Context
New Zealand's wind energy resource is extensive because the country is located in the prevailing mid-latitude westerly air flow. New Zealand also has a long coastline (relative to its small land area). So the country has the twin advantages of predominant westerly winds and sea breezes. Given this renewable energy resource, it is highly beneficial to understand what contribution wind-generated electricity can make to New Zealand's future energy needs.
Around the world, electricity supply systems have developed incrementally over many decades, largely predicated on the use of thermal generation that has a highly controllable and stable output. However wind generation, by its very nature, is highly variable in the short term. This variability creates many challenges (though not necessarily barriers) for the operation and management of a secure electricity supply system.
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