Grid operators have urged congress not to block wind farm proposal, reports Stephanie Ebbert a member of the Boston Globe Staff. Below are some selected highlights.

The organization that manages the New England power grid is urging Congress not to block a wind farm proposed off the coast of the Cape and Islands, saying the region is in urgent need of new sources of energy. Independent System Operator New England, a Holyoke-based nonprofit that runs the six-state power grid and oversees New England’s wholesale electric markets, wrote a letter that also warned of a ”perilous overreliance on natural gas as the primary fuel for power generation,” and said the region needs to diversify its sources of power generation.

…

”To the extent we continue to rely on natural gas, we will continue to see higher costs for the region and a less reliable system,” wrote Stephen Whitley, senior vice president and chief operating officer of ISO”

Increasingly in recent months, ISO has been warning that New England faces a looming crisis as power demands outstrip the supply. As early as summer 2008, officials say, New England will face rolling blackouts to stretch existing power supplies. To stave off shortages, ISO’s most recent regional system plan, which highlights anticipated electric needs, calls for new power generation by 2008.

Whitley said in his letter that the project has been ”thoroughly reviewed” over years of permitting hearings and should be allowed to continue through the process.

Read the entire story here.

I have often heard the debate that goes something like this.

Anti-wind: It would never work we would need so much back up generation, and the grid is not set up to handle intermittent wind power.

Pro-wind: It takes a small amount of back up generation, and the gird is built to handle wind power.

And this will go back and forth, often with each side getting more and more angry. But I would say this settles at least that small part of the argument, If the people who run the grid tell me they would like to see more wind power, then I will take their word on the feasibility of the setup. As I am sure they know a heck of a lot more than I about the way the grid works, I would say they are a pretty reliable source.