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NATIONAL WIND
COORDINATING COLLABORATIVE

HIGHLIGHTS

February 2, 2007

DATES TO REMEMBER
Transmission Products Info Online – Factsheets on conditional firm and redispatch transmission products are now available on the NWCC website at http://www.nationalwind.org/events/webinar/default.htm. The factsheets were developed in conjunction with the first joint webinar between NWCC and Western Governors Association (WGA) held on February 2nd. The webinar presentation by Natalie McIntire, Renewable Northwest Project, and Don Furman, PPM Energy, can be downloaded from the same site as the factsheets.

NWCC CONFERENCE CALLS

Steering Committee Call
February 22 @ 1:00 pm ET

Working Groups

GS3C Subgroup Call
February 5, 11 am ET

Midwest Transmission Planning Committee Call
February 5, 3 pm ET

Western Transmission Leadership Group Call
February 20, 11 am ET

NWCC EVENTS

To be announced

MAGIC MOMENTS

Updated Calendar of Events: click here

NWCC STAFF CONTACTS

Katie Kalinowski
Outreach Coordinator
(202) 965-6383
kkalinowski@resolv.org

Madeleine West
Program Associate
(202) 965-6216
mwest@resolv.org

NWCC WORKGROUP UPDATES
Wildlife:

Recent Wildlife Workgroup subgroup activities include:

Gaps Subgroup – At the Department of Energy’s request, NWCC staff developed and distributed a survey to Wildlife Workgroup Core Group members and technical advisors asking for their input on how to direct available research funds to one of the priorities identified in the draft Research Priorities White Paper and at the Wildlife Research Meeting VI. The survey results are currently being synthesized for DOE's consideration as it evaluates research needs for the Wind program.

Grassland and Shrub Steppe Species Collaborative (GS3C) – Final edits are being made to the grassland songbirds monitoring protocol and once approved by the GS3C, it will be made available as a resource on the NWCC website.

The Ornithological Council has proposed a method for revising the GS3C literature review and feedback on the proposed approach from the literature review advisors will be sent to the authors.

Mitigation Toolbox – Subgroup members will be reviewing the mitigation toolbox one final time and then plan to send it to the Wildlife Workgroup Core Group for approval. The next conference call is TBD.

Nocturnal Methods and Metrics – Subgroup members have commented on the first draft of the primer on nocturnal methods and metrics for studying wind interaction with birds and bats. The Subgroup has also delivered an independent expert review process for the document that is being approved by Core Group members. The next conference call is TBD.

Risk Assessment – On their last call, the subgroup discussed an outline for a workshop to explore the application of a risk assessment framework to wind development. NWCC staff is revising the workshop outline, based on subgroup comments, for discussion on the next conference call. Scheduling forms for the next call will be sent out shortly.

NWCC Wildlife-Wind Research Meeting VI – Presentations from this meeting are on the NWCC website at http://www.nationalwind.org/events/wildlife/2006-3/default.htm.  Proceedings are being written and will be posted at this site once completed.

The next Wildlife Workgroup call is scheduled for March 14, 2007 at 2:30pm ET. Please mark your calendars.

Transmission:

West – NWCC and Western Governors’ Association held a joint webinar on February 2nd on transmission products. Over 75 people participated to learn about conditional firm and redispatch from featured speakers Natalie McIntire, Renewable Northwest Project, and Don Furman, PPM Energy. Factsheets on these transmission products and the webinar presentation are now online at http://www.nationalwind.org/events/webinar/default.htm.  NWCC and WGA thank the American Wind Energy Association for its financial support. A survey will be distributed to webinar participants for their feedback and ideas for future webinar topics.

Final edits are being made to the NWCC’s first newsletter on implementing wind energy and transmission goals in the West and it will be distributed shortly.

Initial planning is underway for the 5th NWCC Western transmission workshop, tentatively scheduled for July 2007. Look for more information over the coming months.

Midwest – The Midwest transmission planning committee is meeting on February 5th to debrief from the December workshop and discuss next steps.

Slides and other materials from NWCC Midwest Transmission Workshop VI held on December 4-5, 2006 in Bloomington, MN are online at http://www.nationalwind.org/events/transmission/midwest/2006/default.htm.  The meeting summary is under development and slated for release in February.

SPP – On January 29th, stakeholders from the SPP region gathered for a conference call to discuss regional needs in the transmission arena and how NWCC might add value. Participants expressed interest in having a transmission workshop in SPP this fall. Planning is still in the early stages; more details are forthcoming in future updates.

Transmission Updates – The next Transmission Update call is schedule for March 13th at 1 pm ET; topics to be announced.

Workgroup Call - The next Transmission Workgroup call is scheduled for Tuesday, March 20th at 2 pm ET and the next Transmission Update call is scheduled for March 13th at 1 pm ET.