Dr. Kathryn Johnson, Colorado School of Mines
The Evolution of Wind Energy in Colorado and Beyond
Wind energy systems have the potential to contribute significantly to the electricity mix in Colorado and across the United States. Between 2005 and 2014, Colorado’s wind-generated electricity increased from 1.5% to 13.6% of total generation, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Colorado currently ranks 10th in the U.S. for wind energy installations, with approximately 3000 MW of installed capacity.
Wind energy presents a major growth opportunity spanning 2014’s 4.4% of national electricity generation and the 20% penetration described in the U.S. Department of Energy’s 20% Wind Energy by 2030 report.
Dr. Kathryn Johnson will describe how advances in wind turbines have contributed to the rapid growth of wind energy systems and how local research has contributed to that growth. She also will describe future directions for wind energy systems that will enable more cost-efficient clean energy generation.
Dr. Kathryn Johnson is an Associate Professor at the Colorado School of Mines in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and is Jointly Appointed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s National Wind Technology Center. Since 2002, she has studied wind energy control systems, in which she and her team work to improve the operation of wind turbines and wind farms using advanced control system methods. Recently, she was part of a successful bid for a DOE “ARPA-E” award to design and study a Segmented Ultralight Morphing Rotor to enable a 50-MW turbine.