Issue #99: August 11-22, 2014 The WINDExchange Newsletter is issued by the Wind Program twice a month to inform program partners and interested individuals of wind energy events, webinars, financial opportunities, new publications, state success stories, and other wind-related activities. If you have news items and success stories to share, please submit them to Ruth Baranowski. News Webinars Events News DOE Announces Distributed Wind Competitiveness Improvement Project Awards
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently announced funding for the second round of the Competitiveness Improvement Project (CIP) that will help drive down the cost of small and medium-size wind energy systems. In support of the DOE Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative, this funding aims to help U.S. manufacturers improve their turbine designs and manufacturing processes to reduce hardware costs, improve efficiency, and eventually earn certification from accredited third-party certification bodies, which issue easy-to-understand labels showing a turbine has met performance and safety testing requirements. The following manufacturers received a total of $1.27 million in funding: Pika Energy of Westbrook, Maine; Northern Power Systems of Barre, Vermont; Endurance Wind Power of Spanish Forks, Utah; and Urban Green Energy of New York City. U.S. Offshore Wind Development Moving Forward
Over the past several weeks, we've reported on many U.S. offshore wind news items. Val Stori, project director for the Clean Energy States Alliance's Offshore Wind Accelerator Project and member of the DOE-supported Northeast Wind Resource Center (NWRC), compiled a comprehensive overview of the recent developments: - In May, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) concurrently announced a Call for Information and published a Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment for wind energy off New York's coast. The notice requests public input on environmental issues and alternatives to be considered in developing the environmental assessment for the commercial lease area.
- In June, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and BOEM Acting Director Walter Cruickshank announced a Public Sale Notice for a Wind Energy Area (WEA) off the coast of Massachusetts. The WEA is the largest lease area in federal waters and will be available as four lease areas for commercial development.
- In mid-June, the South Carolina legislature passed a resolution in support of offshore wind, recognizing the "wind energy capabilities of South Carolina" and the state's significance as a source of clean power and economic development. In addition, the resolution recognizes North Myrtle Beach as a Wind Empowered Economic Zone. Shortly after the legislature's announcement, BOEM announced that it will identify offshore leasing tracts in September off the South Carolina coast.
- In July, BOEM and Secretary Jewell announced that 80,000 acres off the coast of Maryland will be auctioned in mid-August as a competitive lease sale. The area will be auctioned as two leases and, if fully developed, could generate 850 to 1,450 megawatts. Sixteen companies are qualified to participate in the auction.
- The DOE Programs Office announced a conditional $150 million loan guarantee on July 1 to Cape Wind Associates, LLC for its 130-turbine project off the coast of Nantucket Sound. The announcement should help attract the additional project financing the project needs; 60% of financial commitments have already been made, totaling $1.45 billion.
- In late July, BOEM announced plans to auction 344,000 acres off New Jersey's shore for offshore wind development. The public comment period is open until September 19, after which BOEM would issue a final sale notice announcing the time and date of the lease sale.
- The board of directors for the Quonset Business Park in Rhode Island announced that it approved a leasing option for parcels of its port facility to Cape Wind Associates, LLC. Deepwater Wind, which is developing the proposed Block Island offshore wind Farm, also has a lease for three parcels at the Quonset port. Similar to Massachusetts' investment in the New Bedford port facility, Rhode Island has invested in port improvement with the help of the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The site is a prime location for staging offshore wind farm development.
NREL Publishes Report: Economic Impacts from Indiana's First 1,000 Megawatts of Wind Power
The magnitude of Indiana's available wind resource indicates that the development of wind power infrastructure has the potential to support millions of dollars of economic activity in the state. The Jobs and Economic Development Impact (JEDI) models, developed by NREL, are tools used to estimate some of the economic impacts of energy projects at the state level. According to this analysis, the first 1,000 megawatts of wind power development in Indiana (projects built between 2008 and 2011): - Supported employment totaling more than 4,400 full-time-equivalent jobs in Indiana during the construction periods
- Supports approximately 260 ongoing Indiana jobs
- Supported nearly $570 million in economic activity for Indiana during the construction periods
- Supported and continues to support nearly $40 million in annual Indiana economic activity during the operating periods
- Generates more than $8 million in annual property taxes
- Generates nearly $4 million annually in income for Indiana landowners who lease their land for wind energy projects.
