In a recent government meeting, officials discussed the implementation of severe weather curtailments at Enel's wind farm in DeWitt County, a unique initiative aimed at enhancing community safety during adverse weather conditions. The agreement with the National Weather Service (NWS) allows for the curtailment of wind turbines in response to severe weather warnings, a protocol that Enel has developed specifically for this site.

Despite having the necessary tools to issue warnings while the wind farm operates, Enel has taken the extraordinary step of committing to curtail operations during NWS warnings. This decision marks a significant deviation from standard practices, as Enel operates approximately 60 wind farms without such curtailment agreements. The company acknowledged that the implementation has faced challenges, particularly with about 11 turbines that have not responded as expected to curtailment commands.

Currently, the curtailment process is manual; the NWS must call Enel's control center to initiate turbine shutdowns. This has raised concerns about potential delays in response times during severe weather events. For instance, during a recent warning, it took 11 minutes from the issuance of the alert to the command being executed, with some turbines still operational 22 minutes into the warning period.

Enel representatives expressed their commitment to improving the system, noting that they are exploring options for a more automated process. However, they highlighted cybersecurity concerns that complicate the integration of automatic controls, as any system allowing external control could pose significant risks.

The meeting also clarified that while curtailments are mandatory for DeWitt County, they are advisory for Logan County, meaning that decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis. This distinction has implications for how the wind farm responds to weather warnings that may originate in Logan County but could affect DeWitt County.

Overall, the discussions underscored the complexities of balancing operational efficiency with public safety in the context of severe weather, as Enel continues to refine its curtailment protocols in collaboration with the NWS.