Abstract
The knowledge base of the electric power system engineering
community continues to grow with installed capacity of wind
generation in North America. While this process has certainly
occurred at other times in the industry with other technologies,
the relatively explosive growth, the compressed time
frames from project conception to commissioning, and the
unconventional characteristics of wind generation make this
period in the industry somewhat unique.
Large wind generation facilities are necessarily evolving
to look more and more like conventional generating plants in
terms of their ability to interact with the transmission network
in a way that does not compromise performance or system
reliability. Such an evolution has only been possible through
the cumulative contributions of an ever-growing number of
power system engineers who have delved into the unique
technologies and technical challenges presented by wind generation.
The industry is still only part of the way up the learning
curve, however. Numerous technical challenges remain, and
as has been found, each new wind generation facility has the
potential to generate some new questions. With the IEEE PES
expanding its presence and activities in this increasingly significant
commercial arena, the prospects for staying "ahead
of the curve" are brightened.