This PhD thesis in Spatial Planning argues for the importance of understanding the approaches to knowledge and rationalities embedded in spatially relevant decision-making. It emphasises the significance of seeing law as an empirical object of study for planning and environmental management. The Swedish development of wind power and 3G mobile infrastructures are used as cases to study these issues of principal interest. It is a compilation thesis consisting of a comprehensive introductory framework and five articles or chapters that have also been published elsewhere. The study is based on three main perspectives: Level of decision-making, legitimacy of different forms of knowledge involved in the process, and the sociolegal tension between formal law and its practical consequences. The thesis deals with problems stemming from the multi-level tensions in the planning and implementation that exist between the national, the regional and the local authorities. The legal context is analysed from the sociolegal perspective, in particular how the juridification of siting and permit conflicts determines what type of knowledge that can legitimately affect the decision-making and thereby set conditions for public participation. Finally, the thesis elaborates on the largely counterproductive results of the strong emphasis on “efficiency” in the revision of planning and permit processes for wind power and 3G-infrastructure, and what can be learnt from the experiences of the attempts at increasing efficiency. A combination of methods has been employed in the studies, and the data comes from a range of sources such as a large set of mast building permits, a sample of wind permit cases, as well as appealed permit cases. In addition, interviews have been conducted with judges from relevant courts, including regional handling officers who assess wind turbine applications. Legal documents such as preparatory work and licence conditions have also been analysed. The results show that there is a legal-rhetorical adaptation to the expert-based decision-making in court when permits are appealed. Further, the administrative levels interact poorly in the overall implementation. The national decisions, irrespective of the normative viewpoint of who should control the landscape planning, could be better informed of the preconditions at a local level that factually define the outcome of the implementation. The author, Stefan Larsson, holds a PhD in Sociology of Law, an LLM and is a sociolegal researcher who generally studies issues in the intersection of conceptual, sociolegal and technological change. The thesis has been supervised by Professor Lars Emmelin, The Swedish School of Planning, BTH, and co-supervised by Professor Karsten Åström, the Department of Sociology of Law, Lund University. The thesis is the result of research within the programme Tools for environmental assessment in strategic decision-making, MiSt, funded by The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the Centre for Work, Technology and Social Change at Lund University. / <p>Full text available: http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFile&amp;recordOId=4587806&amp;fileOId=4 588973</p>

Nas últimas décadas, a fonte eolielétrica é a que sinaliza maior crescimento mundial dentre as demais. A curva de aprendizagem tecnológica do setor mostra queda do custo entre 15% a 20% a cada 3 anos. Países ativos no setor eólico se esforçam pela meta de 12% de participação na produção elétrica mundial em 2020. A contribuição da geração eolielétrica offshore é fundamental para essa meta, pela proximidade aos centros de carga, com ganhos de eficiência, de escala e reduzido impacto ambiental e visual. Apesar do crescimento do parque gerador nacional em 2006, há carência na produção no curto prazo. Contraditoriamente, há ventos abundantes para geração eolielétrica e o prévio arcabouço industrial que seria necessário para desenvolver o setor. Apesar do incentivo governamental (PROINFA), o setor eólico brasileiro ainda não decolou como esperado. O objetivo deste trabalho é reforçar o debate sobre a importância da diversificação da matriz, em prol da estratégia de segurança do suprimento energético nacional e da redução da emissão de gases de efeito estufa. Em rumo a esse objetivo, são colocados argumentos com abordagem ampla e com abordagem específica. Na abordagem ampla, esta pesquisa propõe uma maior inserção da fonte eólica na matriz elétrica nacional como uma das opções a serem consideradas de maneira mais relevante nas táticas de diversificação da matriz, a exemplo do que já fazem países com maior abundância de gás natural que o Brasil, como o Reino Unido. Sob um ponto de vista específico, a investigação exemplifica possibilidades de contribuição da fonte eolielétrica, na sua versão offshore, para as táticas de diversificação da matriz nacional que se entendem importantes, a exemplo do já fazem países com maior predominância da fonte hidráulica que o Brasil, como a Noruega. O método utilizado para se alcançar o objetivo desta dissertação envolve os seguintes passos: (1) esclarecer quanto aos principais aspectos do setor energético a nível mundial e o problema ambiental que está vinculado à produção de energia por fontes fósseis; (2) esclarecer quanto aos aspectos do desenvolvimento de sistemas eolielétricos onshore no Brasil e no mundo e também do desenvolvimento de sistemas offshore em países de interesse; (3) explorar exemplos de articulação dos sistemas eólicos offshore com projetos de produção de energia fóssil em ambiente marítimo, como forma de produzir sinergia útil a ambos os setores; (4) analisar e debater sobre as propostas do governo brasileiro para o futuro da matriz elétrica do país; (5) propor algumas possibilidades de desenvolvimento de sistemas eólicos offshore no Brasil, partindo de pequenos projetos-piloto. Caso as propostas deste trabalho se tornem realizadas, os resultados para este país líder em energia limpa e renovável seriam: a criação de valor nas operações offshore de produção de energia fóssil, o ganho de aprendizagem sobre a tecnologia eólica, o alívio parcial da oferta energética para centros litorâneos no curto prazo; a racionalização do uso, transporte e dependência externa do gás natural; a dinamização dos Mecanismos de Desenvolvimento Limpo (CDM / MDL) e de novos mercados e empregos para a indústria. / In the last decade wind power source was the fastest-growing energy source. Technological learning curves for this sector fall down by a 15% a 20% rate each 3 years. Countries which are committed with wind power are running after the target of 12% wind into the worlds electrical production by 2020. The contribution of the offshore wind power (OWP) source is fundamental on covering such target, due to the proximity to load centers, efficiency & scale savings and reduced environmental and visual impact. Although the growth of the Brazilian power generation system in 2006, there is a gap on fulfilling demand in the short run. Nevertheless, Brazil has abundance of winds suitable for power generation, as a previous industrial framework, necessary on developing this sector. Even that a governmental program has come (PROINFA), wind power sector has not risen as expected yet. The goal of this thesis is to reinforce the debate about the importance on diversifying the Brazilian power matrix, towards the strategy of energy security supply as the reduction of greenhouse gases emissions. On reaching such a goal, this thesis states arguments by a generic approach and also by a specific approach. In the generic approach, it proposes a larger share for wind into the Brazilian electrical matrix as one of the options that should be considered in a more relevant manner for the tactics of diversifying the electrical matrix, following the example given by countries with larger abundance than Brazil regarding on natural gas production, as it is the case of the United Kingdom. In the specific approach, this investigation exemplifies possibilities of contributions from the OWP for the tactics of diversifying the matrix, following the example given by a country with higher predominance than Brazil regarding on using large hydropower as the main national power source, which is the case of Norway. The method taken for reaching the thesis goal involves the following steps: (1) to clarify on some aspects regarding energy production and its respective environmental problem related to the greenhouse gases emissions;(2) to clarify some aspects about the development of wind energy systems in Brazil and in the world and also some aspects about the development of OWP projects in selected countries; (3) to explore examples of articulation between OWP systems with offshore fossil energy production systems, in order to argue about the synergy that is possible between them; (4) to analyze and debate about the Brazilian governments proposal for the electrical matrix in the long run; (5) to propose some possibilities of developing OWP systems in Brazil, starting by small-scale pilot projects. If the case the propositions of this thesis come true in the future, the earnings for this country, which a world leader in clean & renewable energy, would be the following: value creation into the offshore fossil energy production; growth of learning about the OWP technologies; the partial relief of power supply for the coastal load centers; rationalization on the use, transport and foreign dependence of natural gas resources; pushing dynamics for Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM), as for industrial markets and employment.

