power Pool require that utilities perform a “transmission interconnection study” to determine the limitations of the transmission system before an interconnection is approved. Capacity is allocated on first-come/first-serve bases.

 

Is the interconnection study the only requirement?

No. This interconnection study is only the first step and the only study that is conducted by Tri-County Electric. Following the transmission interconnection study all other studies and decision follow under the control of the Southwest Power Pool. The Southwest Power Pool is the regional electric reliability council governing our area of the United States.

If the interconnection study shows a favorable result the next step is to conduct a transmission impact study. The transmission impact study will be conducted by the Southwest Power Pool. This study examines the impact that electrical energy, also known as power flow, from wind generation will have on the transmission system within the Southwest Power Pool and what upgrades may be require to facilitate the power flow. The result will determine if further studies are required.

Wind generation is a complicated process. The answers above only briefly outline the resource from Tri-County Electric’s perspective. Again, if you have a question not answered here, please call or come by. We will be glad to speak with you and help however we can. Above all, we are here to serve you, our members.