Day 2 – Renewable Energy World Conference Afternoon Session – Wind Track

So, the afternoon session just finished up and was pretty educational for me. I did not really know that much about all of the concerns that wind farms must face. Litigation issues, non-existent yet existent noise issues raised by land owners, lack of transmission capacity, etc. I have summarized what I heard today below. That's all on the docket for today. Have one more session tomorrow along with a MEGA SESSION, or at least that is what it is humorously being called. Then its back to sunny California. Check back again tomorrow for more from the Renewable Energy World Conference in Austin, Texas.

Zeina El-Azzi – Clipper Wind – Director of Business Development

1. Clipper Wind has designed its own wind turbine – promo stuff
2. Development of Wind Farm
   1. Identify the wind resource, proximity to transmission lines, secure land
      1. Need to invest in transmission lines as some are 30-50 years old
      2. Land leasers need to better explain what exactly a wind farm entails
   2. Get financing, establish power purchaser, permits, wind turbine supply
      1. Takes 12-24 months to actually get the wind turbines
3. Market Conditions
   1. New turbine orders dried up do to recession – scarceness of credit
   2. As nat gas goes down in price, wind power becomes less attractive
   3. Overall electricity demand among larger industrial companies is down 20%.
   4. PPAs not as popular as prices are low

Christina Calabrese – Horizon Wind Energy

1. Wind Power Siting Overview – General Responsible Development
   1. Phases
      1. Takes 2-5 years for development
      2. Construction – 6 months -1 year
      3. Operation – 20 years or more
      4. Decommissioning – 6 months
   2. Wildlife Issues
      1. Habitat fragmentation
      2. Attempt to map habitats beforehand
      3. Look at a 2 mile buffer for sensitive species
   3. Cultural Resources
      1. Must be aware of historical structures, archaeological resources and tribal considerations
   4. Visual Issues
      1. NIMBY
      2. Visual simulations are needed to show area

Jeremy Fielding – Lynn Tillotson Pinker Cox

1. Abilene – 3 week jury trial over operation of wind farm by Nextera Energy
   1. 13 land owners complained – turbines are spoiling the views and too loud
   2. Presented jury with multiple sound levels
   3. Cost $2 million in litigation costs
2. Ways to avoid problems with wind farm build outs
   1. Hire a PR firm to get out in front of public accusations
   2. Town hall meetings for transparency
   3. Worked with schools, 4^th and 5^th graders
   4. Hire local workers
   5. Keep turbines ½ mile away from residencies
   6. Bury the power lines
   7. Complaint hotline for maintenance issues
3. Ways to convince hard to get landowners
   1. Noise easement
   2. Royalty agreement
   3. Buy their property

Larry Flowers – NREL, Wind Powering America

1. Wind Energy: Market and Stakeholder Acceptance
   1. Texas has caught up to California in wind development
   2. 311,155 Mw of wind energy in queued projects
   3. Measure wind progress in three columns, installed capacity, WWG effectiveness, policy environment
   4. 20% wind by 2030 would give $60 billion to rural communities in economic development
   5. Save approximately 4 trillion gallons of water from not having to cool power plants
   6. On a positive trajectory for wind installations to reach 20% by 2030
   7. Wind for schools project
      1. Getting wind projects into elementary schools
      2. Educating college graduates to respond to community needs