The use of renewable energy as part of the solution for stabilising global warming has been promoted in industrialised countries for the past three decades. In the last ten years, China, a non-democratic and less-developed state, has implemented non-hydro alternative energy sources through top-down, technology-oriented measures and expanded its renewable energy capacity with unprecedented speed and breadth. This phenomenon seems to contradict to the principle of orthodox environmental governance, in which stakeholder participation is deemed as necessary condition for effective policy outcomes. Given that little research has been conducted on environmental politics in an authoritarian context, I first set out to explore the role of the Chinese state in enabling transformation of the renewable energy sector and to understand the ways in which policy elites seek to introduce developmental state and ecological modernisation strategy in the policy area. Second, by adopting principal-agent theory, I explicate how the governance mechanisms have been deployed and how challenges of the expansion of the sector in the governance system with a large territory have being mitigated. Based upon news reports, policy documents, and interviews with 32 provincial officials, business leaders, academic researchers, and NGO practitioners in two subnational governments, I argue that the renewable energy development in China is governed through a hybrid mode of environmental policy model that uses, upon the existing developmental state regime, ecological modernisation as a policy paradigm, which is partially incorporated in the process. Ultimately, I examine in this thesis the possibility of an alternative form of environmental governance in which renewable energy can be diffused in a less-participatory manner, with more direct controls and target-oriented state intervention measures. This thesis challenges the orthodox assumption that the inclusive mode of governance are the only capable form of environmental governance that reaches desired policy outcomes of renewable energy deployment.

L’objectif de cette thèse est d’étudier les nouvelles dynamiques et leurs impacts dans le secteur de l'électricité. Elle discute des sujets critiques d’après les perspectives de la macroéconomie, de la configuration structurelle, et de la transition vers des sources d'énergie renouvelables. Plus précisément, trois sujets se dégagent: le lien entre la consommation d'électricité et la croissance économique, les impacts de l'intégration verticale entre les producteurs et les détaillants, et les impacts d'intégration de production d'énergie renouvelable intermittente. En mettant en jeu ces trois sujets, elle tente d’apporter des réponses aux défis principaux de la sécurité d'approvisionnement, de la compétitivité, et de la durabilité du développement énergétique. En donnant de nouvelles orientations dans la recherche sur l’économie de l’énergie, elle servira à éclairer des débats politiques. / The objective of this thesis is to study the new dynamics and their impacts in the electricity sector. It discusses the critical issues from the perspectives of macroeconomics, structural configuration, and a transition to renewable energy sources. More precisely, three topics emerge: the nexus between electricity consumption and economic growth, the impacts of vertical integration between power generators and retailers, and the market impacts and integration issues of intermittent renewable generation. By studying these three topics, it provides answers to the key challenges of supply security, competitiveness and sustainable development in the energy sector. By giving new research directions of energy economics, it serves to inspire related policy debates.

