A Revolution in Wind Power Forecasting

With the help of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, CO, U.S. utilities are getting smarter about integrating wind energy into the grid. Vast improvements in wind power forecasts from NCAR enable utilities to better match wind farm output to demand and manage reliability and intermittency issues. Citing the benefits for Xcel Energy, Technology Review says these artificial intelligence-based forecasts have allowed the operator to add more wind capacity than any other U.S. utility. Operating costs and emissions are reduced by shutting down idling fossil fuel-fired backup facilities. Next up for NCAR: proficiency in solar power forecasting.

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