America’s Islanded Grid Regional Resource Center

Chris Rose

Executive Director

Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP)

IGRC Introductory Webinar

December 10, 2014

Renewable Energy Alaska Project

• Founded in 2004

• Six staff

• Coalition of over 85 organizations

• Successful history of clean energy advocacy includes the creation of several state programs and over $850 million in legislative appropriations since 2008

Island Institute

• Founded over 30 years ago

• Over 40 staff and 10 Fellows

• Successful history of building stakeholder networks

• Works on all aspects of island life

• Created the New England Island Energy Network

Partners

• Alaska Center for Energy and Power at the University of Alaska

• University of Maine

• Distributed Wind Energy Association

• Other national and international entities

• Advisory Committee

IGRC Advisory Committee

Misty Conrad, NREL

Jim Manwell, University of Massachusetts

Darron Scott, Kodiak Electric Association

Marc Mueller-Stoffels, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Alaska Center for Energy & Power

Peter Lilienthal, HOMER Energy

Lawrence Mott

Larry Flowers

America’s Islands and Islanded Grids

Alaska, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Hawaii, US Virgin Islands, Guam, Commonwealth of Northern Marianas, American Samoa

Huge Geography

Focus

• Wind-diesel hybrid systems

• Integration of large wind on islanded grids

• Impacts of offshore wind on island communities

We can help:

Put you in touch with technical experts, developers, manufacturers and policy makers as well as case studies and reports on islanded grid systems

Provide opportunities for you to meet with others working on islanded grid systems

We don’t provide funding for projects, but we can help direct you to potential resources

• Many of America’s islanded grids

are completely dependent on

diesel for electricity generation

• An estimated 5% of global oil

production today is used to make

electricity

The Situation Today

Wind-Diesel Communities

• Remoteness

• Small populations

• Higher costs

• Smaller turbines

• Human capacity

• Technical issues

• Environmental issues

• Extreme weather

Technical Issues

• Integration & control systems

• Dump loads and energy storage

• Air traffic and radar interference

• Project management

• Training & capacity building

• Operation and maintenance

Large Islanded Grids

• Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands all either have, or could have, large wind turbines on grids that have a relatively finite capacity to absorb variable power.

Kodiak

• A very successful example of large wind on a small grid.

• Wind – diesel – hydro –battery – (flywheel)

• 99.4% renewable

Offshore Wind

• Island communities managing discussions with developers about community benefits, power offtake, outreach & information sharing

Outreach• Relationship building through

– At least three regional in-person meetings

– Next one in Portland, Maine in early November

• Interactive website

– To help build relationships

– Provide current information

• Working Groups

• Webinars, white papers, public presentations, policy maker and media education

Potential Impacts & Outcomes

• Provide models for micro grids elsewhere

• Increase installed wind capacity

• Optimize performance of existing systems

• Reduce fossil fuel use and imports

• Stabilize energy prices

• Diversify economies and create jobs

Island Energy Conference

• More than 150 island energy leaders and technical experts

• Islanded grid track and work session

• Island energy tours: Monhegan, Peaks, Vinalhaven, ME

http://www.islandinstitute.org/events/2014-Island-Energy-Conference/16112/

March 5-6, 2015 • Anchorage, AlaskaIslanded Grid Wind Power Conference

Ways To Be Involved

• Keep us informed and provide feedback

• Introduce us to other technical experts and wind champions

• Share technical and non-technical information and stories

Thank You!

• Chris Rose, REAP

• Suzanne MacDonald, Island Institute

• Brooks Winner, Island Institute

• Stephanie Nowers, K.I.S. Consulting

Funding support provided by: