Company milestone underscores the recognition of the value of wind energy forecasting

SEATTLE, Wash.— Seattle based 3TIER Environmental Forecast Group announced today that with the signing of several recent contracts the company will be operationally forecasting for more than 2,000 MW of wind energy across the U.S., representing nearly one-third of the total installed wind energy capacity in the country. The new projects 3TIER Group will be forecasting for range in region from the Pacific Northwest to the upper Midwest, the Northeast and into the South.

“The recent surge in wind forecasting projects is a sure sign of the strength of the wind energy industry in the United States,” said Kenneth Westrick, 3TIER Group founder and CEO. “The knowledge that 3TIER Group is now forecasting for more wind energy than what existed throughout the country just six short years ago highlights the strength of this industry and increasing recognition of the value of accurate forecasting.”

Wind energy forecasts allow for efficient integration of this intermittent resource, and forecasts that extend from minutes to months into the future can be used for such critical operational concerns as asset allocation, transmission scheduling and long-range planning. Commenting on the increasingly significant role of renewable energy, Westrick adds, “With the recent spikes in oil prices to $60 or more per barrel, the growing recognition of climate change and energy security as real and growing threats, as well as the recent passage of the Energy Production Tax Credit, this industry will continue to expand in the upcoming years. Wind energy forecasting will undoubtedly play a progressively critical role as wind energy penetration rates continue to increase.”

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