Photo courtesy of FPLE |
Two short years ago, in The November/December 2005 issue, our theme centered on the integration of wind-generated energy into the electric power system. That issue, and the subject covered, proved to be of great interest to our readers and was coupled with the generation of a fair degree of controversy and questions. In the ensuing two years, the interest and the questions have not abated, but the technology has certainly matured as the application of wind generated energy has grown. In recognition of these facts, PES has since then established a Wind Power Coordinating Committee chaired by Dick Piwko to insure that the Society remains on the cutting edge of technology in this area.
Charlie Smith and Brian Parsons, who were the guest editors of the first issue, have once again volunteered to oversee this issue. And, as before, they have assembled a formidable array of articles to guide us through the intricacies and issues associated with the application of wind power. Their guest editor column reviews the state of renewal energy penetrations in the United States where goals are defined by national and state governments producing a mixed picture across the country. They also look at Europe where national policies supporting renewable energy development were adopted some time ago, which encouraged significant investment in wind plants. Indeed, by the end of 2006, of the 75,000 MW of wind capacity installed worldwide Europe had approximately 50,000 MW. They review the recent history of the technology, pointing out that wind plants are now as large or larger than many conventional power plants and require the same sort of terminal behavior as that of a conventional plant in terms of the ability to ride through a voltage excursion while remaining connected to the system, and provide reactive power support to the system immediately after a fault. In more blunt terms, the case is made that the wind plant (note that the term "farm" is not used) must be treated as an integral part of the electric system. They further decry the use of the term "intermittent" by reviewing the operation of the wind plant and redefining that operation as one of "variable output."
In This Issue
The six feature articles with their lead authors, which comprise our issue, are listed below in order of appearance. They are reviewed in detail in the Guest Editorial column:
- "To Capture the Wind" by Bob Thresher
- "Queuing Up" by Bob Zavadil
- "Accommodating Wind's Natural Behavior" by Ed DeMeo
- "What Comes First?" by Dick Piwko
- "Predicting the Wind" by Bernie Ernst
- "Euopean Balancing Act" by Thomas Ackermann
Mea Culpa
In deference to the realities of publishing and page budgets, I have committed the unpardonable sin of not including two regular and popular columns that usually grace our pages. Mea culpa! I offer apologies to Associate Editors Gerry Sheblé and Carl Sulzberger who diligently offer the informative and educational Business Scene and History columns, respectively, and even deeper apologies to our readers, myself included, who avidly look forward to their contributions. The good news is that their "vacations" will be short-lived and they will indeed be featured in the next issue.
The November/December issue is the year's last and, in accordance with IEEE policy, an index (author and subject) is compiled at the end of the issue. All material published in the magazine is also included in IEEE Xplore, as is all material dating back to 1988 from our predecessor publications, IEEE Computer Applications in Power and IEEE Power Engineering Review. This collection represents a veritable treasure trove of information.
With Gratitude
The term of Mani Venkata, as VP-Technical Information Services, will end at the year's conclusion. Mani has been a pillar of support to me as the magazine has evolved and I am eternally grateful to him. I am pleased that his successor is Mohammad Shahidehpour, a true professional and certainly a supporter of and contributor to our publication. I know it will be a pleasurable experience to be able to work with Mohammad. Welcome!
As the year winds down, I wish to express my gratitude to the P&E Editorial Board, President John McDonald and the PES Governing Board, and the PES Executive Office for their continuing and unwavering support. Also, I want to recognize and thank those brave souls who served as guest editors for some of the 2007 issues: Bill Long and Stig Nilsson, Sakis Meliopoulos, Hugh Rudnick and Mani Venkata, Mohammad Shahidehpour, and Brian Parsons and Charlie Smith. And to those dedicated IEEE professionals, Geri Krolin-Taylor and Janet Dudar, my thanks for the guidance you give and the support you are always prepared to offer.
