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Home My WebLink AboutPlum Island Wind Park Info Folder ,1" I~"I, L. " _.:.iio..._:':"~.":""__::. .,::-- I .......- PLUM ISLAND W N o P A R K OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND DEMONSTRATION PRO.JECT Rese~rcher; find substantial wind resource off Mid-Atlantic coast Page I of: Researchers find substantial wind resource off Mid-Atlantic coast 3:49 p.m., Feb. 1, 2007--The wind resource off the Mid-Atlantic coast could supply the energy needs of nine states from Massachusetts to North Carolina, plus the District of Columbia--with enough left over to support a 50 percent increase in future energy demand--according to a study by researchers at the University of Delaware and Stanford University. Willett Kempton, Richard Garvine and Amardeep Dhanju at the University of Delaware and Mark Jacobson and Cristina Archer at Stanford, found that the wind over the Middle Atlantic Bight, the aquatic region from Cape Cod, Mass., to Cape Hatteras, N.C., could produce 330 gigawatts (GW) of average electrical power if thousands of wind turbines were installed off the coast. The estimated power supply from offshore wind substantially exceeds the region's current energy use, which the scientists estimate at 185 gigawatts, from electricity, gasoline, fuel oil and natural gas sources. Supplying the region's energy needs with offshore wind power would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 68 percent and reduce greenhouse gases by 57 percent, according to the study. The study marks the first empirical analysis in the United States of a large- scale region's potential offshore wind-energy supply using a model that links geophysics with wind-electric technology--and that defines where wind turbines at sea may be located in reiatlon to water depth, geology and "exclusion zones" for bird fiyways, shipping lanes and other uses. An interdisciplinary team of researchers at UD and Stanford University conducted the wind power study. At the UD College of Marine and Earth Studies, from right, Willett Kempton, Richard Garvine and Amardeep Dhanju examine a map of the study area. Kempton is a marine poUcy scientist, Garvine is a physical oceanographer and Dhanju is completing his doctorate. Photo by Kathy F. Atkinson The results are published in the Jan. 24 issue of Geophysical Research Letters, a peer-reviewed scientific journal produced by the American Geophysical Union, a nonprofit organization of geophysicists with more than 49,000 members in 140 countries. Kempton, the UD professor of marine polley who led the study, has worked on several public opinion surveys about offshore wind power over the past three years, including a survey of Cape Cod residents, who largely have opposed a major wind farm proposed for their coastal area, and a more recent survey in Delaware that revealed strong support for offshore wind power as the next electricity source for the state. ''In doing our surveys and watching the public debate, we saw that no one had solid empirical data on the actual size of the offshore wind resource, and we felt this was important for policy decisions," Kempton said. Kempton collaborated with an interdisciplinary team of scientists, including Garvine, who is a physical oceanographer and Maxwell P. and Mildred H. Harrington Professor of Marine Studies at UD, and Jacobson, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford. Archer, who recently completed her doctorate, an Dhanju, who is working on his doctorate, also carried out parts of the research. The Delaware Green Energy Fund, UD's College of Marine and Earth Studies, the Delaware Sea Grant College Program and the Global Climate and Energy Project at Stanford supported the study. At Stanford, Mark Jacobson, professor of civil and environmental engineering, and Cristina Archer, who recently completed her doctorate, were part of the research team. Photo by Linda A. Cicero, Stanford News Service The scientists examined current wind-turbine technologies to determine the depth of the water and the distance from shore the wind turbines could be located. They also defined "exclusion zones" where wind turbines could not be installed, such as major bird fiyways, shipping lanes, chemical disposal sites, military restricted areas, borrow sites where sediments are removed for beach renourishment projects, and "visual space" from major tourist beaches. Estimating the wind power resource The scientists began by developing a model of the lowest atmospheric layer over the ocean. Known as the "planetary boundary layer," it extends vertically from the ocean surface to 3,000 meters (up to 9,842 feet) anc is where strong, gusty winds occur due to friction between the atmosphere and the sea surface, solar heating and other factors. It provides the "fuel" for offshore wind turbines, which may stand up to 80 meters (262 feet tall, with blades as iong as 55 meters (180 feet). To estimate the size of the wind power resource, the researchers needed to figure out the maximum number of wind turbines that could be erected and the region's average wind power. The spacing used between the hypothetical wind turbines was about one-half mile apart. At a closer spacing, Kempton said, upwind turbines will "steal" wind energy from downstream ones. http://www .udel.edu/PR/UDaily/2007 /feb/wind020 I 07 .html 2171200 Researchers find substantial wind resource off Mid-Atlantic coast Anemometer readings from the nine NOAA weather buoys in the Middle Atlantic Bight were analyzed. To determine the average wind over the region, the scientists reviewed all the wind-speed data from the past 21 years from one of the buoys. The findings were then extrapolated to the height of the offshore wind turbines currently being manufactured In order to determine the average power output per unit. At the current 80-meter (262-foot) wind turbine height, the extrapolated wind speed of the mid-range buoy is 8.2 meters per second (18.3 miles per hour or 16 knots). The scientists' estimate of the full-resource, average wind power output of 330 gigawatts over the Middle Atlantic Bight Is based on the Installation of 166,720 wind turbines, each generating up to 5 megawatts of power. The wind turbines would be located at varying distances from shore, out to 100 meters of water depth, over an ocean area spanning more than 50,000 square miles, from Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras. In comparison to the oil and natural gas resources of the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelfuthe submerged land that lies seaward from 3 miles offshore and IS under federal jurisdlctlonuthe researchers found that the shelfs reported energy sources would amount to only one-tenth of the wind resource and wouid be exhausted In 20 years. Addressing wind power fluctuations and energy priorities While 330 gigawatts is the average output of the entire offshore wind resource over the Mid-Atlantic Bight, the researchers note that offshore wind is not uniform and offer suggestions for addressing power fluctuations. "Over a large area like this, the wind blows stronger at some times and places, weaker at others," Kempton sald. To make wind power more uniform, the study shows that multiple sites could be connected through power lines to reduce the number of times of both maximum and minimum power. Changes In new and replacement energy-using devices, including automobiles, also could provide for greater power storage. "Battery and plug-in hybrid automobiles, for example, have large storage that is unused when the car is parked," Kempton said. Page 2 of: '\ "\ " , """ or 0- . ...... rJo-;2l,lIm M_ .