NY-PA Wind Energy Workshop and Wind Forum

Wednesday, July 25, 2001 - Wind Energy Workshop

• the minimum wind resources needed for viable wind energy applications
• where the State's best wind resources are
• how to evaluate a site's wind conditions
• the relationship between winds and wind turbine operation
• other siting and land use issues.

• wind system designs and components (turbines, towers, power conditioning, etc.)
• primary uses and settings (e.g., residential, wind farms, offshore)
• planning and construction steps (e.g., permitting, grid interconnection, timeframe)
• environmental issues (noise, aesthetics, birds)
• economics (e.g., installed and annual costs, energy costs, financing)

This roundtable discussion will present different perspectives about the opportunities and challenges for wind energy to promote economic development in agricultural areas. It will also suggest ways to better realize the benefits from wind energy within farming communities. The roundtable panel will consist of a cross section of agricultural community representatives, some of who have prior experience with wind energy.

Robert Quinn (Exec. Dir., Tug Hill Planning Commission)
Rudy Braun ( farmer / Chair, Madison County Farm Bureau)
Curtis Magnuson (Conservation Consultants)
NY Resource Conservation and Development Council

 
Thursday,July 26, 2001 - Wind Forum

Expressing Commitment through Action
John Cahill ( Senior Adviser, Office of the Governor of New York )

New York holds the belief that economic prosperity and environmental stewardship go hand in hand and the State's commitment to this belief continues to be reflected in its actions.

Increasing public recognition of the potential impacts of climate change, consumer concerns over supply disruptions and price volatility, compatibility with existing land-uses and a maturing technology provide a foundation for greater development

Wind Energy: A Look at Accomplishments and Challenges
Nora Mead Brownell (Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission)
(President, National Association of Regulated Utility Commissions)

Restructuring has set the stage for the development and marketing of green resources. In Pennsylvania, consumers when given a choice, choose cleaner resources. But, competition continues to be a work in progress; some markets require further maturing and policy refinements may continue to be necessary to preserve the public goods provided through the wind.

This session will provide an overview about the energy, environmental and economic potential in the region. The wind potential in the region and the types of technology available will be defined. We will learn of the likely applications for such technology and the expected costs associated with capturing the wind
energy potential, given expected wind resources, applicable technologies and regionally specific project siting and scale considerations. Finally, we will learn how wind development can translate into local economic benefits.

Development Approaches, Accomplishments and Frustrations
Roger Clark ( Sustainable Development Fund )
(Session Chair)

The panel will describe progress in building, producing and selling wind generation. While there is progress, there are lingering concerns about project development, power production, delivery and consumer marketing. We will hear from market leaders on such subjects as the approaches to wind resource characterization, siting and permitting activities for facilities including the relationship with local planning and regional planning authorities. We will learn of traditional and innovative approaches to, and linkages between, the marketing of wind energy, project financing interconnection and compliance with power system operating rules. Presenters will showcase ideas for market reforms to stimulate debate and action by the various stakeholders in the audience.

William Moore (Atlantic Renewable Energy Corporation)
Developer of wind generating projects in New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia

• are local ordinances an impediment?
• are land use patterns different and does it matter?
• how should local authorities be engaged in development?
• what new approaches should be considered to advance the process of site assessment and securing land use rights?

Muir Davis (Madison Wind Power) Owner / operator of the Madison Wind Power Project in New York

• unique, merchant plant perspectives
• intermittency, the ISO and retail markets
• can selling energy one place and selling green attributes another place work?

Steve Macken (American National Wind Power) (INVITED)
Developer of Pennsylvania's first project in Garrett and looking for its second project in Scranton

• interconnection hurdles remain; impacts on risk and marketing?
• what can PJM Interconnection learn from the New York ISO?
• will transmission constraints play any role in development?

Michael Bergey (Bergey WindPower Company)
Turbine designer/manufacturer of consumer owned and /operated wind turbines

• what equipment is necessary to install and operate a turbine on your property?
• what are likely system costs to the consumer and what is being done to reduce them?
• what barriers to market penetration should be focused on?