Nas últimas décadas, a fonte eolielétrica é a que sinaliza maior crescimento mundial dentre as demais. A curva de aprendizagem tecnológica do setor mostra queda do custo entre 15% a 20% a cada 3 anos. Países ativos no setor eólico se esforçam pela meta de 12% de participação na produção elétrica mundial em 2020. A contribuição da geração eolielétrica offshore é fundamental para essa meta, pela proximidade aos centros de carga, com ganhos de eficiência, de escala e reduzido impacto ambiental e visual. Apesar do crescimento do parque gerador nacional em 2006, há carência na produção no curto prazo. Contraditoriamente, há ventos abundantes para geração eolielétrica e o prévio arcabouço industrial que seria necessário para desenvolver o setor. Apesar do incentivo governamental (PROINFA), o setor eólico brasileiro ainda não decolou como esperado. O objetivo deste trabalho é reforçar o debate sobre a importância da diversificação da matriz, em prol da estratégia de segurança do suprimento energético nacional e da redução da emissão de gases de efeito estufa. Em rumo a esse objetivo, são colocados argumentos com abordagem ampla e com abordagem específica. Na abordagem ampla, esta pesquisa propõe uma maior inserção da fonte eólica na matriz elétrica nacional como uma das opções a serem consideradas de maneira mais relevante nas táticas de diversificação da matriz, a exemplo do que já fazem países com maior abundância de gás natural que o Brasil, como o Reino Unido. Sob um ponto de vista específico, a investigação exemplifica possibilidades de contribuição da fonte eolielétrica, na sua versão offshore, para as táticas de diversificação da matriz nacional que se entendem importantes, a exemplo do já fazem países com maior predominância da fonte hidráulica que o Brasil, como a Noruega. O método utilizado para se alcançar o objetivo desta dissertação envolve os seguintes passos: (1) esclarecer quanto aos principais aspectos do setor energético a nível mundial e o problema ambiental que está vinculado à produção de energia por fontes fósseis; (2) esclarecer quanto aos aspectos do desenvolvimento de sistemas eolielétricos onshore no Brasil e no mundo e também do desenvolvimento de sistemas offshore em países de interesse; (3) explorar exemplos de articulação dos sistemas eólicos offshore com projetos de produção de energia fóssil em ambiente marítimo, como forma de produzir sinergia útil a ambos os setores; (4) analisar e debater sobre as propostas do governo brasileiro para o futuro da matriz elétrica do país; (5) propor algumas possibilidades de desenvolvimento de sistemas eólicos offshore no Brasil, partindo de pequenos projetos-piloto. Caso as propostas deste trabalho se tornem realizadas, os resultados para este país líder em energia limpa e renovável seriam: a criação de valor nas operações offshore de produção de energia fóssil, o ganho de aprendizagem sobre a tecnologia eólica, o alívio parcial da oferta energética para centros litorâneos no curto prazo; a racionalização do uso, transporte e dependência externa do gás natural; a dinamização dos Mecanismos de Desenvolvimento Limpo (CDM / MDL) e de novos mercados e empregos para a indústria. / In the last decade wind power source was the fastest-growing energy source. Technological learning curves for this sector fall down by a 15% a 20% rate each 3 years. Countries which are committed with wind power are running after the target of 12% wind into the worlds electrical production by 2020. The contribution of the offshore wind power (OWP) source is fundamental on covering such target, due to the proximity to load centers, efficiency & scale savings and reduced environmental and visual impact. Although the growth of the Brazilian power generation system in 2006, there is a gap on fulfilling demand in the short run. Nevertheless, Brazil has abundance of winds suitable for power generation, as a previous industrial framework, necessary on developing this sector. Even that a governmental program has come (PROINFA), wind power sector has not risen as expected yet. The goal of this thesis is to reinforce the debate about the importance on diversifying the Brazilian power matrix, towards the strategy of energy security supply as the reduction of greenhouse gases emissions. On reaching such a goal, this thesis states arguments by a generic approach and also by a specific approach. In the generic approach, it proposes a larger share for wind into the Brazilian electrical matrix as one of the options that should be considered in a more relevant manner for the tactics of diversifying the electrical matrix, following the example given by countries with larger abundance than Brazil regarding on natural gas production, as it is the case of the United Kingdom. In the specific approach, this investigation exemplifies possibilities of contributions from the OWP for the tactics of diversifying the matrix, following the example given by a country with higher predominance than Brazil regarding on using large hydropower as the main national power source, which is the case of Norway. The method taken for reaching the thesis goal involves the following steps: (1) to clarify on some aspects regarding energy production and its respective environmental problem related to the greenhouse gases emissions;(2) to clarify some aspects about the development of wind energy systems in Brazil and in the world and also some aspects about the development of OWP projects in selected countries; (3) to explore examples of articulation between OWP systems with offshore fossil energy production systems, in order to argue about the synergy that is possible between them; (4) to analyze and debate about the Brazilian governments proposal for the electrical matrix in the long run; (5) to propose some possibilities of developing OWP systems in Brazil, starting by small-scale pilot projects. If the case the propositions of this thesis come true in the future, the earnings for this country, which a world leader in clean & renewable energy, would be the following: value creation into the offshore fossil energy production; growth of learning about the OWP technologies; the partial relief of power supply for the coastal load centers; rationalization on the use, transport and foreign dependence of natural gas resources; pushing dynamics for Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM), as for industrial markets and employment.

