Business Meeting #24

Action: The work group will convene a planning committee in January for the proposed May 1-2, 2001 NWCC Upper Midwest Wind Transmission Workshop. Subsequent to meeting the NWCC Transmission Activity Plan Update was approved by the Steering Committee.

Kevin Rackstraw, Remote Power Group and Work Group Members.
[Refer to Attachment K, Kevin Rackstraw's Presentation: "NWCC Credit Trading Workshop"]

The NWCC Credit Trading Work Group held a one day meeting on December 7 to review the draft NWCC Credit Trading Report with assistance from expert peer reviewers and participants. Refer to the Credit Trading Meeting Summary for complete details [Available on this website]. A condensed summary of the key outcomes and next steps follows.

• The comment period for Draft Two of the NWCC Credit Trading report ends December 20, 2000. Kevin Rackstraw (lead author) will incorporate written comments as well as comments received orally at the meeting and produce Draft Three by January 15, 2001. Comments should be forwarded to Kevin Rackstraw at krackstraw@compuserve.com  and Gabe Petlin at gpetlin@resolv.org.
• The bulk of the discussion at the meeting focused on the "Recommendations" and "Guidelines" sections of the report. The "Recommendations" section will be renamed "Key Opportunities" or similar and the language will be adjusted to avoid endorsement of specific legislative policies and regulatory actions. Instead the potential impact of such measures on the wind industry will be described.
• Additional issues remain to be resolved in the Key Opportunities and Guidelines sections. Participants felt it was important to take the time to complete these sections and eventually seek consensus from the NWCC. Within the time allowed some one-text editing of these sections was completed during the meeting. Kevin Rackstraw will incorporate additional changes into these sections for review by the Credit Trading Work Group.
• Initial ideas of possible Outreach and Communication roles for the NWCC were discussed, but the group thought it necessary to complete key definitional issues on credit trading in the report before these roles could be fully developed for the NWCC.

• A draft three will be produced by January 15, 2001.
• Two work group conference calls will be scheduled in January and February, 2001 for workgroup members to reach closure on the "Opportunities/Guidelines" sections. If time allows these calls will address "Phase III Outreach and Communication", but completion of the Phase I and II report is the priority.
• The workgroup will also consider recommending whether the full Credit Trading report (when complete) be put through the NWCC consensus process or be released as a resource document that requires review but not consensus to be published.
• Draft Three with the "Opportunities/Guidelines" sections (once complete) will be sent out for final review by the full NWCC. Consensus will be sought either on the whole package or just the "Opportunities/Guidelines" section.
• The work group will then focus on developing an Outreach and Communication Strategy (Phase III) including action steps for consideration by the NWCC.

NWCC 2001-2003 BLUE PRINT
[Refer to attachment L, "NWCC 2001-2003 Blue Print Working Draft." Found at the Inside NWCC section of the website]

NWCC Blueprint

The draft NWCC 2001-2003 Blueprint was presented and reviewed at the meeting. The activities proposed were accepted, subject to modification of pending proposed activities by certain work groups. Subsequent to the meeting it was decided that the Blueprint would be considered and "working draft" and be reviewed again at the May 10th Business Meeting.

Action: Staff will revise the blueprint to include any new activities proposed and accepted at the Business Meeting and will make the blueprint available to members.

Economic Development - Update on Work Plan

• The work group is planning to hold a one and a half day workshop March 15-16, 2001 in Minneapolis, MN to bring researchers on wind energy economic development issues together to discuss common guidelines for research and coordination of efforts.

Avian-Wind Interactions 'Perspectives' White Paper

Details of the December 6 NWCC Avian Work Group Meeting can be found in the Avian Work Group Meeting summary. Items discussed in the meeting and actions taken or underway include:

• Status report on the WEST Avian Perspectives Paper -Draft expected in Jan, 2001.
• Avian Work Group working towards a draft Avian Fact Sheet.
• Avian Work Group will participate in the revision process for Siting Handbook.
• Consultant continuing to produce Proceedings of National Avian-Wind Power Planning Meeting IV.
• Avian Work Group to begin to develop focused outreach and communications strategy.

Siting Work Group

• The primary focus of the work group in 2001 will be revising and updating the Sitting Handbook.
• Conference calls and/or meetings will held in 2001 for this project.