$0-1""'" .~ Click on image for higher resolution. This map shows the researchers' study area of the Middle Atlantic 8ight with water depths indicated. Only wind turbine, mounted to the seafloor were considered, to depths up to 100 meters (328 feet), as floating structures have not been developed or prototyped. The nine meteorological stations on buoys in the water provided data for the wind speed analysis. With a scientifically reliable estimate of the region's offshore wind power potential now in hand, how likely are we to actually install more than 100,000 wind turbines off the Mid-Atlantic coast? Kempton said it's a matter of priority. "Today, market forces and Incremental technology developmenl will gradually make offshore wind the least-cost power In more and more East Coast locations," Kempton said. "On the other hand, if climate change becomes a much greater priority for the United States, our study shows how we could displace more than half the carbon dioxide emissions of the Mid-Atlantic area quickly, using existing technology." - On the practicality of producing 166,720 wind turbines, co-author Richard Garvine noted, "the United States began producing 2,000 warplanes per year In 1 939 for World War 11, increased production ead year, and, by 1946, had sent 257,000 aircraft into service. III '~ td "We did that in seven years, using 19405 technology," he said. - - .~ ~ - - -.;..~ :.~.~~~ ~:_:~':..~~ ,-' ...-- -,;:.....' ~ - - - ........ More information on wind power Is available from UD'5 Offshore Wind Power Group at [www .ocean. udel.edu/windpower/]. Nysted wind farm in the 8a/tic Sea Article by Tracey Bryant off Denmark. Photo by Jeremy Firestone http://www.udeLedulPRJUDaily/2007/feb/wind020107.htrnl 2/7/200 What Kills Birds? 05/02/200610:20 AM Curry & Kerlinger, LLC Consultants to the Wind Power Industry on birds and other wildlife issues. What Kills Birds? Human Causes of Bird Fatalities Wind Power and Birds Wmd Power Studies Curry & Kerlinger has compiled the following information from environmental organizations and goverment agencies. Wind Power and Bats CommunicatIon Towers This list is meant to inform the pUblic and to put wind turbine fatalities in perspecitve. What Kills Birds Our Team Client Services Contact Info Glass Windows ,". Bird Deaths a year: 100 to 900+ million Dr. Daniel Klem of rvluhlenberg COllege has done studies over a period of 20 years, looking at bird collisions with windows. His conclusion: glass kills more birds than any other human related factor. House Cats Bird Deaths a year: 100 Million The National Audubuon Society says 100 million birds a year fall prey to cats. Dr. Stan Temple of the University of Wisconsin estimates that in Wisconsin alone, about 7 million birds a year are killed by cats Automobiles I Trucks Bird Deaths a year: SO to 100 Million Scientists estimate the number of birds killed by cars and trucks on the nation's highways to be 50 to 100 million a year. Those statistics were cited In reports published by the National Institute for Urban Wildlife and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Electric Transmission Line Collisions Bird Deaths a year: up to 174 million Estimates made by the U.S. Fish and Wildife Service demonstrate millions of birds die each year as a result of colliding with transmission lines. Agriculture Bird Deaths a year: 67 million Pesticides likely poison an estimated 67 million birds per year according to the Smithsonian Institution. Cutting hay may kill up to a million more birds a year. Land Development Bird Deaths a year: unknown Suburban sprawl Is a silent but deadly killer. The Nationai Audubon Society says loss of bird habitat is the greatest threat to bird populations. http://www.currykerlinger.com/birds.htm Page 1 of 2 What Kills Birds? 05/02/2006 10:20 AM Communication Towers Bird Deaths a year: 4 to 10 million U.s. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that bird collisions with tall, lighted communications towers, and their guy wires result in 4 to 10 million bird deaths a year. Stock Tank Drowning Bird Deaths a year: unknown u.s. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists and other conservationists believe that large numbers of birds Inadvertently drown in livestock water tanks. Oil and Gas Extraction Bird Deaths a year: 1 to 2 million The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that up to 2 million birds died landing in oil pits to bathe and drink in 1997. Fish and Wildlife says netting has Improved that situation somewhat. There are no overall estimates for the number of birds affected by oii and gas spills, and oil and gas extractions (and transport.) Logging and Strip Mining Bird Deaths a year: unknown Logging and strip mining destroy bird habitat. According to the National Audubon Society, habitat des~uction is the leading cause of bird population declines. Commercial Fishing Bird Deaths a year: unknown The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Ornithological Councii report that 40 thousand seabirds per year are killed in the Gulf of Alaska by longllne fishing operations. These same sources say long lining and gill netting kill large numbers of birds in other parts of the country as well. Electrocutions Raptor Deaths a year: more than 1,000 Experts estimate that more than one thousand hawks, eagles, falcons and owls are electrocuted on transmission lines and poles each year. Hunting Bird Deaths a year: 100 + million According to the U.S. Fish and Wiidlfe Service, more than 100 million ducks, geese, swans, doves, shorebirds, rails, cranes, among others are harvested legally each year. nic.k here fot a cOnlolele summarY 0f studies. on wind turbines and birds, Currv,& Kerlinaer. Wind Power and Birds Home Paue http://www.currykerlinger.com/birds.htm Page 2 of 2 . . . Page 2 W1NDLETTER Myth of the Month( cont.) (Continuedfi'DIll page I) Leading human-related causes of bird kills, in the U.S. alone, include: . cats (up to I BILLION per year) buildings (100 million to I BILLION per year) hunters (100 million per year); vehicles (60 million to 80 million per year) communications towers (10 million to 40 million per year) pesticides (67 million per year) power lines (10,000 to 174 million per year) pesticides 7% COITTTlmication towers 3% wind turbines <1% . other 10% ~. ~, 11II"" buildings & windows 55% . vehicles 7% . . . powerlines 8% . Below are some other facts concerning the bird issue that run counter to common claims or assumptions. cats 10% Data source: &ickson et aI., 2002, SUl'lnElry of Anthropogenic Causes of Bird M:Jrtality. Claim: Seeing 500 birds hit the Washington Monument in one night means that wind turbines could be even more dangerous. Fact: Evidence suggests no correlation between wind turbines and other tall structures with regard to bird mortality. No large-scale mortality event has been observed at a wind project. Events where thousands to tens of thousands of birds are killed in a single night are documented at communication towers, and to a lesser extent at other tall structures like the Washington Monument (555 feet in height). However, wind projects do not have the same incandescent lighting as the Washington Monument, nor