what obstacles exist concerning the siting of wind generation? steve lindenberg, department of...
TRANSCRIPT
What Obstacles Exist Concerning the Siting of Wind Generation?
Steve Lindenberg, Department of EnergyNARUC Wind Siting Session
November 14, 2007Anaheim, California
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DOE Wind Program Siting Activities
Environmental & Wildlife Radar and Air Space Noise Property Values Economic Development 20% Vision
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Environmental and Wildlife
• Collaboration with NWCC and USFWS • Grassland Shrub Steppe Species
Collaborative • Cumulative population impacts• American Wind Wildlife Institute• Prairie birds• Raptors and bats • Nocturnal migration
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Wildlife - Avian
Source: BWEC Report 2005
• Bat Wind Energy Cooperative: • Partnership with utilities to
monitor bat-turbine interaction• DOE/NREL funding for 5 years • Investigation of mitigation options
• Species-specific research• Prairie chicken habitat• Genetic diversity
• Macro issues • Research on flyways• Collaboration with Montana State
University and USGS on radar databases
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Radar and Air Space
Wind turbines are large EMI reflectorsAviation Radar systems cannot easily discriminate between turbine blade movement and airplane traffic.
ENERGY TRANSMITTED BY THE RADAR IS REFLECTED OFF OF THEBLADES
GENERATOR
AND TOWER
AND RETURNED TO THE RADAR AS INTERFERENCE
350-500 Ft
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Federal Interagency Licensing and Siting Collaborative
Agency collaboration between: DOD, DOE, DOT, DHS, USDA, Interior, Commerce
Goals are to:Streamline Existing Federal Requirements
• Top to bottom review & publication of current requirements• Identify agency “ownership” of wind siting
Establish Coordinating Mechanism• Executive Steering Committee of Agency Principals• Provide overall guidance and resolve potential conflicts
Enhance Impacts Screening Capabilities• Increase number of tools• Develop interactive capability
Long Term: Clear, timely, predictable Federal agency decision-making on wind siting processes
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Siting Toolkit Process
Toolkit will offer:• A different module for each agency, specific
to their needs• Rapid preliminary evaluation of siting
proposals• Common interface for all agency evaluations• Feedback on deficiencies and interferences
A toolkit is being developed for use by wind power developers and government agencies to rapidly assess, evaluate and aid in the approval of wind farm installations.
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Noise
Noise from wind farms at 750-1000 feet is quieter than a kitchen refrigerator.
Source: American Wind Energy Association
DOE Activities:
• Air acoustics research to reduce noise levels of new turbines
• Noise testing – IEC standards testing for commercial wind turbines
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Property Values
Fear of declining property values is one of the most-cited reasons for local opposition to wind projects. In some areas, local opposition over this issue is often intense, and can negatively influence permitting decisions.
• DOE is conducting assessments of property values near wind farms in the Northeast (4 locations).
• No statistically significant property value effects found at initial 4 locations. DOE continues to expand the sample size.
• So far, there is no statistically significant evidence that distance from the project matters.
• For more information, there will be a report on this issue in early 2008.
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Economic Development ImpactsU.S. Average jobs and impacts from 100 MW of new wind
• Property owner revenue: $2,500 - $4,000 per MW/year
• Local property tax revenue: varies widely $300,000 - $1.7 million/yr
• 100 - 200 jobs during construction
• 6 - 10 permanent O&M jobs
• Local industry stimulation: concrete, towers, roads, electrical services
• Manufacturing and assembly plants expanding in U.S. will increase local benefits (e.g., a new blade facility in CO).
Wind energy provides great potential for economic development and jobs.
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State of the Union Address“…We will invest more in …
revolutionary and…wind technologies”
Advanced Energy Initiative“Areas with good wind resources have the potential to supply up to 20% of the electricity consumption of the United States.”
A New Potential for Wind Energy in the U.S.
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20% Wind ReportSiting Chapter Overview
To supply 20% of U.S. electricity, the wind industry:– Needs proactive, public-private, efficient approaches to siting– Must advance from case-by-case to regional consideration– Requires expanded scientific data bases on wildlife and other issues
For more in-depth information on wind turbine siting and environmental issues, the 20% Wind Vision document contains an entire chapter on these issues, and will be released by the end of the year.
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Which issues can NARUC help with to pursue Which issues can NARUC help with to pursue the 20% Wind Vision?the 20% Wind Vision?
Transmission and System Integration
Evolution of Markets
Technology Advancement and Manufacturing
Environmental and Siting Issues
NARUC and the 20% Vision
