Energy expert Brian Gitt recently questioned the reliability of wind energy, citing a report by consulting economist Edgardo Sepulveda that was posted on Twitter.
The report showed that wind generation in Ontario is producing far below capacity and not meeting load expectations.
Research from the Energy Alliance pointed out that wind energy was notably absent during the 2021 winter storm in Texas that killed hundreds of people across the state.
“Wind turbines don’t generate power when we need it most,” Gitt recently said on Twitter. “Example: Wind produced only 2.2% of the electricity during Ontario’s summer peak load.”
Gitt was referencing Sepulveda’s report, which showed that the grid fell back on the reliability of natural gas to ensure that the lights stayed on. Natural gas produced 21% of the energy.
Research compiled by Bill Peacock of the Energy Alliance showed that when Texans faced blackouts during winter storm Uri, wind energy was partly to blame. Its generation was nearly entirely absent during the period when Texans were without power and struggling to warm their homes. Wind production provided enough power for only 10% of the load; a week earlier, that amount had been 58% higher.
“Wind was essentially a no-show,” the report stated. “During the critical four-hour period from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. when ERCOT [Electric Reliability Council of Texas] was forced to begin rolling blackouts, actual wind output averaged less than 10% of the ERCOT load. At that time, close to half of Texas’ wind turbines were out of service because they were frozen. And the rest of them were operating at far less than capacity.”
The same has been shown for hot temperatures; when unseasonably hot weather in May 2022 prompted ERCOT to issue a warning about energy generation potentially not meeting demand, “only about 17% of wind turbines were performing,” according to the Energy Alliance report.
