Northwest US wind power output falls in 2015

OREANDA-NEWS. Wind generation in the Northwest Power Pool in the first three months of 2015 fell by 19pc from a year earlier while load declined by 9pc.

An unusually warm winter in the pool's territory, which covers the northwest US and western Canada, has cut into the snowpack and boosted hydropower generation at the same time as wind output fell. The pool includes 22 balancing areas, including the Bonneville Power Administration, British Columbia's BC Hydro, PacifiCorp Seattle City Light and Portland General Electric.

Washington state recorded 18pc fewer heating degree days this winter than normal and 17pc fewer than a year earlier, according to the National Weather Service. Winter in Oregon was 19pc warmer than normal. To the south, winter in California was 39pc warmer than normal.

Abundant hydro and lower load has pushed northwest US power prices well below last year's levels. Mid-Columbia peak preschedules so far this year averaged \\$20/MWh, down from the year-earlier average of \\$48/MWh. An early start of the runoff season depressed Mid-Columbia prices this week, with off-peak day-ahead prices falling to 22?/MWh on 30 March.

Hourly wind output in the Northwest Power Pool averaged 2,840MW in the year to 23 March, based on data posted by the pool's reserve sharing group. Wind on average accounted for 6pc of load across the 22-balancing area territory, down from a 7pc share in the same period last year.

Hourly wind generation so far this year peaked at 8,595MW on 18 January, or 78pc of installed capacity.

Wind for calendar 2014 accounted for 7pc of generation in the pool's area, or 4,741MW on average. Hourly output last year peaked at 9,107MW on 22 November, or 83pc of installed capacity. But only 1,500MW of wind output, on average, can be relied on during peak load hours, according to the group.

Installed wind capacity in the pool's balancing areas was about 11,000MW at the start of the year and likely will exceed 11,500MW by summer 2015.