How does wind powers variable output affect the grid?
Wind turbine production of power responds to the wind, which even at the “best” sites varies dramatically from hour to hour and minute to minute. The grid, however, must respond to user demand. Since the grid dispatchers can’t control wind power production any more than they can control user demand, wind turbines on the grid do not contribute to meeting demand. By pushing power into the grid, they simply add another source of fluctuation that the grid must balance. Also see intermittency in “The Grid” FAQ.