do wind projects have the guy wires common on communication towers that have had large documented kills, and evidence suggests that these differences are crucial. In sum, this is a false comparison that contradicts field studies. For every 10,000 birds killed by human activities, less than one death is caused by a wind turhine. Claim: There is a scarcity of studies about the effects of wind energy projects on birds. Fact: Wind energy is one of the single most studied causes of avian mortality. As the ranges in mortality figures above indicate, information on other more deadly structures (for example, automobiles, cats) is often projected from very small samples. The wind industry conducts pre-construction wildlife studies at projects and often also performs post-construction mortality searches in new areas of development. This is not typically required of, or practiced at, many other types of development (e.g., construction of new roads). Claim: It's not clear what effect building wind projects around the U.S. will have on bird populations. Fact: There is no evidence that any wind project affects bird populations. Aside from one of the first commercial projects in the U.S., the Allamont Pass Wind Resource Area, no wind projects experience a high level of bird mortality. As illustrated above, there are other far more deadly forms of development. Claim: Turbine blades could be "feathered" (or turned so they are not moving much and not producing power) when conditions such as weather or a large number of migrants warrant. Fact: The level of bird mortality associated with wind projects does not warrant shutting turbines down in any but (Continued on page 3) , Page 3 WINDlEl1ER Myth of the Month (cont.) (Continuedfrom page 2) the most extreme cases. Bird mortality at wind projects is estimated to be, on average, about three birds per megawatt per year. Wind projects compete against traditional fossil fuels in today's electricity markets, so anything affecting a project's economics is of great concern to project owners. The wind energy industry has worked hard to bring down the cost of wind energy to consumers, with new, larger turbines (I MW to 2.5 MW) generating 120 times as much electricity as 1980s models at one-sixth the cost. Increasing the cost of wind energy by requiring projects to be shut down in certain circumstances is not appropriate in most cases and could be the difference between building or not building a project. Claim: Every form of energy has some impact, but the question is what can be done to minimize the risk from each of them. Fact: That's true; every form of energy creates some kind of environmental impact. And our society, even with increased energy efficiency, demands a steadily 'growing amount of electricity. If that new electricity does not come from wind, it is likely to come from another source with far more damaging environmental consequences., ' The wind energy industry welcomes scrutiny of the environmental impacts of all forms of energy. Wind energy requires no mining, drilling, or transportation of fuel; it emits no air pollution, no water pollution, and no global warming pollution; it requires little or no water to generate electricity; and it does not generate radioactive or other hazardous or polluting waste. A scientific study reported in January 2004 that one million species could become extinct by 2050 due to global warming from fossil fuels. When wind power projects generate electricity, fuel at other power plants is not consumed. It is important to recognize that the choice is not between wind energy and nothing. Claim: Work to prevent harm to wildlife is just getting started. Fact: The wind energy industry has been working for over a decade on further reducing the already-modest environmental footprint of wind energy projects. Efforts to reduce avian mortality in Altamont Pass date back to the 1980s. Also, A WEA and its industry partners work with wildlife conservation groups on a variety of issues. For example, in 2003 at a West Virginia wind project, a surprisingly high level of bat mortality was discovered. Immediately, the wind industry partnered with Bat Conservation International, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to create a research plan aimed at finding ways to reduce that mortality. Now in its third year, the Bats & Wind Energy Cooperative is testing equipment that could deter bats from wind turbines, as well as working to understand what might make some sites more risky than others. In this and many other ways, the wind energy industry has demon- strated its commitment to environmental stewardship. To claim that this work is only just beginning ignores years of efforts around the country. Wind power is an energy source that produces no air pollution, no global warming pollution, and no waste, and requires no mining or drilling--and therefore is tremendously valuable to our society and beneficial to the environment. A WEA is working to disseminate the latest and most accurate information so that the American public can make informed choices about our nation's energy future. Note: As wind power has become a mainstream energy source and therefore a more common topic for the media to cover, many myths have emerged about this clean energy source. To help debunk these myths, WindLetter will continue to publish a "Myth of the Month." In addition,for more myths-and the facts that debunk them- go to HWH. i/ilOltvind.uF':!. . I I . , /. \rt ~_. 11r1aO FedeniU' ntives h8've'''''~I~..''Used to ~.,'~..~' e' ..." -~IHV~..ent 1ii1~~ergy '~n. ,>-__~f' ~,,_! U.S. . ~,.J' '.1:.011. natural .... "t'.1 gas, Jr./:lfKl hydro ~., ~ ..(.i"ldmately ~~.~~19So to ",." -t-':.t;;';:' In thefla51:'Sl.'..... ,..". t1i1s I "_"","","'A,,,'__.'" ,.1.'1,,:..., In~j':' 'i8l~n a~Ot~ble ~~)PQWe.ri!l9 '..,-,:.~r.'';l-:'_:-;''~'."' ~b~IG;~~t . ,~. t . .... ~ - -' Support for wind enhances national energy independence, promotes rural economic development, contributes to energy price stability and helps address global climate change. . Every energy technology is supported by the federal government. Wind energy is no exception, nor should it be. . During the year 2003 alone, federal energy subsidies ranged from $37 billion to $64 billion, according to a study prepared for the National Commission on Energy Policy. Wind energy accounted for less than 1% of the total.2 Wind power is ready to be a significant source of American energy. Diversifying federal support to include newer, non-polluting, domestic energy industries like wind is smart energy policy. . Proven results. The main incentive for wind, the production tax credit (PTC) is an effective policy to facilitate wind power development, as evidenced by today's growth in the use of wind power. Wind project owners receive tax credits only for energy produced; thus they have an incentive to use better wind sites and better technology - harvesting the most energy possible from every wind turbine. . Boom and bust cycle. The current on-again, off-again cycle of the production tax credit for wind creates an unstable business environment, undermining manufacturers' ability to justify long- term investments in manufacturing facilities and reducing the credit's usefulness in catalyzing industry growth. . Long-term policy needed. Some energy incentives, like the depletion allowance for oil and gas, are oermanent in the tax code and have been around since the 