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NATIONAL WIND
COORDINATING COMMITTEE

HIGHLIGHTS

July 15, 2005

DATES TO REMEMBER
Wind / Natural Gas Issue Forum Brief: At its June 9, 2005 Business Meeting, the National Wind Coordinating Committee hosted an issue forum that explored how wind energy might be able to provide a balance for natural gas market price and supply volatility in the Mid-Atlantic region and elsewhere. An issue forum brief has been released based on this session that discusses natural gas prices and the implications for wind energy in the Mid-Atlantic states and the rest of the country. It is available online here.

Grassland Literature Review RFQ: The NWCC Wildlife Workgroup Grassland/Shrub Steppe Species Subgroup has issued a request for quotations to conduct an independent literature review on avian grassland/shrub steppe species and wind projects. Responses to this RFQ must be submitted by July 26. Contact Katie Kalinowski, kkalinowski@resolv.org, for more information about the RFQ.

Economic Development Brief: Volume 2 of the bi-annual NWCC Economic Development brief is now available online. The brief highlights ways in which wind power relates to economic development including jobs, taxes, landowner revenue, manufacturing, community wind, and other topics.

NWCC Midwestern Transmission Workshop: The Midwestern Transmission Workshop was held June 22, 2005 at the MISO Center in St. Paul, MN. A meeting summary will be available soon; in the interim, a brief discussion session summary, presentations, agenda, and the participants list from the meeting are available here.

NWCC CONFERENCE CALLS

Wildlife Workgroup Call
July 19 @ 1:00 pm ET

NWCC Steering Committee Call
July 28 @ 1:00 pm ET

Transmission Update Call
August 9 @ 1 pm ET

Siting Workgroup Call
August 9 @ 2:30 PM ET

Transmission Workgroup Call
August 16 @ 1:00 pm ET

Working Groups

Risk Assessment Subgroup
July 25 @ 3:00 pm ET

Grassland/Shrub Steppe Species Subgroup
August 8 @ 2:00 pm ET

NWCC MEETINGS

SPP Transmission Issue Forum
Sept.19, 2005 - Topeka, KS

NWCC Business Meeting 36
October 20, 2005 - Lansing, MI

NWCC Technical Siting Research Meeting
Nov. 15-16 - Washington, DC

MAGIC MOMENTS

Updated Calendar of 2005 Events: click here

NWCC STAFF CONTACTS

Miles Keogh
Outreach Coordinator
(202) 965-6209
mkeogh@resolv.org

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

NWCC WORKGROUP UPDATES
Wildlife:

The Wildlife Workgroup is currently seeking nominations for a core group which will consist of 2-3 representatives from each of the sectors comprising the Workgroup. The intent of the core group is to offer structure and continuity to the Wildlife Workgroup. This core group will not preclude participation by any interested party in the Wildlife Workgroup. Contact Katie Kalinowski at kkalinowski@resolv.org to make nominations or for more information on this concept. Nominations are due by Wednesday, July 27.

Recent Wildlife Workgroup subgroup activities include:

Grassland/Shrub Steppe Species - A request for quotations to conduct an independent literature review on avian grassland/shrub steppe species and wind projects has been distributed. Responses to this RFQ are due by July 26. Anyone interested in additional details about the RFQ should contact Katie Kalinowski at kkalinowski@resolv.org. A committee to review proposals is currently being assembled.

A research proposal on prairie chickens, through the collaboration of several Subgroup members, has been written. This proposal is the basis for an application for USFWS/USGS quick response funds. Proposals will be sent to FWS regions 2, 3, and 6. Subgroup participants are conducting outreach to FWS and USGS in support of this application. Members of the wind industry have pledged funds to this research endeavor and NWCC staff is conducting outreach for additional funds. Industry funding is contingent upon the creation of a collaborative management structure and communication protocols which are currently under development.

The Subgroup may convene a meeting on October 24-25 to discuss recent research developments and review spring research tools and plans; a decision about whether to proceed with this meeting will be made in September.

Risk Assessment - Risk Assessment Subgroup members are reviewing examples of wind projects where risk assessment was applied in anticipation of a paper defining risk assessment, related models available, and application of risk assessment tools to wind development.

Nocturnal Methods and Metrics - The Subgroup is initiating and overseeing the creation of a companion document to the NWCC publication Studying Wind Energy/Bird Interactions: A Guidance Document on methods and metrics for studying the nocturnal activity of birds and bats. A draft version of a request for intent to propose to write the companion document is being reviewed prior to being released. Formation of a proposals review committee is underway.

The next Wildlife Workgroup call is Wednesday, July 19 at 1 pm ET. Note this is one day earlier than previously scheduled.
Siting:

The NWCC Siting Case Studies: Community Response has been finalized and is available online here.

NWCC staff, in coordination with NCSL, is developing a series of state-by-state siting fact sheets that illustrate the variety of approaches taken at the state level to wind energy facility siting. For more information, please contact Miles Keogh at mkeogh@resolv.org.

A planning committee is creating an agenda for the proposed November Technical Siting meeting, focusing on sound, visual, safety, and other impacts associated with wind development. For more information on this meeting contact Miles Keogh at mkeogh@resolv.org.
Transmission:

June 22, 2005 the Midwest Transmission Workshop was held in St. Paul, MN to discuss activities in the MISO region that affect wind energy. Eighty-five representatives from utilities, state and local regulators, wind energy developers and advocates, FERC, MISO, and other stakeholders met to discuss transmission planning in the Midwest and to create a timeline for near-term actions that create solutions for challenges facing wind energy and transmission. Presentations, agenda, and participant list are online, click here.

The next Bi-Monthly Transmission briefing call will be on August 9 at 1 pm Eastern and will be made available here.

Transmission case studies for Lamar, CO, McCamey, TX, and Buffalo Ridge, MN are being reviewed by Transmission Workgroup members. Discussions are ongoing about directions for the California case study and commonalities analysis.

A meeting is being organized in Kansas for September 19, 2005 to discuss transmission issues in the SPP. If you are interested in being on the planning committee, please contact Miles Keogh at mkeogh@resolv.org.
Economic Development:

ED Brief Vol. 2 is now available here. The brief highlights ways in which wind power relates to economic development including jobs, taxes, landowner revenue, manufacturing, community wind, and other topics. This latest release covers January-May 2005. If you have questions about the ED Brief, please contact Katie Kalinowski at kkalinowski@resolv.org.

ED Brief Vol. 1, revised June 2005 with additional economic development references, is also available at the same web address. here.