Estudos convencionais de identificacao e de viabilidade de potenciais de producao de energia eletrica eolica e hidroeletrica de pequena escala demandam trabalhos de campo que, muitas vezes, implicam na inviabilidade economica do negocio em funcao dos seus onerosos custos. Alem disso, a execucao desses trabalhos nao assegura ao investidor a recuperacao desses onerosos recursos despendidos, principalmente se o potencial estudado apresentar inviabilidade tecnico-economica. Acrescenta-se ainda a esse risco, a possibilidade do investidorexecutor dos estudos iniciais (estimativa e inventario/viabilidade) nao contrair a outorga de exploracao do potencial, que e oferecida publicamente pelo Orgao Regulador. Entretanto, esse risco pode ser mitigado com a indicacao orientativa de viabilidade, com custos reduzidos. Por outro lado, ha uma forte tendencia de implantacao de pequenas centrais de producao de energia, caracterizadas como \"Geracao Distribuida\" (GD), em virtude dos atuais incentivos regulatorios para essas fontes, das recentes restricoes ambientais e da escassez de investimentos em grandes projetos. Neste contexto, esta dissertacao apresenta um modelo de obtencao de pre-viabilidade de potenciais fundamentado em caracteristicas tecnicas de componentes de Usinas Eolicas (EOL\'s) e Pequenas Centrais Hidreletricas (PCH\'s), com atributos fisicos geograficamente representados e consultados em um ambiente de geoprocessamento informatizado. Esse modelo proposto realiza estimativa de indicadores tecnico-economicos de centrais, produzindo estudos de pre-viabilidade com rapidez e baixo custo. De posse desse modelo o investidor pode simular a implementacao de varios aproveitamentos eolicos e hidroeletricos, antes de mobilizacao e de levantamentos de campo mais precisos e onerosos, obtendo dessa forma orientacoes importantes para direcionar sua atencao, com minimizacao de incertezas envolvidas na pre-viabilidade do potencial. / Identification and viability studies on small scale production of electrical energy based on wind and hydro power conventionally demand onerous field work whose costs frequently imply economic unfeasibility of the business. Moreover, the execution of these works does not assure that the investor will recover its expended resources, mainly if the potential analysis of the business demonstrates its technical and economic unfeasibility. Additionally, there is the possibility of not contracting the concession to this potential exploration, which is publicly offered by the Regulatory Agency, by the investor-executor of the initial studies (estimative, inventory and viability). However, this risk can be mitigated by the guiding indication of viability, with reduced costs. On the other hand, it has one strong trend of implantation of smallscale power generation, characterized as \"Distributed Generation\" (DG), because of its current legal incentives and also because of the recent ecological restrictions and the scarcity of investments in large enterprises. In this context, this work presents a pre-viability of potentials attainment model based on technical characteristics of Wind Plants and Small Hydroelectric Plants (SHP\'s) components, whose physical attributes are geographically represented and consulted in a geographic information system. The proposed model estimates the technical and economical pointers of power plants, producing fast and low-cost studies of pre-viability. Trough this model the investor can simulate wind power and hydropower exploration before mobilizating onerous and accurate field researches, getting an important guiding to its priorities, minimizing uncertainties in the process.