1920's. Wind energy's primary incentive, the production tax credit (PTC), has expired and then been reinstated four times, and will expire automatically at the end of 2007 unless renewed by Congress. In effect, many subsidies for new, clean energy technologies are temporary, while many for older, polluting energy technologies are permanent. . Long-term benefits. Investing in wind energy, a clean, renewable, domestic energy source, will save Americans billions in the long run through reduced health, pollution and waste cleanup costs. Wind Energy and U.S. Energy Subsidies, continued . A Glance at Federal Energy Subsidies for Fiscal Year 2006 ~ r:: o 7.000 6.500 6.000 5.500 5.000 4,500 4,000 3,500 3.000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1.000 500 o E r:: QI ::J ell > . Risk and Safety'" .Clean-Up . Production . Development Extraction . Exploration .R&D Fossil Fuel Nuclear Wind Sources: 1. U.S. Department of Energy. Battelle Memorial Institute. Pacific Northwest Laboratory. An Analysis of Federal Incentives Used to Stimulate Energy Production. PNL-2410 REV. 2. National Commission on Energy Policy. Ending the Energy Stalemate, Technical Appendix, Chapter 6. htto:llwww.eneravcommission.oralsiteloaae.oho?node=48 3. U.S. Department of Energy. FY 2007 Congressional Budget Request. Budget Highlights. February 2006. DOElCF-009. htto://......-ww.cfo.doe.aov/budaeU07budaeUContenUHiahliahts/HiahliQhts.odf. 4. U.S. Office of Management and Budget. Analytical Perspectives, Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2007. Section 19. Tax Expenditures. p. 285-328. htto://www".whitehouse.aov/omb/budaet/fv2007/odf/soec.odf. 5. U.S. Department of the Interior. U.S. Geological Survey. FY 2007 President's Budget Request. February 2006. Geologic Resource Assessments, Energy Resources. htto:/IwYvw.usas.aovlbudaet/2007/fv07 iustification.html. 6. U.S. Department of Labor. Fiscal Year 2007 Budget. Employment Standards Administration Income Maintenance Programs. p. 19, 25- 27. 31. htto:/!w.wJ.dol.aov/ secJbudaet2007/overview.odf. Black Lung Disability Trust Fund receipts do not cover the outlays, the fund is over $9 biflion in debt. 7. U.S. Department of Agriculture. FY 2007 Budget Summary and Actual Performance Plan. htto:llwwN.usda.aov/aaencv/oboa/Budaet- Summarv/2007/FY07budsum.odf. 8. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Performance Budget Fiscal Year 2007. NUREG.l100. Volume 22. February 2006. p.1S. htto:IIW1NW.nrc.aov/readina-nn1doc collections/nureas/staff/sr11 001v22/srll 00v22.odf. 9. Heyes, Anthony, Liston-Heyes, Catherine. Subsidy to Nuclear through Price-Anderson liability limit: Comment. Contemporary Economic Policy. Vol. 16, NO.1. 1998. p. 122. U.S. Department of Energy. Energy Information Administration. Federal Energy Subsidies, Direct and Indirect Interventions in Energy Markets. P. 78. htto:/ltonto.eia.doe.aovIFTPROOT/service/emeu9202.odf. . The value of the incentive of limited liability for the nuclear industry under the Price Anderson Act had a wide range of values in literature. More links on federal energy subsidies are available on www.ifnotwind.orQ. Wind energy works-for America's economy, environment, and energy security. american wind energy association I www.awea.org I 202.383.2500 Environmental Disclosure Statement Long Island Power Authority Fuel Sources and Air Emissions to Generate Your Electricity Period Shown: Juiy 2002-June 2003 (Data Supplied by the NYS Public Service Commission) Fuel Sources Biomass Coal Gas Hydro Nuclear Oil Solar Solid Waste Wind Less than 1% 2% 43% Less than 1% 16% 33% Less than 1% 4% Less than 1% Total 100% (Actual Total may VIII)' slightly from 1 ()()Oil> due to rounding) AIr Emissions Relative to The New York State FossD Fuel Avenae NYS Fossil Averaae Sulfur Dioxide (S~) 74% of Average Nitrogen Oxides (NO.) 81% of Average Carbon Dioxide (CO2) 67% of Average 0 100 200 Note: Most electricity consumod 011 Lone 1s1aDd i. generated locally, where uaturaJ gas and low sulfur fuel oil is the primary ooun;e of energy. Within New York State 54% oCtile electric supply comes from fossil fuel., including coal, fuel oil and uaturaJ gas. When comparing fossil fuel soun:es, Lon81s1anc1'. ele<tticity has lower emissions !ban the NYS fussil fuel - " ~ PLUM ::'i~~<~:: . ,~.~~~J -~ l1li ISLAND L OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY RESEARCH & DEMONSTRATION PROJECT w N D PAR K POWER FOR TODA~ ANSWERS FOR TOMORROW. WIND POWER HAS LONG BEEN RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST READILY AVAILABLE SOURCES OF RENEWABLE ENERGY. Long Island's position in one of the most energetic ocean-based wind fields on earth makes it an excellent location for offshore wind energy projects. One deterrent to such projects is concern that wind turbines will be visible from the coastline. This is no longer a problem, thanks to innovative new Mobile Self-Installing Platform (MSIP) technology. FAST FACTS: PLUM ISLAND FEATURES In fact, offshore wind energy has become one of the world's fastest-growing industries. Currently, more than 20 offshore wind projects are in operation in seven countries. Now, a proposed small-scale pilot project off the Northeast tip of Long Island is set to demonstrate this exciting new technology for the first time in North America. The project will be located approximately two miles east of Orient Point, in a 200-acre leased area that is currently being used for a commercial fish farming operation. It is a remote area with minimal boat traffic. It will feature three state-of-the-art 3.6 megawatt wind turbines, totaling 10.8 MW. They will create enough electricity to power 4,000 L.1. homes. Each wind turbine will be 444 feet tall with the blade in the upright position. Turbines will be mounted on two monopile bases and one Mobile Self-Installing Platform (MSIP), which will serve as the prototype for future deep water offshore wind farms. MSIP TECHNOLOGY ENABLES LARGE WIND FARMS TO BE BUILT 12-20 MILES OFFSHORE - OUT OF SIGHT FROM LAND. I . THE PLUM ISLAND WIND PARK WILL BE THE FIRST FACILITY IN THE U.S. TO STUDY OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY. The project will produce immediate power for use by local residents in a way that is environmentally friendly and economically competitive. One of its goals is to demonstrate a new technology, known as a Mobile Self-Installing Platform (MSIP). This allows wind turbines to be fully assembled on shore, then towed to the project site. Using this method, large-scale wind farms can be located far offshore, in water depths of up to 1 SO feet - beyond the view shed from the mainland. The research, development and demonstration project will allow the public, government officials, regulators and others to see modern offshore wind turbines in operation. It will also provide a research platform to study impacts of offshore wind turbines on wildlife. IN ADDITION, THE PLUM ISLAND WIND PARK WILL PROVIDE VALUABLE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. Student groups will be able to visit the site, and universities will be invited to participate in the offshore wind studies. I", ~~:-1 \'" ..... I ',,___ .~- '<t ,- - ~ ~ '~.~.-'-~-' ..' '-. r,' ICII .::5 .