Wind power generation is an important trend of global electricity generation. Enormous efforts should be spent to keep the operation of the wind power systems at optimal conditions. This paper presents a linear-quadratic regulator (LQR) algorithm based on an optimal control scheme for enhancing the characteristics of the wind turbine generator systems (WTGSs). The variable-speed wind turbine driving a permanent-magnet synchronous is connected to the electric network through fully controlled power converters. The machine-side converter and the grid-side inverter are controlled using a cascaded LQR control scheme. LQR is an optimal controller, which achieves a rapid convergence and less computational complexity. The modelling and the control strategies of the system under study are elucidated in details. Real wind speed data captured from Zaafarana wind farm, Egypt, are taken into account for obtaining realistic responses. The effectiveness of the proposed controller is compared with that achieved using the genetic algorithm-based optimized proportional-plus-integral controller, considering the network disturbances. The simulation results are carried out using MATLAB/Simulink software that validate the efficiency of the proposed control scheme for enhancing the characteristics of the WTGSs connected to electric networks.