Estudos convencionais de identificacao e de viabilidade de potenciais de producao de energia eletrica eolica e hidroeletrica de pequena escala demandam trabalhos de campo que, muitas vezes, implicam na inviabilidade economica do negocio em funcao dos seus onerosos custos. Alem disso, a execucao desses trabalhos nao assegura ao investidor a recuperacao desses onerosos recursos despendidos, principalmente se o potencial estudado apresentar inviabilidade tecnico-economica. Acrescenta-se ainda a esse risco, a possibilidade do investidorexecutor dos estudos iniciais (estimativa e inventario/viabilidade) nao contrair a outorga de exploracao do potencial, que e oferecida publicamente pelo Orgao Regulador. Entretanto, esse risco pode ser mitigado com a indicacao orientativa de viabilidade, com custos reduzidos. Por outro lado, ha uma forte tendencia de implantacao de pequenas centrais de producao de energia, caracterizadas como \"Geracao Distribuida\" (GD), em virtude dos atuais incentivos regulatorios para essas fontes, das recentes restricoes ambientais e da escassez de investimentos em grandes projetos. Neste contexto, esta dissertacao apresenta um modelo de obtencao de pre-viabilidade de potenciais fundamentado em caracteristicas tecnicas de componentes de Usinas Eolicas (EOL\'s) e Pequenas Centrais Hidreletricas (PCH\'s), com atributos fisicos geograficamente representados e consultados em um ambiente de geoprocessamento informatizado. Esse modelo proposto realiza estimativa de indicadores tecnico-economicos de centrais, produzindo estudos de pre-viabilidade com rapidez e baixo custo. De posse desse modelo o investidor pode simular a implementacao de varios aproveitamentos eolicos e hidroeletricos, antes de mobilizacao e de levantamentos de campo mais precisos e onerosos, obtendo dessa forma orientacoes importantes para direcionar sua atencao, com minimizacao de incertezas envolvidas na pre-viabilidade do potencial. / Identification and viability studies on small scale production of electrical energy based on wind and hydro power conventionally demand onerous field work whose costs frequently imply economic unfeasibility of the business. Moreover, the execution of these works does not assure that the investor will recover its expended resources, mainly if the potential analysis of the business demonstrates its technical and economic unfeasibility. Additionally, there is the possibility of not contracting the concession to this potential exploration, which is publicly offered by the Regulatory Agency, by the investor-executor of the initial studies (estimative, inventory and viability). However, this risk can be mitigated by the guiding indication of viability, with reduced costs. On the other hand, it has one strong trend of implantation of smallscale power generation, characterized as \"Distributed Generation\" (DG), because of its current legal incentives and also because of the recent ecological restrictions and the scarcity of investments in large enterprises. In this context, this work presents a pre-viability of potentials attainment model based on technical characteristics of Wind Plants and Small Hydroelectric Plants (SHP\'s) components, whose physical attributes are geographically represented and consulted in a geographic information system. The proposed model estimates the technical and economical pointers of power plants, producing fast and low-cost studies of pre-viability. Trough this model the investor can simulate wind power and hydropower exploration before mobilizating onerous and accurate field researches, getting an important guiding to its priorities, minimizing uncertainties in the process.

The aim of this thesis is to evaluate different repowering alternatives from the viewpoint of increasing power production from existing offshore wind farms (OWF), as some of the first commissioned OWFs are approaching the end of their expected lifetime. The thesis presents a literature review of components and financial aspects that are of importance for repowering of OWFs. In the literature review, risks and uncertainties regarding repowering are also lifted and analysed. The thesis contains a case study on Horns Rev 1 OWF, where three different repowering scenarios are evaluated by technical and financial performance, aiming to compare the cost of repowering alternatives. The design of the case study is based around previous studies of offshore repowering having focused mainly on achieving the lowest possible levelized cost of energy (LCoE) and highest possible capacity factor, often resulting in suggested repowering utilizing smaller wind turbines than the existing ones. In order to evaluate the financial viability of repowering alternatives, the software RETScreen Expert was used to estimate the annual energy production (AEP) after losses and calculate the net present value (NPV) and LCoE for lifetime extension and full repowering utilizing different capacity wind turbines. Input values from the literature as well as real wind resource measurements from the site was utilized to achieve as accurate results as possible. The result of the case study shows that repowering of OWFs have the possibility of providing a very strong business case with all scenarios resulting in a positive NPV as well as lower LCoE than the benchmarked electricity production price. Although the initial investment cost of the different repowering alternatives presented in this thesis still are uncertain to some extent, due to the lack of reliable costs for repowering alternatives, this thesis provides a base for further research regarding the repowering of OWFs.