~::. i"I! .. '..... l '\.r I . -IF" -' ; ~ 't' P, Since the first demonstration project in Nogersund, Sweden, in 1990, no significant negative environmental impacts have been observed anywhere wind turbines are sited off shore. FAST FACTS: LONG ISLAND BENEFITS The three Plum Island wind turbines will annually generate all the electricity used by approximately 4,000 homes on the North Fork of Long Island. The project is an important step to helping Long Island move away from the consumption of fossil fuels for energy. In addition, Plum Island will... - Generate a maximum of 10.8 megawatts of clean renewable electricity - Eliminate the burning of more than 68,000 barrels of oil per year that would be needed to create the same amount of electricity - Avoid the production of 42,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, as well as other pollutants, that would be emitted from an oil-fueled power plant I ~~,. ~.~ ~;~>~f::~:t?~,,_2' ~~ --~. ~ -:-:':"'~'.~_~'~==-'~~',,::,Z::: ,--.~,~~ _. _ ~._ '_--- _ - ""'"'Co,."_ '--. _.,,~--,,- . ,. ~-.......-...,;..~.' -_.~ ' ~~--",,';;"-'-'- '-'" ~ ,-'-.-< ,.;.' ~. ~ ~ ...--~.:::..... -...A. --;:',__.-:,:::::- "'W' ~ , gER About The Sponsor The project is sponsored by Winergy Power LLC, a private wind energy company, and is 100 percent privately funded, at no cost to taxpayers or lIPA ratepayers. Winergy is the sublease-holder of the Plum Island site until 2037. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY AND LONG ISLAND, CONTACT 1-800-380-5950. I KUMrQ&A ~-..'\.~ ( 'AI ~ nI.iA.~ b:;J~5'!i1~~'~. - . ;a a& 3 . ~ U 11" ~ "" - ~- ~ - -S ~fjnll~l!1i:.1)1~~ rj - Wind power is a way of creating electricity, which runs many of the things we use in our homes. When you turn on a lamp or the TV, you're using electricity. Your refrigerator uses electricity to keep food from spoiling. Air conditioners use electricity to keep you cool in the summer. Electricity is very important to the way we live today. How do we get eleotrioity? The electricity we use in our homes is made in special factories called power plants. These factories use machines called turbines. When something causes a turbine to spin. like a wheel, it spins another machine called a generator. When the generator spins, it creates electricity, which is then sent into our homes through power lines from the plant. Wind turbines What oauses the turbine to spin? Most power plants turn their turbines by burning a fossil fuel like oil, coal or gas. The heat from the burning fuel is used to boil water. The steam from the boiling water turns the turbine. However, wind energy plants use a different type of fuel to move their turbines - moving air! . ,'jf l~ !" Did you know?.. The Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor is now lit up at night using wind energy! The U.S. National Parks Service has agreed to purchase enough wind power to cover the energy needs of both the Statue and Ellis Island Museum for three years. The U.S. generates enough wind power to light up more than 2,700 Statue of Liberties this year! Source: American Wind Energy Association How is wind ~l 1 uel Wind energy comes from our sun. As the sun heats up parts of the earth, it also heats the air. As air gets warm, it rises. Cooler air is then drawn down to replace it. This is how wind is created. As wind moves, it creates energy of motion, or kinetic energy. If you've ever flown a kite or had a ride in a sailboat, you've used wind energy! A windmill I captures wind energy to run some type of machine. Wind turbines capture wind energy to make electricity. . How do wind turbines work? Where are wind turbines built? Wind turbines are usually built in groups called wind parks. They can be built anywhere there is enough space and enough wind. There are many wind parks located on land in the U.S., including four in upstate New York. Now we have the ability to build offshore wind parks many miles out in the ocean, where there is plenty of space and plenty of wind. ~\ ~"~~;:- - ~ Can I see one? Right now, there are no offshore wind parks in the U.S. However, there is a plan to build a small wind park in the ocean near Plum Island, off the Northeast tip of Long Island. This will be used to research and demonstrate offshore wind energy for the first time in North America. People will be able to visit this park and learn more about this new kind of energy. Proposed location: Plum Island Wind Park How much electricity do wind parks create? It depends on the number of turbines, the size of the rotors, and the speed of the wind moving them. The Plum Island Wind Park demonstration project planned for Long Island will have three turbines. It will provide enough power for 4,000 Long Island homes. . Why Wind? . Fossil fuels like oil, coal and gas are non. renewable resources. That means we have a limited supply of them and, once we use it up, we can't make any more. Wind is a renewable resource - we can't use it up! When fossil fuels are burned in power plants, substances are released into the air that can cause pollution, which can hurt plants, animals and people. These substances can also cause global warming, a dangerous change in our climate. Wind power is clean energy - no fossil fuels are burned, so there is no problem with pollution or global warming. More than 68,000 barrels of oil per year would have to be burned to create the same amount of electricity as The Plum Island Wind Park demonstration project planned for Long Island. Wind power does not create pollution or global warming, so it's safer for plants, animals and people. Source: American Wind Energy Association Sponsored by: 9wER FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY AND LONG ISLAND, CONTACT 1 -800-380-5950. L .~.. ... u.. If Wind: Powering a Cleaner, Stronger America Wind power is striding into national public view as the elegant icon of energy security and action to curb global warming, and for good reason. Clean, cost-effective, inexhaustible, and readily available, wind power is an essential element of the solution to both climate change and America's increasing demand for electricity. As this annual report points out, the U.S. wind energy industry is putting up equipment in record numbers. Wind is now one of the largest sources of new power generation in the country, second only to natural gas for two years in a row, Further increasing the percentage of electricity wind produces in America will help stabilize electricity costs, generate revenue for farmers and rural communities, and create tens of thousands of jobs, while powering our economy with a domestic, emissions-free source of energy, The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) estimates that, after installing over 2,400 megawatts (MW) in 2006, the industry will install over 3,000 MW in 2007. About 31 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) will be generated by wind power in the U,S, in 2007, enough electricity to power the equivalent of nearly 3 million average homes. ~ As wind power grows at a rate of 25%-30% per year, it creates employment. In 2006 alone, leading wind turbine manufacturers opened facilities in Iowa, Minnesota, Texas, Annual Installed U.S. Wind Energy Capacity On the Rise . 