Distributed Wind Assessment Report

• The 'Distributed Wind Power Assessment: Summary Report.' is being prepared for printing.
• The work group will begin to develop a Communication and Outreach Strategy on this issue for the NWCC.
• The Blue Print calls for the development of an NWCC Issue Paper and Issue Brief on distributed wind power. The "Distributed Issues Paper" developed by Ed DeMeo and Brian Parsons could form the starting point for this.

Kansas Wind Activities Update
State Representative Tom Sloan reported on policy and project developments in his state. There is interest in exploring several policy options:

• Tax policies that encourage wind development.
• Net metering projects in schools where load follows wind resource; i.e. low power demand and low wind resource in summer when school is out, high power demand and good wind resource in non-summer months.
• Adjusting property tax exemptions for wind developments. Currently there is no limit to exemptions. Local property tax revenues have proven to be a factor in gaining acceptance of wind developments in some communities, because economic benefits are spread to the wider community.

Nebraska Wind Energy Task Force Update
Abby Arnold gave an update on the Nebraska Wind Energy Task Force:

• As follow-up to the September 20th Nebraska Wind Forum, a Governor's Task Force on Wind Energy is in the process of developing an action plan that involves strategic planning to review barriers and opportunities for wind power in their state. RESOLVE is continuing to work with the Task Force in Nebraska to 1) facilitate discussions, 2) generate questions and ideas to help work through issues, and 3) help develop a final product. A cost share arrangement is supporting this project with the bulk of the funding coming from DOE-WPA and a smaller portion coming from the NWCC to cover travel for one RESOLVE facilitator.

North Dakota Wind Activities Update
Jay Haley gave a detailed update on various wind-related activities in his state.

Publicity and Education:

• Over 50 newspaper stories on wind energy have appeared in the state since the first wind energy conference in November 1999.
• Jay Haley has been organizing a series of land owner meetings to educate landowners on aspects of developing wind power on their lands primarily on the model of land lease agreements with developers. Meetings have been attended by up to 300 people.

Wind Project Developments and Partnerships:

• The Griggs Steele Empowerment Zone submitted a bid in response to a wind RFP from Xcel Energy.
• One community has signed a deal for 25 MW of wind development. Ten other communities are in discussion with developers.
• Three tribes are planning wind developments.
• All 8 utilities in the state have green pricing programs underway.
• A new 500 MW lignite coal-fire plant is proposed. Meanwhile, a memorandum of understanding has been signed between wind and coal interests to share transmission capacity and explore developing a blended wind and coal energy product.

Legislative Affairs:

• A group of legislators is discussing wind issues and developing legislation in three proposed bills:
  1. Property Tax. Currently property taxes in the state are two and half times those in surrounding states and could act as a disincentive for wind development.
  2. Sales and Use Tax Exemption. Proponents are seeking to extend to wind the same exemption enjoyed by lignite coal.
  3. Income tax credit. Proponents are seeking income tax credits for projects on leased land as well as for projects on owner developed land, since land lease agreements have been the most popular arrangements for wind developments in the U.S.

Avian Issues in the Dakotas:

• North and South Dakota are home to one third of the U.S. waterfowl production and the USFWS is actively purchasing tall grass prairie waterfowl habitat conservation easements from landowners across both states to protect and enhance this unique ecosystem.
• A series of avian-wind power interaction meetings have been held with representatives of the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the wind industry and its advocate allies, and bird conservation advocates. The purpose of these meetings is to assess collaboratively the compatibility of the objectives of the conservation easement program with the expected increase in wind development in the region.
• Jay Haley reports initial results appear to be that key parties, including the waterfowl conservation group Ducks Unlimited, want to work together to insure compatibility of both activities. Mr. Haley notes that there is no published research on this issue and it may be a subject the Avian Work Group can help advise on.

South Dakota Wind Activities Update

• Follow-up activities to the October 18-19, 2000 South Dakota Wind Conference are occurring. Requests for landowner meetings are increasing and Lisa Daniels of Windustry is responding.

Puerto Rico Wind Meeting October 31, 2000

• Brian Parsons and Ron Lehr attended a one-day wind energy workshop in San Juan, PR on behalf of Wind Powering America. 130 people attended and NWCC publications were quickly taken by attendees.

DOE-EPA Green Tags Meeting December 13, 2000

• DOE and EPA are holding a one-day "Green Tags 101" meeting in Washington, DC. One of the objectives was to develop initial priority issues and activities for Federal Agencies on green tags. NWCC staff will inform members when and where they can find a meeting summary and speakers notes if they become available.

