Overview of the eastern Washington wind energy study

The Eastern Washington Wind Energy Study (EWWES) is an ongoing government/industry effort focused on providing a multi-season data set that can be used to evaluate model forecasts made for points in the vicinity of an operating wind plant. EWWES is being conducted in an area of rolling hills in the vicinity of a wind plant in northeastern Oregon, near the town of Touchet, Washington. Instrumentation deployed as part of EWWES includes a 915 MHz radar wind profiler, Doppler sodar, and several tower mounted sonic anemometers. Data from the sonic anemometers will be used to create profiles of turbulence kinetic energy for wide range of conditions. All of the observations from this study, including the identification of periods with significant ramp events, will be made publicly available at the conclusion of the study. The EWWES data will also be used to evaluate clear-air winds derived from the National Weather Service WSR88D radar located in Pendleton, Oregon. This presentation will include an overview of the field study and present some preliminary data.