Windpower rallied most evenings with peak-time performance
Colorado-Wyoming hourly & daily electric power supply
August 1-15, 2021
Coors Field in Denver CO at sunset. Time when stadium lights turn on August evenings is near the end or after the daily electric consumption peak in Colorado & Wyoming. Photo by Owen Lystrup on Unsplash.
solar electric mostly steady 8 AM - 4 PM
wind electric better overnights, late afternoons & evenings . . . mostly calm mid’-days
consumers’ daily electric consumption highs 4 - 7 PM
Hourly electric generating data by energy source for only Colorado or Wyoming 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 consumers’ aggregated 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 in the first half of August 2021. <Figs. 1 and 2>
Fig. 1: Electric generation percent of total by energy source for Colorado and Wyoming: August 1-15, 2021. Linecurrents.live chart, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data. Tap/click to enlarge.
Fig. 2: Electric generation megaWatt-hours (MWhr) by energy source for Colorado and Wyoming: August 1-15, 2021. Linecurrents.live chart, U.S. EIA data.
A daily pattern of maximum electric generation from all energy sources in late afternoon and early evening was consistent through the August 1-15, 2021 period. <Fig. 3>
EIA data contains unexplained deviations:
August 11 - 10 AM
- spike: WACM hydroelectric
August 13 - 7 PM
- drop: WACM hydroelectric
Fig. 3: Hourly electric generation from all energy sources for Colorado and Wyoming: August 1-15, 2021. Linecurrents.live chart, U.S. EIA data.
Colorado & Wyoming
Hourly Generation
Maximum & Minimum
August 1-15, 2021
Generation |
MWhr |
Date |
|---|---|---|
____________ |
_______ |
_________ |
maximum |
14,145 |
Aug 09 |
|
|
5-6 PM |
minimum |
7,344 |
Aug 01 |
|
|
1-2 AM |
Windpower climbed during evening peak demand frequently
Late-afternoon and early evening windpower increases to support aggregated consumer’s daily peak consumption demands 10 of 15 days: August 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 14 and 15.
Mid-day declines in windpower supply were common August 1-15. <Fig. 4>
Fig. 4: Hourly wind electric generation - Colorado and Wyoming: August 1-15, 2021. Linecurrents.live chart, U.S. EIA data.
Daily wind electric energy totals were not consistent. The highest daily total was 6-times greater than the lowest. <Fig. 5>
Fig. 5: Daily wind electric generation - Colorado and Wyoming: August 1-15, 2021. Linecurrents.live chart, U.S. EIA data.
Colorado & Wyoming
Daily Windpower
Maximum & Minimum
August 1-15, 2021
Windpower |
MWhr |
Date |
|---|---|---|
_____________ |
_________ |
________ |
maximum |
62,805 |
Aug 14 |
minimum |
10,221 |
Aug 01 |
average |
37,281 |
|
Solid solar electric daily pattern
Solar electric generation performed similar to July 2021. Declines in late afternoon result in little or no solar electric supplied during daily 4-7 PM peak electric consumption periods. <Fig. 6>
Fig. 6: Hourly solar electric generation - Colorado and Wyoming: August 1-15, 2021. Linecurrents.live chart, U.S. EIA data.
Solar energy supplied more than 5,000 megaWatt-hours daily for all but 3 days. <Fig. 7>
Fig. 7: Daily solar electric generation - Colorado and Wyoming: August 1-15, 2021. Linecurrents.live chart, U.S. EIA data.
Colorado & Wyoming
Daily Solar Energy
Maximum & Minimum
August 1-15, 2021
Solar |
MWhr |
Date |
|---|---|---|
____________ |
________ |
_________ |
maximum |
6,874 |
Aug 05 |
minimum |
4,740 |
Aug 15 |
average |
5,997 |
|
Hourly windpower vs. consumer demand
Example: windpower greatest when needed least
August 4 is an example of more wind electric generation overnight, and less during daylight hours. <Fig. 8>
Fig. 8: Hourly wind, solar and total electric generation - Colorado and Wyoming: August 4, 2021. Linecurrents.live chart, U.S. EIA data.
Example: windpower nearly matches demand
August 7 is an example of wind electric generation 24-hour pattern nearly synchronized with aggregated consumers’ consumption demand. <Fig. 9>
Fig. 9: Hourly wind, solar and total electric generation - Colorado and Wyoming: August 7, 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.