The report is available as a free download. REAP Funding Update, Part 1
In conjunction with the National Association of Farm Broadcasters, WINDExchange produced an audio interview with Ron Omann, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Energy Coordinator. During the interview, Omann describes recent updates to the Renewable Energy for America Program, or REAP, which offers grants and loan guarantees to farmers, ranchers, and small business owners in rural areas for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. Omann reported that an additional $50 million of mandatory funding and up to $20 million of discretionary funding have been dedicated to REAP through the 2014 Farm Bill for fiscal years 2014 through 2018. The FY14 and FY15 funding is being combined, so there will be $100 million total available for projects throughout the country. Omann also said that USDA Rural Development is working to simplify the application process by adding another tier of applications for projects less than $80,000. Renewable Northwest Releases New Energy Imbalance Market Outreach Materials
Renewable Northwest produced new outreach materials to help inform the public and utilities about the broad benefits that could be achieved through the creation of an Energy Imbalance Market (EIM) in the Northwest. The materials reflect the opportunities that an EIM could provide for the region, including increasing reliability of the electric grid, helping to lower costs to consumers, supporting local economic development, and helping to integrate more renewable energy resources more efficiently. A 5-minute animated video, two-sided fact sheet, and frequently asked questions document are available at renewablenw.org/EIM. EIA Predicts Increased Wind Power Capacity in 2015
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) predicts that wind power capacity will increase by 8.6% in 2014 and 13.9% in 2015. Electricity generation from wind is projected to contribute 4.5% of total electricity generation in 2015. The EIA also projects that total renewables use for electricity and heat generation will grow by 2.9% in 2014. Acoustic Impacts of Wind Turbines: Final Report and Presentation Materials Available
On July 17, the University of Rhode Island, in partnership with the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources and Statewide Planning Program, presented its final report on the Acoustic Impacts of Wind Turbines in Rhode Island. The report is intended to supplement efforts under the Renewable Energy Siting Partnership and Interim Final Standards for Terrestrial Wind Energy Systems and will inform future guidance from Rhode Island state agencies regarding land-based wind turbine siting. Webinars WINDExchange August Webinar: DOE Wind Technology Market Reports Overview
August 20, 2014, 3 p.m. ET
Join Ryan Wiser of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for an overview of the DOE 2013 Wind Technologies Market Report and Alice Orrell of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for a presentation on the DOE 2013 Distributed Wind Market Report. The webinar is free. Advance registration is not required. Log-in information is below. Please note that the only way to access the audio portion of this webinar is by calling in. Audio access:
888-461-9425
Participant passcode: 3869930 Web access:
https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?i=RW3109386&p=3869930&t=c ASES Wind Division Webinar: Historical Challenges of Wind Energy—Wildlife Interactions and How This May Affect Distributed Wind
August 12, 2014, 3 p.m. ET
Wildlife interactions with wind energy projects have been a challenge since turbines were first erected in California in the 1980s. Over the past two decades, much research has been conducted to try to understand these interactions so that future projects can avoid, minimize and, where necessary, mitigate for impacts to wildlife. Karin Sinclair, NREL researcher and chair of the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) Wind Division, will present a historical overview of the issue, a summary of the federal statutory authority, descriptions of the current challenges and key species habitat distributions, and a summary of the research and collaborative activities designed to address this issue. She will also discuss how the challenges experienced by the utility-scale projects translate to distributed wind projects. A business meeting will be conducted immediately after the webinar; stay on the line if you are interested in participating. Audio access:
888-461-9425
Conference number: PW7627127
Participant passcode: 3547995 Web access:
https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?i=PW7627127&p=3547995&t=c Understanding American Values on Climate: Practical Applications for Public Engagement on Climate Solutions
August 15, 2014, 2 p.m. ET
The Southeast Coastal Climate Network's (SECCN) webinar series continues with a presentation about Americans' climate change values. Bob Perkowitz, founder and president of ecoAmerica, will discuss ecoAmerica's latest research on American climate values. This research details how Americans think and react to climate and environmental issues and uses a sophisticated, psychographic-based research methodology to draw insights on how to effectively engage Americans on climate solutions. WINDExchange September Webinar: Monitoring and Mitigating Strategies for Bats and Eagles
September 17, 2014, 3 p.m. ET
Save the date for this free webinar. Speakers will be announced soon. Advance registration is not required. Log-in information is below. Please note that the only way to access the audio portion of this webinar is by calling in. Audio access:
888-461-9425
Participant passcode: 3869930 Web access:
https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?i=RW3109386&p=3869930&t=c Events Massachusetts Wind Working Group Meeting
Massachusetts—September 10, 2014
Sustainable Energy Advantage, LLC (SEA) will give a presentation on the new Northeast Wind Resource Center, partially funded by the DOE and administered by the Clean Energy Group. The center aims to "provide credible information, targeted outreach, and direct engagement with stakeholders and decision-makers about wind energy deployment in the Northeast." At the meeting, SEA will provide an overview of the project and solicit input on the topics of focus for the next 3 years, as well as discuss how stakeholders wish to participate. The meeting will also feature a discussion on the future of the Wind Working Group. Attendees should RSVP to lally@ecs.umass.edu. All previous meeting presentations can be found on the Working Group's website. 2014 National Summit on RPS