NWCC Protocol for Consensus and Resource Documents

• As more NWCC products are produced, guidelines are needed to help the NWCC decide when a document is appropriate for full consensus review or release as a non-consensus "resource document."
• Concerns have been expressed over misrepresentation of NWCC draft or resource documents by non-member parties. In one instance, the draft NWCC RTO Principles were reportedly described by a renewable energy conference speaker as an NWCC consensus product.
• Members agreed that misuse of NWCC documents is largely out of NWCC control. However, development of protocols on the selection and use of consensus vs. resource documents would be helpful.

Action: Abby Arnold and Gabe Petlin will develop draft protocol for inclusion into the NWCC Groundrules on how to decide if an NWCC document is taken through the consensus process or released as a "resource document." Terms and definitions, usage guidelines, criteria, and disclaimer language will be developed and proposed.

2001 DOE BROAD-BASED WIND SOLICITATION

Applications are due January 10, 2001 for the DOE Broad-Based Wind Solicitation. A sub-group of the NWCC Steering Committee will meet after the Seattle Business Meeting to discuss the NWCC Blue Print and recommend whether or not to apply to the DOE Solicitation. [Subsequent to the meeting it was decided that NWCC will not apply for funds from this solicitation.]

MEETING SUMMARY ATTACHMENTS

• Attachment A Agenda
• Attachment B "So Why All These Wind Projects?", George Darr
• Attachment C* "Earth Day 2000 Resolution", Heidi Wills
• Attachment D* Bob Gough Presentation
• Attachment E Brison Ellinghaus Presentation
• Attachment F "IEP-AWEA Intermittent Resource Conference", Randy Swisher
• Attachment G "Wind Equipment Supply Constraint Issues", Karen Conover
• Attachment H "Understanding Non-Residential Demand for Green Power", Ed Holt
• Attachment I "Transmission Workgroup Activity Plan Recommendation", Charlie Smith
• Attachment J "2001 NWCC Transmission and RTO Plan Update"
• Attachment K "NWCC Credit Trading Workshop", Kevin Rackstraw
• Attachment L "NWCC 2001-2003 Blueprint Working Draft"

National Wind Coordinating Committee
Business Meeting #24
December 6-8, 2000
Renaissance Madison Hotel
Seattle, WA 98104

Final Participants List

• Abby Arnold
  Senior Mediator & Director of Business Development
  RESOLVE, Inc.
• Larry Bean
  Iowa Department of Natural Resources
• R.T. "Hap" Boyd
  Vice President, Governmental Relations
  Enron Wind Corporation
• Karen Conover
  President
  Global Energy Concepts, Inc.
• Lisa Daniels
  Windustry Project
• George Darr
  Senior Engineer
  Bonneville Power Administration
• Ed DeMeo
  Renewable Energy Consulting Services, Inc.
• Brison R. Ellinghaus
  Vice President and Project Manager for Project Development
  SeaWest Energy Corporation
• Nancy Glaser
  RFP Manager
  Seattle City and Light
• Bob Gough
  Intertribal Council On Utility Policy
• Thomas Gray
  Deputy Executive Director
  American Wind Energy Association
• Roger Hamilton
  Commissioner
  Oregon Public Utilities Commission
• Danielle Harder
  Landowner
• Preston Harrison
  Coordinator
  Yakama Nation Economic Development
• Ed Holt
  Ed Holt & Associates, Inc.
• Michael R. Huber
  Mechanical Engineer
  Bonneville Power Administration
• Van Jamison
  Environmental Protection Specialist
  U.S. DOE Denver Regional Office
• Robert Kahn
  Principal
  Robert D. Kahn
• Karen Lane
  UWIG Coordinator
  Utility Wind Interest Group, Inc.
• Doug Larson
  Executive Director
  Western Interstate Energy Board
• Bill Leighty
  Director
  The Leighty Foundation
• Gabe Petlin
  Senior Outreach Coordinator
  RESOLVE, Inc.
• Kevin Rackstraw
  Remote Power Group
• Heather Rhoads-Weaver
  Northwest SEED - Sustainable Energy for Economic Development
• Rachel Shimshak
  Project Director
  Renewable Northwest Project
• Stacey Simon
  Global Energy Concepts
• Tom Sloan
  Kansas State Representative
• Charlie Smith
  President
  Electrotek Concepts Inc. / UWIG
• Gordon M. Smith
  Council Member
  Makah Tribal Council
• Randy Swisher
  Executive Director
  American Wind Energy Association
• Ben Tansey
  Senior Contributing Editor
  Energy Newsdata