USA - AWEA teams up with IEEE, NERC and UWIG to host symposium

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), AWEA, the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC), and the Utility Wind Integration Group (UWIG) have joined forces to cosponsor a symposium on the current status of wind power for utilities April 20-21 in Washington, D.C.

The planners of this two-day event in Washington designed the program to address myths about wind energy as a power supply for North America. UWIG, led by Charlie Smith, worked with the IEEE as the engineering organization sharpened its focus on wind issues. AWEA brought NERC to this event following the successful 2004-2005 AWEA effort to establish a Grid Code with NERC’s participation.

The intended audience for this symposium is staff of policy and membership organizations, economists, environmental advocates and consultants working or interested in energy issues, and renewable energy in particular. This program offers AWEA’s audience a chance to hear how wind can contribute to the national energy supply from the reliability experts, rather than from the advocates.

Symposium objectives include:

- Informing a broad cross-section of policy makers – including regulators, legislators, government officials, economists, and attorneys – of the current status and prospects for wind power.

- Providing a balanced and objective view of the technical, economic, reliability, operational, resource availability, and environmental and siting issues associated with wind power in terms easily understood by non-technical people;

- Providing insights from a public policy perspective of what policies have contributed to both successful and unsuccessful experiences with wind power, both domestically and internationally, and

- Providing an opportunity for public officials involved in making policy to develop an improved understanding of wind power and get objective answers to questions regarding the associated issues

The IEEE is the world's leading professional association for engineers, with more than 365,000 members. NERC is a self-regulatory organization with a mission to ensure that the bulk electric system in North America is reliable, adequate and secure. UWIG was established in 1989 to provide a forum for the critical analysis of wind technology for utility applications and to serve as a source of credible information on the status of wind technology and deployment.

For more information please contact Trevor Sievert at ts@windfair.net