Exploring the Grid Value of Offshore Wind Energy in Oregon

Travis C. Douville and Dhruv Bhatnagar
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Travis C. Douville: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Energy & Environment Directorate, Richland, WA 99354, USA
Dhruv Bhatnagar: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Energy & Environment Directorate, Richland, WA 99354, USA

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 15, 1-16

Abstract: The significant offshore wind energy potential of Oregon faces several challenges, including a power grid which was not developed for the purpose of transmitting energy from the ocean. The grid impacts of the energy resource are considered through the lenses of (i) resource complementarity with Variable Renewable Energy resources; (ii) correlations with load profiles from the four balancing authorities with territory in Oregon; and (iii) spatial value to regional and coastal grids as represented through a production cost model of the Western Interconnection. The capacity implications of the interactions between offshore wind and the historical east-to-west power flows of the region are discussed. The existing system is shown to accommodate more than two gigawatts of offshore wind interconnections with minimal curtailment. Through three gigawatts of interconnection, transmission flows indicate a reduction of coastal and statewide energy imports as well as minimal statewide energy exports.

Keywords: offshore wind energy; marine renewable energy; transmission of ocean energy; complementarity; system integration; production cost modelling; Western Interconnection; Oregon (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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