NWCC NATIONAL WIND COORDINATING COLLABORATIVE

HIGHLIGHTS

March 15, 2008

DATES TO REMEMBER

Interconnection Queue Update Call - TWant to learn more about approaches the Midwest ISO and California ISO are taking to reform and/or improve their interconnection queue processes? Then join us for the next NWCC Transmission Update call on April 28th at 2 pm ET. The featured speakers are Dennis Peters of the California ISO and Jennifer Curran of the Midwest ISO. Call specifics will be sent to the Transmission Update listserv; click here if you want to be added to the distribution list.

NWCC CONFERENCE CALLS

Wildlife Workgroup call
March 19, 2:30 pm ET

NWCC Steering Committee call
March 20, 1:00 pm ET

Transmission Workgroup call
March 25, 2:00 pm ET

Transmission Update call
April 28, 2:00 pm ET

Working Groups

Western Transmission Leadership Group call
March 17, noon ET

NWCC WORKGROUP UPDATES

Habitat Subgroup - On March 6th, the Habitat Subgroup hosted a webcast on Texas study initiatives exploring potential impacts of wind energy development on lesser prairie chicken habitat and grasslands. A presentation by Heather Whitlaw, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, is now available here, and a summary of the briefing is under development.

Research Meeting VII Planning Committee - Planning continues for the Wind Wildlife Research Meeting, scheduled for October 27-29^th in Milwaukee, WI, followed by a Wildlife Workgroup meeting on the 30^th. A call for abstracts is being prepared for distribution in late March. Stay tuned for a notice about the call for abstracts in a future update.

Key Research Topics Subgroup(GS3C) - A draft Key Research Topics white paper is under review by habitat experts. Once approved, it will be submitted to the Wildlife Workgroup for final approval and publication.

Wind/Wildlife Activities & Events Table - The NWCC wind power/wildlife studies, activities, and events table has been updated and is available online. Please send information on wind-wildlife meetings, studies, or publications to Taylor Kennedy at tkennedy@resolv.org for inclusion in this table and the NWCC calendar.

Midwest - Planning continues for a summer meeting on Midwestern wind energy and moving it to markets. NWCC staff is contacting potential co-sponsors and beginning invitations to speakers. The date and location are being coordinated with potential partners and will be announced in the near future.

SPP - A draft agenda is under development by the NWCC SPP planning committee. Members are also identifying possible organizations to collaborate with on the event.

West - The 5^th volume of NWCC’s Implementing Wind Energy & Transmission in the West quarterly newsletter is under review for publication. The newsletter will be published in late March; click here if you want to be added to the distribution list.

Layman’s Guide to Wind Integration - Writing has commenced on a NWCC / NCSL layman’s guide to wind integration. A first draft is expected in early April for review by the NWCC advisory group.

Transmission Updates - The next Transmission Update call will feature Dennis Peters of the California ISO and Jennifer Curran of the Midwest ISO discussing their burgeoning interconnection queues and the plans of both the CAISO and the Midwest ISO to reform and/or improve their interconnection queue processes. The call is scheduled for Monday, April 28th at 2 pm ET, replacing the call originally scheduled for March 11^th.