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USA MidWest can get 40% or more of its electricity from wind and solar energy

40% Renewable Energy Integration No Trouble For Midwest Clean Technica November 7th, 2014 by Joshua S Hill  A new study conducted by the Minnesota Department of Commerce in coordination with the Midwest regional independent grid operator Mid-continent Independent System Operator (MISO) has found that the state of Minnesota could obtain 40% or more of its electricity from wind and solar energy without suffering any grid reliability issues.

The report, which builds on real-world situations like the states of Iowa and South Dakota generating more than 25% of their energy from wind during 2013, is another splash of cold water in the faces of those who attempt to dismiss renewable energy as being somehow impractical.

Minnesota currently derives 16% of its electricity from wind and solar energy, which means an increase to 40% would not only be a boost to the renewable energy industry, but would push the state towards 70% of its emissions reductions required from existing power plants under the EPA’s Clean Power Plan.

The primary finding from the report (PDF) is that “the addition of wind and solar (variable renewable) generation to supply 40 percent of Minnesota’s annual electric retail sales can be reliably accommodated by the electric power system.”

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) made the following statement in the wake of the report:…….  http://cleantechnica.com/2014/11/07/renewable-energy-integration-trouble-midwest/

November 8, 2014 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | renewable, USA