Ground Rules

1. Resolve environmental and siting issues related to wind power, including wildlife and land use considerations.
2. Resolve wind energy transmission and utility system integration issues.
3. Identify and respond to opportunities for self-sustaining wind generation within each of the NWCC constituent groups.
4. Promote wind resource assessment to identify and validate promising wind regimes.
5. Identify and address market barriers and obstacles to the sustained orderly development of the wind industry.

Member Categories: Three membership categories are available: Members, Associate Members, and Interested Parties:

1. Member (M): A NWCC member is an individual that represents a sector. Members of the NWCC are expected to:

• contribute to at least one substantive NWCC project, meeting, workshop, or product on an annual basis; and
• participate in development of NWCC work plan revised on an annual basis;
• take part in consensus decision making related to workplan, comments or letters on specific issues, products, and publications;
• attend a majority ( 2 out of 3) of NWCC Business Meetings.

Where appropriate, Members update individuals and organizations in their sector about NWCC activities and products. Members are responsible for bringing the views of their constituent groups to the Committee process and informing their constituents of major activities and Committee resolutions. Members are free to voice their individual viewpoints.. Membership from each sector is to be representative of all NWCC stakeholders to ensure balance and adherence to the NWCC mission/vision. Members who represent a sector and the NWCC Steering Committee approve addition of a new Member.

A.1. Alternates. Designated alternates for an individual member will be allowed. If a member is unable to attend a meeting he or she will make their views on the agenda known to an alternate, another member or to the facilitator. It is the responsibility of both the alternate and the Committee Members to keep their alternates informed of NWCC activities and decisions.

A.2. Member Withdrawl. If a member wishes to withdraw from the Committee, he or she is requested to give the group his or her reasons for withdrawing. The interest group sector will decide at the time a member withdraws whether to replace that member or not.

2. Associate Member (AM): Associate Members are stakeholders interested in specific NWCC topics or projects, but who do not assume all the responsibilities of NWCC Members. Associate Members are notified of specific workgroup or meeting planning groups in which they have shown a specific interest. These individuals may be involved in the planning of workshops and development of publications relevant to that interest area. Associate Members will be consulted for consensus agreement on products or documents at the workgroup level, but they are not involved in consensus decision making at the NWCC or Steering Committee levels. Associate Members may comment on NWCC activities and products. They are not involved in the administrative workings of the NWCC.
     
3. Interested Party (IP): A party who has requested to be notified of NWCC activities including meetings and publications, or workshops in areas they have requested.
     
4. Observers will be allowed at meetings of the Committee however they will be able to speak only at designated times when called on by the facilitator or at the request of a Committee Member or Associate Member.
     
5. Members may invite others to attend Committee meetings and will coordinate attendance of resource people with the facilitator.

1. The NWCC is committed to working by consensus of NWCC Members. That is, the organization and its members recognize that the credibility and authority of the NWCC's work products derive from the fact that they were developed through the cooperative efforts of a wide range of concerns and perspectives. Committee Members will make decisions and take positions by consensus. Consensus means that all Members can live with a decision being considered by the Committee Members.
     
2. Members not present at a meeting of the Committee where a consensus decision is made will be allowed to comment and sign on but not to block consensus.
     
3. The agenda for each Business Meeting will be developed by the Steering Committee and adopted by consensus of the full Committee.
     
4. Responsibilities of Members and Associate Members with respect to decision making include:
   1. Keeping informed about NWCC projects;
   2. Joining and participating in good faith in workgroups relating to projects of special interest to the themselves and the their organization;
   3. Preparing and submitting comments and suggestions on work products under development within published timelines to the maximum extent possible; and
   4. Assuming an obligation to work toward the positive resolution of disputes concerning project content within the advisory committee and with the NWCC, including an obligation to offer acceptable alternatives to portions of documents that the member cannot "live with," with the goal of producing products that truly reflect group consensus.
        
5. Responsibilities of workgroup project managers and/or workgroup chairs include:
   1. Ensuring full and fair information and opportunities for Members and Associate Members to participate in product development for all NWCC Members; and
   2. Providing any interested Member and Associate Members with an opportunity to participate in workgroup activities;
   3. Producing and publishing a project schedule and timeline, with clear indication of opportunities for comment by Members of the workgroup and the NWCC at large; and
   4. Affirmatively communicating on a regular basis with workgroup Members, Associate Members and NWCC staff about schedules and comment deadlines.

1. A. The Steering Committee will be made up of the work group chairs and individuals representing the sectors on the NWCC. Members of each sector will choose two representatives of that sector to join the Steering Committee. Responsibilities of Steering Committee Members include responsibilities of the Members, plus:
   • active representation of their sector's interest in all NWCC activities and
   • participation in a majority of the monthly Steering Committee Calls scheduled for the last Thursday of each month. (SC)
       
2. The Steering Committee will serve as the guiding body of the Committee, will coordinate the actions of Committee Members in their sector or Subcommittee, will review and comment on draft NWCC agendas prepared by the facilitator, and will conduct other tasks as required.

