Power/energy: No ill winds for New Mexico utility: Under test in one municipality´s power system, an experimental machine supplies up to 15 percent of community needs

Discusses a large wind generator which joined the electric utility system in the town of Clayton, NM, and while much remains to be studied, already it is clear: the results are encouraging. Linked to the town´s present system of seven diesel generators, the revolving wind blades can supply 200 kW of output power, nearly 15 percent of Clayton´s total power load during off-peak periods. This result has become evident despite many early shakedown problems-most since solved-and operation in a system with significant frequency deviations. Technical evaluation is still under way, and operating and maintenance costs have yet to be fully analyzed. The operation is serving as a testbed for the impact of an intermittent power source on an electric-utility system. The machine in use is the US Department of Energy/NASA Mod 0-A and is rated at 200 kW in a 22.4-mi/h wind for a constant rotor speed of 40 r/min. It went into service in Clayton on Jan. 28, 1978.