Consistent solar, erratic wind for CO-WY 2nd half July 2021 electric power supply
Colorado-Wyoming hourly & daily electric power supply
July 16-31, 2021
Western Area Power Administration photo
consumers’ consumption demand peaked late-afternoon & early evening peak
windpower lowest 6 - 9 AM
solar electric consistent most days
hot days not always cause of higher electric demand
Hourly electric generating data by energy source for Colorado or Wyoming individually are not available for public viewing as of the date of this report. See Appendix for details.
U.S. Energy Information Administration hourly electric generating data is the source for charts and tables in this report. Generated power in the Colorado and Wyoming combined area is assumed to approximately equal consumption. Exchanges by utilities and Balancing Authorities with neighboring U.S. States and regions are not included in the results shown here.
Generators fueled by natural gas and coal produced nearly three-fourths of the electricity in Colorado and Wyoming combined for the second half of July 2021. <Figs. 1 and 2>
Fig. 1: Electric generation percent of total by fuel type for Colorado and Wyoming: July 16-31, 2021. Linecurrents.live chart, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data. Tap/click to enlarge.
Fig. 2: Electric generation MegawattHours (MWhr) from all sources for Colorado and Wyoming: July 16-31, 2021
Late afternoon & early evening are daily peak electric demand periods
A daily pattern of maximum electric generation from all energy sources in late afternoon and early evening was consistent through the July 16-31, 2021 period. <Fig. 3>
Fig. 3: Hourly electric generation from all energy sources for Colorado and Wyoming: July 16-31, 2021. Linecurrents.live chart, U.S. EIA data.
Colorado and Wyoming
Hourly Generation
Maximum & Minimum
July 16 - 31, 2021
Generation |
MWhr |
Date |
|---|---|---|
____________ |
_______ |
_________ |
maximum |
14,556 |
Jul 20 |
|
|
5-6 PM |
minimum |
8,022 |
Jul 27 |
|
|
4-5 AM |
Windpower: no daily high/low cycle
Windpower hourly mimimums occurred 7-8 AM most days, a few hours after the daily mimimum demand. <Fig. 4>
Only one windpower maximum occurred mid-’day: July 24. Maximums in the 5-7 PM hours on the 16th and 25th helped supply the evening peak demand.
Fig. 4: Hourly wind electric generation - Colorado and Wyoming: July 16-31, 2021. Linecurrents.live chart, U.S. EIA data.
Wind-generated power supplied the Colorado - Wyoming electric grid each day July 16-31, 2021. Production was less than 30,000 MegaWatthours (MWhrs) on July 18 and 19. <Fig. 5>
Fig. 5: Daily wind electric generation - Colorado and Wyoming: July 16-31, 2021. Linecurrents.live chart, U.S. EIA data.
Colorado and Wyoming
Windpower
Maximum & Minimum
July 16 - 31, 2021
Windpower |
MWhr |
Date |
|---|---|---|
_____________ |
_________ |
________ |
maximum |
66,635 |
Jul 20 |
minimum |
22,592 |
Jul 18 |
average |
41,260 |
|
Solar electric: consistent
Solar electric generation performed steadily for most of the second half of July 2021. <Fig. 6>
Fig. 6: Hourly solar electric generation - Colorado and Wyoming: July 16-31, 2021. Linecurrents.live chart, U.S. EIA data.
Total daily output was below 5,000 MWhr only on July 24 and 31. <Fig. 7>
Fig. 7: Daily solar electric generation - Colorado and Wyoming: July 16-31, 2021. Linecurrents.live chart, U.S. EIA data.
Colorado-Wyoming
Solar Energy
Maximum & Minimum
July 16-31, 2021
Solar |
MWhr |
Date |
|---|---|---|
____________ |
________ |
_________ |
maximum |
7,283 |
Jul 18 |
minimum |
4,389 |
Jul 24 |
average |
6,156 |
|
Solar, wind and consumption demand peak times compared
Example: windpower supported daily demand peak
July 20 is an example of solar electric generation declining as consumers’ demand reached daily maximum. Wind electric generation climbed in synchronism with consumption demand. <Fig. 8>
Fig. 8: Hourly wind, solar and total electric generation - Colorado and Wyoming: July 20, 2021. Linecurrents.live chart, U.S. EIA data.
Example: windpower belated recovery
July 27 is an example of wind electric generation remaining flat during the first half of the late-day peak consumption demand period. <Fig. 9>
Fig. 9: Hourly wind, solar and total electric generation - Colorado and Wyoming: July 27, 2021. Linecurrents.live chart, U.S. EIA data.
Higher temperatures not reliable predictor of electric demand
Electric demand and consumption did not always track Denver CO maximum daily temperatures. <Fig. 10 and 11>
Denver weather history is selected to represent Colorado and Wyoming conditions, as it is the largest concentration of electric power consumption in the two-state region.
Fig. 10: Daily maximum demand and Denver daily maximum temperatures. July 16-31, 2021. Linecurrents.live chart, U.S. EIA data.
Fig. 11: Daily total electric energy and Denver daily maximum temperatures. July 16-31, 2021. Linecurrents.live chart, U.S. EIA data.
APPENDIX
Electric power generated in Colorado and most of Wyoming supplies the consumption demand of electric consumers in these States. Some electric capacity is exchanged with Balancing Authorities and electric utilities in adjoining States.
Electric generating sources include:
wind turbines
- solar PV panels
- natural gas combustion powerplants
- coal combustion powerplants
- hydroelectric dams
- pumped hydroelectric storage
- other, such as biogas methane
Charts in this report created from hourly data supplied to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) by two Balancing Authorities which monitor electric power supply and demand in Colorado and Wyoming:
Western Area Power Administration
Rocky Mountain Region (WACM)
Loveland CO
Public Service Company of Colorado
(PSCO)(Xcel Energy)
Denver CO
Colorado and Wyoming electric supply are combined in this report. The WACM Balancing Authority includes most of Colorado and Wyoming. WACM hourly electricity generation data supplied to EIA by Western Area Power Administration does separate Colorado and Wyoming. Therefore, charts below show results for both States
The role of Balancing Authorities is described at Colorado and Wyoming hourly electric power - June 1-15, 2021. A map of WACM and PSCO Balancing Authority territories is also available at the same site.