3000 " 2500 ~ . ~ 2000 0 . l.n. 0 gf 1500 ~ 1000 500 J T 0 Continuity in the . availability of the federal production tax credit ensures steady growth (2005.2006,2007) Expirations of the federal prOduction tax credit (in 1999.2001, T 2003) wreak havoc on industry planning and cause drops in new installations (2000,2002,2004) '92 '93 '94 '95 '96 '97 '98 '99 '00 '01 '02 '03 '04 '05 '06 '07 (prOJected) and Pennsylvania. New contracts for wind energy components such as towers and gearboxes create jobs across the country, even in states that do not have a large wind resource. Many rustbelt communities that have been losing manufacturing jobs now see economic opportunity returning thanks to the high demand for wind turbines. Winds of change are blowing in the heartland as well. Farmers reap a "second crop" year round from turbines in their fields, earning income that can help them to stay on the land and preserve a way of life. The wide open landscape where once-ubiquitous windmills helped homesteaders and ranchers pump water for their cattle now plays host to a new generation of wind turbines that generate clean, inexhaustible power. The clean symbol of the wind turbine is also popping up as a call to action against global warming, from wind energy purchases by stores like Starbucks and Staples and ski resorts in New England and the Rockies to rural towns in the heartland. Businesses are reducing their carbon footprint by purchasing wind power. Politicians, heeding public opinion, are calling for clean energy in their policy platforms. Winds of change.., How strongly are they blowing? As this report suggests, that will largely depend on the policies and infrastructure we put in place today, Just as they have promoted successive waves of coal, nuclear and other technologies, policies can today support the next windy, sunny, renewable wave, The choice is ours. ~~ Executive Director American Wind Energy Association Market Trends: All About Growth LARGER PROJECTS: Eight of the 45 new wind projects completed in 2006 were over 100 MW in size, including the world's largest single wind farm: FPL Energy's 735-MW Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center in Taylor and Nolan counties, Texas. LARGER TURBINES: Today's wind turbines are twice as powerful on average as those installed just six years ago (the average generating capacity of a turbine installed in 2006 was 1.6 MW, up from 0.76 MW in 2000) and generate enough electricity to serve the equivalent of 400 homes or more. The largest wind turbines installed in 2006 - in Rio Vista, California - are again twice that size (3 MW). Today's wind turbines are twice as powerful on average as those installed just six years ago. LARGER COMPANIES: Mergers and acquisitions are a natural cycle in the maturation of the market. Examples from 2006 include Babcock & Brown acquiring Superior Renewable Energy, BP acquiring Orion and Greenlight Energy, and international energy giant Iberdrola buying up Community Energy, Midwest Renewable Energy, and moving to acquire ScottishPower and its U.S. subsidiary PPM Energy, one of the country's largest owners and developers of wind projects. MORE AVAILABLE CAPITAL: Investment dollars are eager to find their way into this fast-growing sector. In contrast to the 19905 when the high cost ot capital constrained the industry's growth and only a handful of European financial institutions were funding U.S. wind energy projects, today's financiers come from a broad base of U.S. and international institutions - a sign that wind is one of the most attractive energy markets in the U.S. today. HIGHER COSTS HITTING ALL TECHNOLOGIES: Worldwide appetite for steel and other factors have driven up capital costs for all power technologies including wind. However, wind's comparative cost- effectiveness has not been eroded because wind is spared from increases in the price of fuels (such as natural gas and coal) needed to run conventional power plants (see cost graph below). What's more, new turbines' increased productivity partially offsets the increase in the cost of new equipment. Wind In Competitive Range: Costs Going Up For All Resources ........ 2004 .r: 16.0 ;: l!: 14.5 c: . 13.0 u I ;; 11.5 0 u 10.0 "0 . .!! ..5 i > .!! 7.0 . D . 5.5 >0 .; N 4.0 Wind Natural Coal Gas = 2006 Hydro PPAs (mixed sources) Puget Sound Energy (PSE), like other utilities throughout the country. faces significant increases in resource costs. The company's major investments in wind have made PSE the largest utility producer of renewable energy in the Pacific Northwest. Data and slide courtesy Puget Sound Energy. SUPPLY CHAIN GROWING PAINS: The U.S. and global wind energy markets are facing a wind turbine shortage as demand for wind power continues to increase. To foster development of a robust supply chain, the U.S. government needs to provide steady policy support including a national renewable portfolio standard (RPS) and a long-term extension of the renewable energy production tax credit (PTC). Previous short-term extensions have led to a boom- and-bust cycle that prevented businesses from growing to their full potential. Long term incentives would unleash literally billions of dollars of investment. To foster development of a robust supply chain, the U.S. government needs to provide steady policy support including a renewable portfolio standard and a long-term extension of the renewable energy production tax credit. Courtesy Gamesa Eolica From Rustbelt to Wind belt When Gamesa, a Spanish wind turbine manufacturer, decided to open new facilities in Pennsylvania, the company reused an abandoned U.S. Steel plant in Bucks County, PA. The three state-ot-the' art wind turbine facilities that now stand on the former plant's 20 acres: Won an award for design and construction innovation, and renovation of an environmentally blighted site; Employ more than 300 skilled laborers, creating much-needed manufacturing jobs in the area; Produce high.tech blades, nacelles, and towers for the company's line of 2.0-MW turbines; Ensure the production of clean, inexhaustible energy in the U.S. Wind Power: An Essential Element of the Climate Change Solution Warming of the planet's climate system is beyond doubt and on track to cause massive disruptions, according to the world's scientists. Dramatic illustrations of global warming's impacts are the rapid rise in Arctic temperatures, which are increasing at almost twice the global average rate, and the notice by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to list the polar bear as threatened. The good news is that wind power makes it feasible and affordable to achieve a big chunk of the aggressive reductions in emissions of carbon dioxide (C02) that scientists say are needed. WIND CAN DELIVER ZERO-EMISSIONS ELECTRICITY IN LARGE AMOUNTS: According to a study by the American Solar Energy Society (ASES), energy etticiency and renewable energy technologies can provide most, if not all, of the U.S. carbon emissions reductions needed to contain atmospheric carbon concentration at 450-500 parts per million (ppm), the level targeted in the more protective climate change bills before Congress (we're at 380 ppm today). In this ASES scenario, wind provides about 20% of electricity supply - the share envisioned by President Bush in a speech in 2006 - and is one of the largest reduction "wedges." WIND DELIVERS ZERO-EMISSIONS ELECTRICITY AT AN AFFORDABLE COST: No other new power plants being built in the U.S. today generate ZERO-emissions electricity at a cost per kilowatt-hour anywhere near as affordable as wind. In fact, for both economic and environmental reasons, it makes sense to include more wind into the nation's electricity mix. A national requirement to generate 20% of electricity from renewable sources by 2020 would lower emissions by more than 400 million tons of C02 per year by 