Washington, D.C.—September 22-23, 2014
Funded by DOE and the Energy Foundation and hosted by the Clean Energy States Alliance, the Summit explores developments and trends related to state renewable portfolio standards (RPSs) and provides opportunities to network with people across the country who are most engaged in implementing and analyzing state RPSs. Summit topics include how the Environmental Protection Agency's carbon regulations may impact state RPSs; different states' methodologies for determining the costs of an RPS; the status of Commerce Clause cases with potential impacts on RPSs; and the intersection among RPSs, net metering, and other solar policies. AWEA State Wind Energy Forum—Colorado
Denver, Colorado—October 1, 2014
With more than 2,300 MW of installed wind capacity, Colorado is on the forefront of wind energy expansion. The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) will host this forum. Explore the benefits of and challenges in Colorado's current wind industry, and learn what the future holds. Meet with Colorado's policy, industry, and government leaders and interact with wind industry experts on national, regional, and state wind markets. Learn about wind energy transmission, economics, and integration; the DOE Wind Vision and its impact on Colorado; and wind energy's positive impacts on local economic development. UVIG Fall O&M User Group Meeting
San Antonio, Texas—October 1-2, 2014
Join the Utility Variable-Generation Integration Group (UVIG) for a plenary session on October 1 focusing on North American Electric Reliability Corporation compliance for wind and solar plant operators. Following the session and on October 2, attend turbine OEM or topic-specific roundtables for UVIG member owner/operators. AWEA Offshore WINDPOWER Conference and Exhibition
Atlantic City, New Jersey—October 7-8, 2014
2014 has become a turning point for the U.S. offshore wind energy industry. With projects in advanced stages of development, lease auctions in several states, and additional government funding for advanced technology demonstration projects, the U.S. offshore wind energy industry is moving forward. Join the AWEA Offshore WINDPOWER Group on LinkedIn to connect with other offshore wind energy professionals and attendees of past AWEA Offshore WINDPOWERs and discuss critical topics before this year's event. UVIG Fall Technical Workshop
San Antonio, Texas—October 14-17, 2014
The UVIG Fall Technical Workshop will provide attendees with an updated perspective on the status of wind and solar integration and interconnection to utility systems in the United States and other countries. The workshop will be preceded by meetings of the UVIG User Groups focusing on variable generation operating impacts, market operation and transmission planning, variable generation modeling and interconnection, and distributed generation. Following the conclusion of the Fall Technical Workshop, attendees will have the opportunity to take part in an optional technical tour. Distributed Wind All-State Policy Summit and SMART Wind Launch
Albany, New York—October 15-16, 2014
Manufacturing representatives, grant administrators from state and federal agencies, and political operatives with small wind experience will host Q&A panels and lead hands-on sessions on the latest policy developments in the distributed wind industry. On October 16, immediately following the Summit, the Distributed Wind Energy Association (DWEA) will host the inaugural Strategies for Manufacturers Advancing Research and Technology (SMART) Wind Consortium meeting. The U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) awarded DWEA, supported by eFormative Options and Wind Advisors Team, a 2-year grant to form a consortium of distributed wind energy equipment manufacturers, suppliers, customers, and university researchers and develop a roadmap to identify common manufacturing gaps, prioritize actions to close these gaps, and foster rapid transfer of solutions. AWEA Wind Energy Finance and Investment Seminar
New York, New York—October 20-21, 2014
Come to New York City this fall to meet and forge relationships with banking and financial leaders, learn what they're looking for in wind energy investments, and speak with representatives who are working on innovative wind energy deals. 7th Annual Nebraska Wind and Solar Conference
La Vista, Nebraska—October 29-30, 2014
Since 2008, volunteers from farmer and rancher organizations, state agencies, public power utilities, and higher education professionals have shaped this educational networking conference and exhibition to advance Nebraska's wind and solar industry. DOE's Principal Deputy (Office of Energy Policy & Systems Analysis) and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Climate (Office of International Affairs) Jonathon Pershing is the featured luncheon speaker on Wednesday. 5th Annual Island Energy Conference
Portland, Maine—November 7-8, 2014
With the support of WINDExchange, the Islanded Grid Resource Center will host an East Coast regional meeting convening in conjunction with the 5th Annual Island Energy Conference. Island residents and grid operators, island energy experts, and representatives from resource agencies are invited to participate in panel presentations, project planning sessions, networking, and an island field trip. Topics covered will include innovation on diesel-powered islands, island community-developer relations in offshore wind projects, funding opportunities, and many other issues related to efficiency and renewable energy projects on islands and islanded grids. Registration will open on October 1, 2014. AWEA State Wind Energy Forum—Michigan
Lansing, Michigan—November 10, 2014
Save the date! Details will be posted soon. Women of Wind Energy Leadership Forum
San Diego, California—November 18, 2014
The 2014 Women of Wind Energy Leadership Forum combines professional development with tools to advance renewable energy. Join professionals from across the country to discuss current renewable energy trends, policy issues, and communication strategies while gaining valuable tools to enhance your career and build your companies and organizations. Please visit the WINDExchange calendar to learn about more upcoming events. |
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