The installation of wind energy has experienced rapid development during recent years. As a result,the operation of power system can be greatly affected.Therefore, the operators of different countries have formulatedthe grid codes which reinforce technical requirements for wind power plants. In this paper, recent gridcodes published in different countries have been carefully reviewed. The basic requirements of active power controland reactive power compensation, both of which have particular influence on wind power plants operation, are focused on. Based on this review, it is understood that withthe increasing integration of wind energy, there is a worldwide trend to regulate the performance of windpower plants so that they can contribute to the stability and reliability of power system.