Wind has had a good start in the region. However, there is more work to do. Consumers in New York need more options for purchasing wind power; consumers in Pennsylvania are purchasing wind power but storm clouds loom overhead as wholesale prices increase; system operator rules and distribution utility tariffs are not always friendly to wind; and regional markets can be fragmented. The afternoon sessions identify demand for green resources, showcase how some market participants have successfully connected the resource with the consumer and identify policy options to to grow the market for wind in the region

Approaches to Financing Wind Projects
Session Chair: Jonathan Winer ( President, KMS Mountain Energy, Inc.)

The adequacy and security of cash flow drive the availability and cost of financing. This panel will provide the perspective of equity and debt investors on critical project financial components and on policies that promote wind project development.

Daniel S. Pease ( Senior VP, CHI Energy Inc.)
John P. Harper ( Vice President, ABB Energy Capital )

Fundamentals of Demand
Ryan Wiser ( Research Analysts, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory )

Participants will hear how and where demand for green products is being created and what such demand means for development and marketing of wind energy. We will explore the question of whether consumers in the private markets and regulators in the mandated markets desire anything other than the environmental benefits of wind energy, which could be purchased separate from the energy or electricity actually produced by green resources. A discussion of what these transactions might look like will follow.

Purchasing and Delivery
Session Chair: David Wooley ( Principal, Young, Sommer, LLC )

You will hear about changes the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) recently took to eliminate barriers to purchasing and delivering wind generation and their applicability to neighboring states. You will also hear described, the difficulties in delivering wind energy and/or its environmental benefits to distant markets and the necessity to provide vehicles for such transactions. We will learn of other needed reforms favorable to wind development.

Mollie Lampi ( Senior Attorney, New York Independent System Operator )
Michael Freeman (Exelon Power Team)

Panelists will describe some of the approaches to marketing wind generation to consumers. We will learn of the potential value in organizing consumers into a pool of owners, operators, and purchasers and one market leader's experience, both positive and negative, with this model. Key impediments to marketing wind resources will be identified. We will hear how retailing of only the environmental attributes avoids some of the complications and costs of delivering electrical energy through different jurisdictions. We may also hear if marketers believe that consumers are ready to adopt such non-traditional methods of supporting green energy. Presenters will describe the difference in buying motivations between residential and commercial consumers?

Tom Rawls ( Green Mountain Energy )
Brent Alderfer ( Community Energy )
Thomas Thompson ( 1 st Rochdale Cooperative NYC) (INVITED)

Leveraging Competitive Markets
Session Chair: Ryan Wiser (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

This session will identify public benefit funds and define what they do. Programs underway by Pennsylvania and New York that apply ratepayer funds to leverage private investment to instigate and sustain the market for wind energy and green resources will be showcased. For instance, upcoming programs in support of green marketing and project development/financing will be described. We will explore how policies in neighboring states have influenced fund program development related to facilitating consumer choice and enabling efficient compliance with mandated markets for green energy. Steps being taken to coordinate the activities of various state public benefit funds will be described. Here the audience will be able to exchange ideas on how state programs can or should complement private market activities and address concerns heard earlier in the day.

Roger Clark ( Sustainable Development Fund )
John Saintcross ( NYSERDA)

What issues do we want to address standing between wind development and the competitive and mandated markets emerging in the region?

Facilitator: Abby Arnold (NWCC - RESOLVE, Inc.)

• Do we have a good understanding on the challenges?
• Can we add anything to our list?
• Do we sense some ability to address these challenges?
• Are we comfortable assigning responsibility?
• Can and should other "institutions" assist us?

Are there activities the NWCC can or should address in its agenda?
Are there activities the DOE can or should address in its agenda?
Are there activities the state funds can or should address jointly or separately?
Other market participants?

NYSERDA
Sustainable Development Fund