Ames, Iowa — With the interest in implementing more renewable energy into the nation’s power grid growing, and governors of some Midwestern states setting goals to have nearly 20 percent of their energy produced by wind power in the year 2030, wind energy is a hot topic among professionals in the electric power industry and policymakers.
Because of this interest, Iowa State University is offering a new two-day short course for industry professionals called Midwestern Wind Energy: Beyond 20% in 2030 on October 27-28 at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center in Ames, Iowa. The course is targeted for professionals involved in or interested in utility-scale wind generation, government policymakers, wind energy promotional organizations, wind energy developers, system planners and engineers, renewable energy advocates, managers and engineers at municipal utilities and rural electric cooperatives, and utility operators.
The short course focuses on how renewable electrical generation sources must be operated and assimilated into the generation mix. Specifically, it covers topics such as:
- Generation dispatch and frequency regulation with high wind generation penetration
- Transmission expansion for wind generation and advanced transmission technologies
- Advanced wind turbine and wind farm design concepts and tall turbine tower design
- Storage of wind energy
“This course is different from the course we offered last year on the physics and wind generation and design of basic equipment, because this year’s course deals with several major issues that must be faced if wind energy is to reach its full potential here in the Midwest and elsewhere,” said Tom Baird, director of the Electric Power Research Center.
The short course involves 17 speakers from several energy companies, including Acciona Windpower, American Superconductor, Clipper Windpower, MidAmerican Energy Corporation, Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator, Xcel Energy Company, Xcel Engineering, and WindLogics, as well as researchers from Iowa State University.
The short course costs only $850 per registrant—a bargain considering many similar short courses around the country cost up to $1,900 per course. Continuing education units (CEUs) also will be awarded to course participants.
For more information or to register for the short course, visit the Midwestern Wind Energy: Beyond 20% in 2030 short course website.
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Contact:
Tom Baird, program manager, 515 294-7678, tbaird@iastate.edu