1. workgroups may be formed.
     
2. Membership of these groups will include Members and Associate Members invited by the chair of the workgroups in consultation with other work group members.
     
3. The purpose of the work groups will be to discuss issues, develop recommendations to the Committee, and carry out activities as approved by the Committee.
     
4. These groups will operate by consensus (see above). If the group can not reach consensus on a particular issue, the work group will elevate the issue to the NWCC Steering Committee which will report to the NWCC Committee. The work groups are not authorized to make decisions for the Steering Committee or NWCC.

1. Others' Positions. No party will characterize the position of any other party in public statements or in discussions with the press, even if that party withdraws from the NWCC.
     
2. B. Meeting summaries will be prepared by the facilitator after each business meeting and or workshop. The meeting summaries will serve as a means of characterizing the business conducted at each meeting. The final meeting summaries will be made available to the public via the NWCC web site. Meeting participants will not attribute discussion to any one individual, organization or sector.

1. Members will make a good faith effort to keep other Committee Members informed in advance about major activities within their sector that may affect other sector interests or the Committee's actions.

1. General Guidelines
     
   One of NWCC's primary functions is the production and dissemination of informational documents on key topics associated with wind power. It is NWCC's intent that all documents it produces be of high quality and integrity, ensured by thorough and rigorous review of all information and conclusions presented.
     
   NWCC produces two types of documents: Consensus Documents and Resource Documents. These are discussed below. [In the past the NWCC has worked to achieve consensus on all written documents. A modification to the process ground rules was created on May 31, 2001, also creating a resource document track, which does not require full NWCC consensus approval for document release.]
     
2. Consensus Document
     
   A consensus document is a publication for general release to the public that all Members "can live with". The same ground rules for making decisions by consensus (see III. DECISION MAKING) apply for reaching consensus on publications. NWCC publications are presumed to be on the consensus track unless a decision is made to put the document on the resource track described in the following section, 'C. Resource Document.'
     
   A document is first reviewed by the workgroup whose expertise pertains to the subject matter of the report. Once a revised draft is acceptable to the workgroup it is reviewed by the NWCC Members. Comments from Associate Members will be accepted also; NWCC Members and the Steering Committee reserve the right to consider these comments in the consensus process. After comments are incorporated, a draft is circulated to NWCC Members for final "can live with" review. Staff and work group chairs should encourage review by all NWCC sectors to achieve buy-in. If no objections are raised by a Member prior to the review deadline the document is approved as a consensus document of the NWCC.
     
   Consensus documents shall be printed with the description: "This document is acceptable to Members of the NWCC as a Consensus Document. Consensus is defined as 'all can live with.'"
     
3. Resource Document
     
   A resource document is a publication that has not been put through the consensus process and is released for educational purposes. A resource document provides background and factual information and as such is generally not expected to be controversial.
     
   A document is first reviewed by the work group whose expertise pertains to the subject matter of the report. Once a revised draft is acceptable to the workgroup, it is forwarded for review and comment to NWCC Members and the Steering Committee, along with a recommendation that the document be classified as a resource document. Both the NWCC Members and the Steering Committee will review the document and the classification recommendation. After gauging the sense of the NWCC Members, the Steering Committee will decide whether or not to accept the recommendation. If the Steering Committee accepts the recommendation, the document will be revised with comments received and will be finalized. Members who commented will be consulted to ensure their comments are appropriately represented in the final draft.
     
   However, if one or more NWCC Members expresses an objection to a document's classification as a Resource Document, and if the objection is accompanied by a clear description of the reason(s) for the objection and the changes to or omissions from the document that would remove the objection, then the document will be transferred to the Consensus-Document track. Objections where possible are to be provided in written form. Alternatively, if the changes or omissions desired by the objecting member(s) are carried out, and if no additional objections are raised, the document will then be released as a Resource Document. Any classification objection raised by an NWCC Member must be expressed within a reasonable period of time (nominally two weeks) following the announcement of the Steering Committee's intention with respect to classification.
     
   Resource documents will be uploaded onto the NWCC web site and printed for distribution.
     
   Resource documents shall be prepared with the disclaimer: "This document is being released as a Resource Document for educational and informational purposes. The document has been reviewed and approved by an NWCC workgroup with relevant experience; but, by choice of the NWCC, has not been carried through the full NWCC consensus process. Publication does not presume that all Members have reviewed the content of the document."
     
4. Criteria

Criteria for determining the appropriate document classification are included below.

Consensus-document status is recommended for documents that meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Analytic or prescriptive conclusions are presented on specific policies and/or pending legislation or rulemakings;
• The subjects and issues addressed are characterized by a broad range of views;
• Consensus approval of the NWCC would enhance the value and/or credibility of the publication.

Resource-document status is recommended for documents that meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Descriptive and factual information is presented that is generally not controversial;
• NWCC would like to make the information available, but does not wish to take the time required for consensus review;
• The information presented has greatest value if released expeditiously.