WINDPOWER IN NEW-ENGLAND - MODELING AND ANALYSIS OF NON-DISPATCHABLE RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES

Non-dispatchable renewable energy technologies have beneficial environ mental, financial and planning characteristics, yet are not readily in cluded in resource planning analysis for two main reasons: the lack of familiarity in the power sector with their behavior, and the lack of appropriate analysis tools. This paper presents a methodology, to be u sed in conjunction with a standard production-costing model, for analy zing non-dispatchable renewable energy technologies (RETs) as part of power systems operation. Our analysis of 1500 MWP of windpower in New England shows that this capacity can capture the same amount of energy as the region's utility sponsored DSM programs, and that the wind res ource in New England is comparable, on an energy basis, to that in Cal ifornia.