As the race for clean energy becomes increasingly competitive, the cost of wind energy across the United States continues to fall. Massive investments into clean energy technology have allowed for an increase in the amount of energy harvested from wind. Average hourly clearing prices in several regions are under $30 per megawatt-hour (MWh) due to low marginal generating cost of wind energy. Falling prices combined with the intermittent nature of wind pose a real challenge for grid operators. Because of the intermittent nature of wind, conventional resources, namely fossil fuels, must be ready to back up wind power, and low wind energy prices means that gas companies must lower their prices in order to stay competitive. Because of this, the role of fossil fuels within the energy market is fundamentally shifting; fleet operators must change the way that they manage fossil fuels in order to adapt to the market.
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by Peter Kelly-Detwiler
May 25, 2017
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