Capacity Value of Canadian Wind and the Effects of Decarbonization

Abstract

The Pan-Canadian Wind Integration Study (PCWIS) is the largest of its kind in Canada and was performed to better understand the operational implications of high penetration of wind energy in the power system. A rigorous calculation of the wind capacity value was performed to estimate the potential contribution of the resource to firm capacity. Once this capacity was calculated, the study team assessed the economic and environmental effect of retiring enough coal capacity so that total system's reserves would remain unchanged. The results are presented in this paper, along with a bookend sensitivity, where all of Canada's coal power is retired.