Overnight New England’s 1.3 GW of on-shore wind is supplying ~8% of the region’s current electricity load.
These long winter nights would yield optimal production from offshore wind (OSW).
Imagine the contribution the planned 5.94 GW of OSW will make to the region’s fuel mix.
These long winter nights would yield optimal production from offshore wind (OSW).
Imagine the contribution the planned 5.94 GW of OSW will make to the region’s fuel mix.
Recall NE OSW is expected to have a capacity factor (its actual production relative to its max theoretical output) of 45%. On-shore wind has a capacity factor in the mid-30%s. So an estimate of OSW production isn’t merely a straight-line projection based on-shore wind production.
Suffice it to say—when 5.9 GWs of OSW are producing power on these long winter nights, wind will meet 40-50% of NE’s load. And the prospect of that % of load being met by a variable resource is what keeps the folks at ISO-NE awake at night.
Their soporific will be storage/hydro, and during their waking hours it will also be load curtailment.
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CORRECTION! I should have said 1.3 GW (i.e. 1,300 MW) of on-shore wind + 30 MW (i.e. .03 GW) of off-shore wind from RI’s Block Island Wind Farm.
