This study proposes applying the singular perturbation theory for developing a model to determine the maximum power from a WECS (wind energy conversion system). Singular perturbation theory decomposes a dynamic system into a reduced-order subsystem comprised of slow and fast time scales. The optimal controller is designed and applied to the original system to achieve maximum power from a variable speed wind turbine. This control strategy is compared to PID (proportional-integral-derivative) and fuzzy controllers based on the TSR (Tip Speed Ratio) method. Simulations using MATLAB/Simulink confirm the effectiveness of the proposed control. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.