NWCC NATIONAL WIND COORDINATING COMMITTEE

HIGHLIGHTS

August 1, 2005

DATES TO REMEMBER

Business Meeting 35 Summary: The NWCC business meeting in Richmond, Virginia brought together stakeholders from the mid-Atlantic and NWCC members to discuss challenges facing wind energy in the region. A meeting summary is available here. Additionally, see an issue forum brief from the session on Natural Gas and Wind Energy.

Critical Literature Review RFQ: The NWCC Wildlife Workgroup Grassland/Shrub Steppe Species Subgroup has issued a request for quotations to write a critical literature review on avian grassland/shrub steppe species and wind projects. The deadline for submitting quotations has been extended until August 2nd. Anyone interested in additional details about the RFQ should contact Katie Kalinowski at kkalinowski@resolv.org.

NWCC CONFERENCE CALLS

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

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

SPP Planning Call
August 15 @ 11 am ET

Siting Technical Workshop Planning Call
August 4 @ 2 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

Nominations for a core group of the Wildlife Workgroup are being assembled for review by workgroup members. 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. Nominations approved by the Wildlife Workgroup will be submitted to the NWCC Steering Committee for ratification in September.

Recent Wildlife Workgroup subgroup activities include:

Grassland/Shrub Steppe Species - See above for information on request for quotations to conduct an independent literature review on avian grassland/shrub steppe species and wind projects.

A research proposal on prairie chickens, developed through the collaboration of several Subgroup members, is being used to secure funding to conduct research. Three wind energy companies, Zilkha, PPM, and FPL, have pledged funding for this project, but additional funding is needed to initiate research. The NWCC staff is contacting potential funders; suggestions for parties to reach out to would be welcomed and should be sent to Katie Kalinowski at kkalinowski@resolv.org.

Risk Assessment - The Risk Assessment Subgroup is revisiting the Studying Wind Energy/Bird Interactions: A Guidance Document publication and its approach to risk assessment. A white paper expanding on the guidance document to current risk assessment applications regarding wind energy is planned. The white paper will be presented to the Wildlife Workgroup for review and discussion.

Nocturnal Methods and Metrics - Subgroup members are reviewing the draft request for intent to propose on writing companion document to the NWCC publication Studying Wind Energy/Bird Interactions: A Guidance Document. The request will be issued after member comments are incorporated. Formation of a proposals review committee is also underway.

The next Wildlife Workgroup call is Wednesday, September 21 at 1 pm ET.

NWCC and NCSL staff have identified over a dozen states as possibilities for the state-by-state siting fact sheets that illustrate the variety of approaches taken at the state level to wind energy facility siting. Each fact sheet will provide an overview of the guidelines, model rules, or regulations that govern wind energy siting in the featured state. For more information, please contact Miles Keogh at mkeogh@resolv.org.

Planning for a November 15-16 meeting on technical considerations for siting wind facilities is currently underway. The meeting will be held in Washington, DC, bringing together researchers and those involved in the permitting process for wind energy to review and discuss existing research, methods, and tools available to address non-wildlife related technical issues associated with siting and operation of wind energy systems. The meeting planning committee met recently to review the draft agenda, which includes panels on sound, visual, safety, communications, and other impacts associated with wind development. For more information on this meeting contact Miles Keogh at mkeogh@resolv.org.

Transmission Workgroup members are hard at work organizing the “Wind Energy and Transmission in the Southwest Power Pool” workshop slated for September 19, 2005 at the Ramada Downtown, Topeka, Kansas. If you have not registered already, please do so here. An agenda and logistics information are also available online here.

The next Bi-Monthly Transmission briefing call will be on August 9 at 1 pm Eastern. Topics will include wind and transmission implications of the National Energy Bill and recent passed legislation in Texas that increases the state RPS and provides for transmission cost allocation.