Natural gas-fired reciprocating engines increasingly being deployed to balance renewables, EIA says

Reciprocating internal combustion engines are increasingly being used in larger utility-scale power generation applications, especially where large amounts of electricity generation from intermittent sources such as wind and solar are used, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said recently.

Reciprocating internal combustion engines are typically used for backup, standby or emergency power. One of its primary advantages is the ability to provide incremental electricity quickly.

They can start up even if the grid has no power, which helps grid operators match fluctuating power requirements and restore power following major storms.

Power plants that have large reciprocating engines are often located in states with significant renewable resources, especially wind generation, EIA said.

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