Frequency response of the Eastern Interconnection due to increased wind generation

Wind powered electricity generation is gaining ground in the Eastern Interconnection (EI). Wind turbines create electricity from what is widely hailed as zero-cost, emission-free fuel. However, the technology does present engineering challenges. Compared to traditional synchronous machines, wind turbines contribute almost no inertia to the power system. Since most turbines do not have governor or exciter units either, their ability to regulate frequency disturbances, or potential lack thereof, is a concern for utilities. This study takes the Multiregional Modeling Working Group (MMWG) EI model as a base case and removes governor units, modifies generator inertia values, and disables exciter controls to simulate the frequency response of the EI with different levels of wind penetration.