Wind Energy

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Wind Energy

• Development Issues for Local Governments and
  Municipal Utilities
• Presented to International City/County Managers
  Association
• Presented by Amy Ellsworth, CH2M HILL

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• Employee Owned
• 13,000 professionals
• 200 offices worldwide
• Over 2 billion annual revenues
• Pre-Development Services for the Wind Industry
  include
• Resource assessment
• Transmission planning
• Siting, permitting licensing
• Environmental Studies
• Engineering Design

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Key Elements of Wind Project Development

• A good site with
• Validated wind resource
• Transmission path
• Land use and environmental permits
• Land control
• Power purchase agreement
• Appropriate technology
• Construction contract

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Siting/Permitting Issues for Wind Development

• Local, state federal permits
• Varies according to land ownership
• Land control
• Land use permitting may vary by project element
• Environmental study needs vary by the project
  location

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Siting in Urban Rural Residential Areas

• Rural
• Siting on cropped farmland
• What ranchers call grazed land, wildlife
  agencies call habitat.
• Required environmental studies for permitting

• Urban
• Building height limitations
• Setbacks
• Typical siting analyses

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Federal Support for Wind

• Tax Incentives
• 1.8 cent/kWh PTC currently expired, renewal
  expected (when?)
• Not available to publicly owned utilities
• Requires significant tax appetite to utilize
• Public Power Renewable Energy Production
  Incentive
• 1.5 cent/kWh (indexed for inflation) for first 10
  years of operation, subject to availability of
  funds
• Expired on September 30, 2003 10 year extension
  included in house and senate versions of energy
  bill
• appropriation issue and qualifying technology
  issues

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Alternative Financial Support for Wind

• State policy provisions for renewable energy
  development
• tax breaks
• production incentives
• subsidies
• technical support
• Renewable Energy Funds

• Utility Green Pricing Tradable Renewable
  Certificates
• Farm bill funding
• Grant funding

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What can local jurisdictions do to encourage wind
energy development?

• Understand wind energy technology and educate
  your citizens
• Assess your local wind energy resources
• Eliminate obstacles to wind energy in land use
  code and zoning ordinances
• Height restrictions
• Define wind as utility
• Standards for siting and design
• Include wind in city/county development plans and
  environmental objectives
• Establish dialog with local utility
• Talk to developers

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Case Study Planning for Wind Power

• Alameda County Area Plan
• Specifically permits wind power development,
  redevelopment and expansion within a Wind
  Resource Area
• Calls for mitigation of various kinds of impacts,
  including avian
• Protects existing uses from impacts from
  windfarms
• Protects designated wind power area from
  encroachment by incompatible uses
• Permits for 20 year period with 5-year review

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Resources

• Amy Ellsworth, Renewable Energy Marketing Sales
• 720-286-2341
• amy.ellsworth_at_ch2m.com
• CH2M HILL Alternative Renewable Energy
  Services
• http//www.ch2m.com