2020, while saving American consumers nearly $50 billion in electric and natural gas bills, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. THE AFFORDABLE COST OF WIND IS STABLE OVER TIME: Wind farms do not use any fuel for their operations, so the price of wind power does not vary when fuel prices go up. When utilities acquire wind power, they lock in electricity at a stable price for twenty years or more. WIND POWER IS READILY AVAILABLE: America's wind resource is vast, wind power technology is reliable, and wind farms can be developed in a short time frame. Study after study, as well as experience in Europe, suggests that it is technically feasible to integrate 20% wind power or more into large regional electrical systems. Adjustments in transmission policy and investment in transmission infrastructure can help make this a reality. WIND POWER DELIVERS COMPOUND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS: Wind power operates without emitting any greenhouse gases (GHG) and has one of the lowest G HG Iifecycle emissions of any power technology. In addition, wind causes no emissions of harmful pollutants, no mining or drilling for fuel, no radioactive or hazardous wastes, and no use of water for steam or cooling. Wind farms can spread out over large areas but their footprint is light as farmers and ranchers continue to work the land up to the foot of the turbines. Most land uses remain as before when a wind farm is installed. ~ o 0 o 0 o S:1 S:1 000 0000 r- r- o o o ~ o on ,.; N V 1lJ'" .o;:;-~ ~'b'" ",,1lJ'" 1lJ'" t; .~ ;;r'J' if- .~ .~ cf ~'I!' .~......o ~ .#' ~" "'= S (l)'" .~ ~hS Q rP ~ s:- ......qj (,0 ."" 'i"" o # ~\~'" Cj .S'tiC~ Q:)$'fS.$'~ Data Sources: Erickson et a/., 2002. Summary of Anthropogenic Causes of Bird Mortality. More Wind, More Jobs Wind power is a source of new jobs, especially in manufacturing. Across the U.S., many rural towns and cities that have lost economic ground from the decline of once-reliable and flourishing industries such as steel are now seizing an opportunity to make a comeback. From Pennsylvania to Iowa, from North Dakota to Louisiana, manufacturing facilities - each of which employ hundreds of workers, are popping up - all because of the demand for wind. In 2006, four wind turbine manufacturers (Clipper Windpower, Gamesa, Siemens and Suzlen) opened new U.S. manufacturing and assembly plants. TEeD/Westinghouse announced an agreement with DeWind to manufacture wind turbines in a new facility in Texas. Vestas, the world's largest wind turbine manufacturer, plans to open a facility in Colorado, the company's first-ever in the U.S. In early 2007, Acciona Energia of Spain announced that it would build a new wind turbine manufacturing facility in West Branch, Iowa. Investment and new business is also flowing into the supply chain, which is seeing significant increases in orders. In Clinton, Illinois, a long-vacant freight car plant is now ringing again with the sound of repairmen reconfiguring it to produce towers for wind turbines, as Texas-based manufacturer Trinity expands its wind tower production line to meet demand across the country. In Oakley, Ohio, Cast-Fab, an almost century- old metal foundry, now manufactures iron hubs and castings for wind turbines. Wind power is also creating jobs in services like engineering, transportation, wind assessment and forecasting, legal and financial services, marketing, and more. The long dry spell in U.S. wind turbine manufacturing investment appears to have been broken. A long-term extension of the production tax credit (PTC) and a national renewable portfolio standard (RPS) requiring that a growing amount of electricity be generated from renewable sources would sustain and accelerate the economic and job growth we are already seeing today. Just as wind's energy potential has barely been tapped, we have only just begun to see wind's potential to create economic benefits. Utility-scale Wind Turbine Manufacturing and Supply Chain: Examples of Companies Across the U.S. " . Hawaii 1 Vectorply. Phenix City, AL (composites for blades) 2 GE Energy, Tehachapi, CA (wind turbine manufacturing facility) 3 Bragg Crane & Rigging Service, long Beach, CA (cranes, rigging, transportation) 4 GE Energy, Pensacola, Fl (blade technology development) !:I Mitsubishi Power Systems, Lake Mary, Fl (gear boxes) 6 White Construction Inc., Clinton, IN (construction services) 7 Winergy Drive Systems Corporation, Elgin, IL (gear units, generators, power converters) 8 Trinity Industries, Clinton, Il (towers) 9 Clipper Windpower, Cedar Rapids, IA (turbine manufacturing, assembly) 10 Siemens, Fort Madison, IA (blades) Wind power creates manufacturing jobs even in regions like the Southeast that do not have a large wind resource. 22 Owens Corning Composites, Granville. OH Megawatts installed: (composites for blades) . >1000MW 23 Hamby Young, Aurora, OH (substations and high voltage applications) . >100MW 2. Gamesa, Ebensburg. PA (blade, nacelle, II <100MW tower manufacturing) 2. GE Energy, Erie, PA (wind turbine components) 2. GE Energy, Greenville, SC (turbine assembly plant) 27 Knight & Carver, Howard, SO (blade manufacturing) " Acciona Energia, West Branch, IA (planned) (turbine manufacturing) 28 Aerisyn Inc, Chattanooga, TN (towers) .2 Beaird Industries, Shreveport, LA 28 Thomas & Betts Corp.. Memphis, TN (towers, tower flanges and bolls) (towers, tower flange and bolls) 13 Second Wind Inc., Somerville, MA (anemometers, 30 DeWind,lncJTECO Westinghouse, electronic controllers, sensors/data loggers) Round Rock, TX (wind turbine manufacturing) .. Suzlon Wind Energy, Pipestone, MN 31 Trinity Structural Towers, Fort Worth, TX (towers) (blade manufacture, turbine assembly) 32 CAB Incorporated, Nacogdoches, TX (blade extender, .. D.H. Blattner & Sons, Avon, MN (construction) hub, nacelle frame, tower flange and bolts) .8 M.A. Mortenson Co.. Minneapolis, MN (construction) 33 NRG Systems, Hinesburg, vr (anemometers, .7 Hendrix Wire & Cable Inc., Milford, NH sensors/data loggers) (cables to substations) 3. GE Energy, Salem, VA (wind turbine components) .8 Hailo llC, Holbrook, NY (ladder and lift systems) 3. Tower logistics, Huntington, \IN (lifts lor turbines) 18 DMllndustries, West Fargo, ND (towers) 38 PowerClimber, Seattle, WA (traction hoists, 20 lM Glasfiber, Grand Forks, ND (blades) rigging equipment) 37 Vestas, Windsor, Colorado (planned) 2' Trinity Structural Towers, Tulsa, OK (towers) (blade arid turbine manufacturing) Wind: Next Big Option for New Power Generation Wind energy is growing fast. But just how quickly will it expand as a share of total electricity supply? To what extent will conventional technologies continue to provide the lion's share of electricity? OUf current electricity supply was built up in successive waves, as one technology rose to meet the needs of a particular time and market, and then was succeeded by another (see chart below). After the heroic era of dam building for hydroelectric power during the Great Depression, coal became the largest source of new power generation for decades, providing massive amounts of electricity for the economy's growth. With years of intensive subsidies, nuclear power capacity was built up in the 19705 and 19805, further centralizing our electricity supply, Natural gas surged to about 20% of U.S. electricity supply in less than two decades, fueled by the opening of the monopoly energy business to competition