Consumed and Net Generation KW Data for TVA's Wind Power Plant

The following information was requested under the Freedom of Information Act, on April 7, 2002.

Data for consumed KW and net generation KW, versus time, from beginning of operation to current date.

The following response was released by TVA on December 2, 2002. In essence, it was an admission that they do not keep thorough records, and a refusal to provide the requested information, which is available, under the pretense that they already provided the information.

"With regard to the consumed KW, we do not track station consumption, therefore, we have no records responsive to this part of your request. With regard to the net generation data, on May 16 I sent you copies of the Green Power Switch newsletters (archive, 2002) which contain the net generation data."

Other utilities, such as Wisconsin Public Service Corporation, track and conveniently publicize very thorough details for both consumed (archive, 2009) KW and net generation KW for similar wind power plants. Why doesn't TVA?

It is interesting to see that consumed power can be as much as about 1-2% of rated power, or about 4-8% of expected average power based on 25% capacity factor. In a quick look at Wisconsin PSC's data, I observed up to about 12 KW for one turbine on December 8, 2002. Therefore, when the wind plant is not producing power due to low wind or other problems, it may actually be increasing demand for conventional power plants and their associated emissions, at a rate of up to about 8% of expected average wind plant power. This is not a huge amount, but it is also not an insignificant amount of additional air emissions due to the wind power plant.

TVA already provides detailed production data (archive 2002) for their solar power stations (although perhaps with buggy javascript, and best viewed with iE). Why does TVA not provide similar detailed data for the wind power plant?

Quote of the moment

The loneliest feeling in the world is when you think you are leading the parade and turn to find that no one is following you. No president who badly misguesses public opinion will last very long.

~ Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945), U.S. president. Interview with former Secretary of Labor Frances Perkins, University of Illinois, Urbana (Spring 1958).

FDR was always conscious of the need to educate the public on important national issues and was determined not to take the lead unless he was reasonably sure of public support. However, he was also extremely adept at providing leadership for the public to educate them to support policies he believed were essential to the public weal. He made this same observation in a letter to a friend with only slightly different wording. ~

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Disclaimer Fine Print: This site is personal, and is independent of TVA or any other organization. Use of the abbreviation "TVA" is purely for descriptive purposes (for example, to distinguish from wind power plants on Buffalo Ridge in Minnesota). No endorsement, no approval, and no involvement by TVA is implied.

How intermittent is power production at TVA's Wind Power Plant?

How much power does the plant consume (especially when not producing)?

TVA can't or won't say

January 5, 2003