In this thesis, a new HVDC-based converter system for wind farms is investigated. It is based on a mutually commutated soft-switching converter system and provides a unique integrated solution for the wind turbine generator drive systems, the wind turbine interconnection, and the power conversion for HVDC transmission. In a wind farm, the mutually commutated converter system is a distributed system. A medium-frequency collection grid connects the converter station, equipped with a single-phase voltage source converter and a medium-frequency transmission transformer, with the wind turbines, each containing a cycloconverter and a medium-frequency distribution transformer. In this thesis, various system aspects regarding the application of a distributed mutually commutated converter system in a wind farm are investigated. Special attention is paid to the design of a medium-frequency collection grid that has an acceptable level of transient overvoltages, the design of medium-frequency transformers with suitable magnetic, electric and thermal properties, and the development of a strategy to commutate the voltage source converter during low power generation. In order to adapt the mutually commutated converter system for an application in a wind farm, it had to be further developped. Different carrier-based and space-vector oriented modulation methods have been investigated. It turns out that for any load angle there is a quasi-discontinuous pulse width modulation strategy that can produce the same pulse patterns as space vector modulation. In addition, a modulation strategy has been developed that allows to replace the IGBTs in the cycloconverter with cheap, robust, and reliable fast thyristors, despite their absence of turn-off capability. The feasibility of different modulation strategies for mutually commutated converter systems has been verified on a down-scaled prototype converter system with both IGBT- and thyristor-based cycloconverters. Finally, a feasible wind farm layout is proposed, which considerably reduces the energy generation costs for large winds farms distant to a strong grid connection point. As a consequence, the proposed solution may facilitate the establishment of remotely located wind farms. / QC 20100802

Electric vehicle (EV) development has gone into an accelerated pace in recent years to address pressing concerns on energy security, the environment, and the sustainability of transportation. The future market success of EVs is still uncertain, but the current shift in the automotive industry is indicating a possible bright future for EVs. Because of its unique load characteristics, an extensive deployment of EVs will not only bring challenges to power systems, but will enable new opportunities as well. The objective of this work is to address the increased third harmonic currents expected with the introduction of EVs and to explore the potential of leveraging flexible EV charging to increase wind power production. Since EV chargers rely on a nonlinear power conversion process to obtain a controllable DC source from the utility AC supply, it is expected that these devices will aggravate third harmonic current issues. In fact, utility harmonic field data show that, even without EVs, distribution feeders are already experimenting elevated levels of third harmonic currents. To address present and future utility harmonic filtering needs, a practical third harmonic hybrid active filter for medium voltage (MV) applications is proposed. Its design is based on strict utility requirements of cost, reliability, and ease of system implementation. The operation and performance of the proposed filter is verified through simulations and two experimental setups, one tested at 7.2 kV. Furthermore, a system impact study of the proposed filter is performed using actual data for a typical residential/small commercial distribution feeder. Because vehicles remain stationary most of the time, EVs have the potential of being flexibly charged, providing a spectrum of opportunities for system operators. The recent increase in wind power penetration in the U.S. is raising concerns on how to accommodate this stochastic renewable energy resource in day-ahead scheduling operations. In this work, a detailed integrated day-ahead scheduling framework is developed to explore the impact of leveraging flexible EV charging to balance out the variability and uncertainty of wind power generation. It is determined that the full benefits of balancing wind power generation with flexible EV charging may not be achieved in congested power systems. A potential solution based on deploying power routers (PRs) to augment the flexibility of the transmission system is proposed. Simulation results are presented for a test system based on the IEEE 39-bus system.