and the search for cleaner energy sources. With the rise of natural gas prices, that spectacular boom is coming to an end. Wind has now been the second- largest source of new electricity generation for two years in a row, Could wind be the next big wave? Scenarios regarding our energy future differ widely-- but they do agree on one thing: if policies and regulations remain on a business-as-usual or incremental course (with only modest constraints on carbon emissions for example), the share provided by wind will grow, but will not approach its real potential, which many estimate at 20% or more of electricity supply, Indeed, the news is full of announcements of proposed coal plants (about 150 as of early 2007 according to the U.S, Department of Energy, of which only about a third were considering technologies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions) and of the possibility of new nuclear plants, The energy market is at a critical juncture. For wind, other renew ables, and efficiency to make up the next new, clean wave, we need a transformation of our energy practices, policies, and infrastructure, starting with minimum requirements and standards (renewable portfolio standard), tax incentives (long-term production tax credit), and aggressive limits on emissions, One area where transformation is also vital is our electricity transmission rules and infrastructure, Our Electricity Supply Was Built up in Successive Waves: Will Wind Be Next? Annual U.S. Generating Capacity Installations by Source 70,000 .Coal .Hydro .Renewables .Uranium .FuelOil .Natural Gas 60,000 " > -; 50,000 , , :; ] 40.000 , , ~ "g 30.000 o J 20,000 10,000 The Oil Embargo 97 -<I RTO NOPR 1999 CAA Amendments o 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 Courtesy Filch Ratings 70,000 Wind 60,000 c:::::::J Aggressive grOw1h scenario c:::::::J Growth scenario c::::::J Business as usual 50,000 40,000 30,000 20,000 ? 10,000 ? o ? 2005 2015 2010 2020 Am.",;.nW,ndE""rwA.."",.""n ~ I ~ .,. ~. -"">~"--'''' .f~- ~;;_ ~~ "',- ~~; -.:- ." ~;;\!f-' y.' Courtesy GE Energy Electricity Transmission Rules and Infrastructure: Key to the Nation's Strategic Wind Resource What's needed Progress to date What's left to do Geographically larger electricity markets: Large regional transmission organizations (RTDs) Continue to create RTOs. Provide utilities in smaller, Needed because the larger the market, the easier exist in the East, Midwest, California and Texas and non-RTO systems with the ability and incentive to it is to balance variable supply and demand. In wind is being successfully integrated into these function as part of broader balancing and addition, the more spread out the wind farms, regions. But progress in setting up RTDs is slow in transmission areas. the smoother their aggregate output. the rest of the country. Fair standards for connecting to transmission Standardized national interconnection rules and Reliability rules win undergo continual development lines: Needed because interconnection standards "grid code" standards specifically designed for as wind penetration increases. These rules must not were originally designed for conventional power large, utility-scale wind turbines are in place since discriminate against wind. technologies, and did not "fit" new technologies 2005. Wind turbines can now contribute to overall like wind. electric system stability. Non-discriminatory policing of existing The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission The section of FERC Order 890 on imbalance transmission lines: Needed because (FERC) has recognized that wind and other penalties now needs to be applied in all energy transmission rules Were originally designed for weather-dependent, renewable technologies have markets. dispatchable, conventional power and impose different output characteristics and has sought penalties on deviations from schedule ("imbalance to remove discriminatory barriers to their market penalties"). Since wind farm output fluctuates access. FERC Order 890 (February 2007) on naturally, penalties can run so high as to price transmission reform specifies that for wind power, wind out of the market. penalties and charges due to wind's variable nature should be based on actual costs. More efficient use of existing transmission FERC Order 890 establishes an intermediate, The principle of ~conditional firm" is clearly set by Jines: Needed because long-term, ~firm" flexible solution referred to as ~conditional firm." FERC. Now FERC, Congress, states and utilities contracts can lock up transmission lines even "Conditional firm" contracts help new generators should work together 10 ensure that such contracts if they are not fully used. Short, "non-firm" like wind farms get the transmission access they can be signed for a long period of time (at least contracts don't provide the assurance need, opening up the way for more wind on the fiveyearsJ. necessary to finance new wind farms. wires while also ensuring more efficient use of existing lines. New transmission lines and "corridors" The Energy Policy Act of 2005 directs the U.S. Regional efforts should continue. In addition, the from windy heartland to areas with high Department of Energy (DOE) to designate ~national federal government should expand the models and electricity demand: Vast, strategic wind resources interest electric transmission corridors" based on initiatives already under way in Texas, California, can be tapped with new transmission lines. the need for reasonably priced electricity, more Minnesota and Colorado, and at the regional The Dakotas alone have a wind resource large supply, diversity of energy sources, and energy level. DOE should designate and Congress enough to supply half of the country's electricity. security. The U.S. wind industry has filed comments should require swift implementation of national with DOE noting that wind power can make a large interest electric transmission corridors to tap the contribution on all counts. heartland's vast wind resources. Regional efforts, including an initiative led by the Western Governors' Association, are encouraging development of clean energy transmission lines. Solution to the "Chicken and the Egg" dilemma: California, Texas, Minnesota. Colorado and New Enact a national renewable energy portfolio There is a transmission "chicken or the egg" Mexico all faced this "chicken or egg" problem standard (RPS). Enact legislation creating National dilemma because no wind farms will be proposed for meeting their renewable energy portfolio Renewable Energy Zones to facilitate transmission or built in a windy but transmission-poor area standards (RPS) requiring that a growing amount planning for wind and other renewable energy unless there is a definite plan for new transmission. of electricity be produced from renewable sources. sources to meet the RPS. The RPS requirement is However, no transmission will be planned or built Their solutions vary but essentially they made a in a time frame that generally matches up well with unless there are wind farms built in the area to state policy decision to establish a process that that for transmission lines. request the transmission. builds transmission first. FERC ruled in April 2007 in support of such a process. j I ! american wind energy association 1101 14th Street NW, 12th Floor' Washington, DC 20005 phone 202.383.2500 . fax 202.383.2505 . www.awea.org . wlndmail@awea.org