Capability Overview 

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is a leader in developing and deploying methods at a system scale to assess requirements for capacity and grid support services. PNNL researchers consider a range of meteorological conditions, equipment de-rates, and operational dynamics due to resilience threats that inform new planning and operational models. These capabilities inform the technoeconomic valuation of wind energy. 

Challenges and Solutions 

Wind is a valuable energy resource in the United States. However, there are two overarching challenges to integrating wind energy in a generation mix:  

• Reliable operations of generation and transmission networks require an understanding of energy, capacity, operating reserve, voltage support, and black start requirements. 
• Wind energy resources challenge the adequacy of generation and transmission due to intermittency and an increasing dependance on multi-state and interregional transmission footprints. 

To help address these challenges, PNNL composes and deploys methods at system scale to assess requirements for capacity and grid support services, as well as assess operational impacts to systems across the country.