Riverview Community Center, Ashe County

April 5, 2007

Dennis Scanlin & Brent Summerville

Western North Carolina Renewable Energy Initiative

Wind Energy Perspectives

Our Wind Resource

Class 6 (4.3%)Class 5 (6.3%)

Location and Percentage of High Quality Wind Resources in the US

Class 4 & above 27.5%

North Carolina Wind Resources

24 County Western NC Wind Map

Acres of Windy Land in WNCAcres of Windy Land in WNCClass >= 2 Class >= 2 [small wind] [small wind] 771,024 acres771,024 acresClass >= 4 Class >= 4 [utility wind][utility wind] 138,000 acres138,000 acres

Wind Resource Analysis by County (acres)

Top 5 Counties in Western NC

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 2-7 4-7

Haywood 99484 36769 19294 9360 4576 5120 3242 78361 22298

Watauga 93356 47809 14302 5396 2303 1729 939 72480 10368

Buncombe 191061 33596 13976 6592 3182 2688 2668 62705 15132

Ashe 184824 40000 9162 4190 1877 1877 1166 58277 9113

Avery 79528 27804 9281 4210 2352 1739 1107 46495 9409

County Wind Maps

Windmaps for the 24 counties in WNC available at:www.wind.appstate.edu

What are we doing with all this wind?

Large range of scale

10kW on NY Farm

Buffalo Mtn, TN

Wind Energy is Reliable and Cost Effective

Wind has become the least expensive and fastest growing source of electricity in the world-details at www.gwec.net

Source: BTM Consult

44.2 5.2

8.2 8.7

12.8

02

68

101214

Gas

Win

d with

PTC

Win

d with

out PTC

Coal

Hydro

Geoth

erm

al

Nuclea

r

¢/kWh

5.04.2

Value of

PTC

Wind Energy Cost Competitiveness

Possible Ashe County Project•Richard Calhoun has applied for a permit to install a 50 MW wind farm in Ashe County

•This would be the first utility-scale project in the state

•For more information, visit the NC Public Utilities Website at: http://www.ncuc.net/

Docket #SP-167 Sub 1

Potential Impacts

• Birds

• Bats

• Sound

• Visual

• Economic

How Much Mortality?

• National estimates of mortality range from approximately 1.8 to 2.2 bird deaths per turbine per year or about 30,000 birds killed annually in the US

(Erickson et al, 2001)

• TVA 2000 -2003 study documented 7.7 birds/turbine/year.

(TVA, 2002)

Bat Interactions with Wind Turbines

The Problem:• Florida Power & Light’s Backbone Mountain Wind Farm in West Virginia has had a high

bat mortality estimated to be 40 bats/turbine/year.

• TVA documented 21 – 64 bats/turbine/year

• The Backbone Mountain Wind Farm consists of 44 turbines rated at 1.5MW positioned along a prominent Appalachian ridge line.

• TVA has 18 turbines

Photo from BCI

How Much Mortality?

Compared to other forms of bird mortality:

Tower kills

4-50 million

Vehicle kills

60-80 million

Window strikes

98-980 million

Transmission line kills

10,000-174 million (Erickson et al, 2001)

Towerkills.com (12/10/02)

NC Tower Locations

• Learn more about impact assessments on April 17th

NoiseNoise 45 decibels at 350 45 decibels at 350 meters (1000’)meters (1000’)

Complaints are rare Complaints are rare with newer turbineswith newer turbines

Noise typically Noise typically tracks ambient noise tracks ambient noise fairly closelyfairly closely

non-mechanical non-mechanical swishing noiseswishing noise

Refrigerator Refrigerator

Dips & hollows Dips & hollows downwind: sound can downwind: sound can travel furthertravel further

Visual Impacts

• Visual impacts diminish rapidly with distance

• Only visible about 5 miles

• Visual impacts can be accurately modeled with computers

Turbines 1.5 miles away

Wind Turbines 3 miles in the Distance

10 Turbines from 6 miles away

Land Value Impact• Renewable Energy Policy Project (REPP), examined 10, large (10+ MW)

wind projects across the US, developed since 1998 looking at pre and post development land values. The REPP investigation could find no negative impact.

• Study conducted for Kittitas County, Washington determined that no negative land value impact was found within the viewshed of the 13 projects examined.

• Energy Center of Wisconsin conducted a detailed parcel by parcel analysis of land transactions within the viewsheds of the REPP sites and concluded that the impact was not systematically negative or positive.

• ASU Energy Center looked at 15 projects east of the Mississippi River (eight in the Appalachian Region) that were at least 5MW in size. There was no statistical difference between the wind project counties and control counties on pre and post land values.

Sustainable Economic Development

Each 100 MW of wind energy development in region will produce approximately:

• $27 million in direct, indirect, & induced economic benefit to state during construction and $3 million each year during operation

• $7.32 million paid in wages during construction and $1.35 million in wages each year during operation

– 250 jobs during construction

– 45 long term jobs

• Property tax revenue: approximately $550,000/year in NC (low by national standards)

• Land Lease Payments: $250,000 - $400,000/year (2-3% of gross revenue or $2500-4000/MW/year)

• Approximately 350 million kWh every year, at a competitive price and without any air pollution or energy price increases. Enough to power 33,000 houses.

Each MW of wind development costs approximately $1million dollars Each MW of wind will produce between 3 – 3.5 million kwh/year on a good wind site.

Environmental Benefits of Wind• No emissions of any kind during

operation– No SOx, NOx, particulates or

mercury– No contributions to regional

haze– No greenhouse gases– No water pollution or use

• No toxic wastes or health impacts– Nuclear waste transport and

storage unresolved– Respiratory diseases of

growing concern• Positive Economic Impact• Global climate change is a serious

concern to every major political entity worldwide

– We have the resource, therefore We can be part of the solution

Beech Mt. NC

Excellent wind resources in mountains and in Excellent wind resources in mountains and in coastal areas coastal areas Positive Impacts exceed Negative ImpactsPositive Impacts exceed Negative ImpactsPotential Negative Impacts can be identified, Potential Negative Impacts can be identified, assessed and largely avoided before assessed and largely avoided before constructionconstructionIssue is not Wind Energy or nothing, but how Issue is not Wind Energy or nothing, but how we satisfy our needs in the most responsible we satisfy our needs in the most responsible wayway

ConclusionsConclusions

Thanks

• Brent Summerville

• Dennis Scanlin• 828-262-7333• wind@appstate.edu• wind.appstate.edu

This presentation is available at wind.appstate.edu

Click on REPORTS….CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS