NWCC NATIONAL WIND COORDINATING COMMITTEE

HIGHLIGHTS

September 1, 2005

DATES TO REMEMBER

• Sept 19, Topeka, Kansas: Transmission and Wind Energy in the Southwest Power Pool. This meeting will give decision makers in Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Louisiana, Texas, and New Mexico an opportunity to set directions for new transmission and wind energy in the region. Agenda, logistics, and online registration can be found here. (Register today!)
• Oct 20, Lansing, Michigan: Wind Energy and Air Quality Issue Forum. Save the date - join experts in the Midwest to explore the connections between wind energy and air pollution control.
• Nov 30, Washington, DC: NWCC Business Meeting 36. This meeting will give NWCC members an opportunity to engage in strategic planning for 2006 and beyond.
• Dec 1–2, Washington, DC: Technical Considerations in Siting Wind Energy: NWCC Research Meeting. (New date!) The meeting will engage 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.

NWCC CONFERENCE CALLS

Transmission Workgroup Call
September 13 @ 2:00 pm ET

Wildlife Workgroup Call
September 21 @ 1:00 pm ET

Transmission Update Briefing
October 11 @ 1:00 pm ET

Siting Workgroup Call
October 19 @ 2:00 pm ET

Working Groups

SPP Transmission Meeting Planning Call
September 6 @ 11:00 am ET

Grassland/Shrub Steppe Species Subgroup
September 12 @ 2:00 pm ET

Risk Assessment Subgroup
September 16 @ 1:30 pm ET

NWCC MEETINGS

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

NWCC Air Quality Issue Forum
Oct. 20, 2005 - Lansing, MI

NWCC Business Meeting 36
Nov. 30, 2005 - Washington, DC

NWCC Technical Siting Research Meeting
Dec. 1-2, 2005, 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

The Wildlife Workgroup Core Group nominees will be reviewed and approved by the workgroup and NWCC steering committee in September. All interested parties will continue to be invited to participate in the Wildlife Workgroup; the core group’s intent is to encourage regular conversational and decision making participation from a variety of stakeholder sectors.

Recent Wildlife Workgroup subgroup activities include:

Grassland/Shrub Steppe Species - Inquiries for funding are being made by NWCC staff for the Effects of Wind Power Facilities on Prairie Chickens research plan developed by subgroup members. Horizon Wind (formerly Zilkha), PPM, and FPL have made funding commitments, but other funds must be secured before research can begin. Anyone with suggestions about funders to approach contact Katie Kalinowski at kkalinowski@resolv.org.

Proposals are being reviewed by an evaluation committee to conduct an independent literature review on avian grassland/shrub steppe species and wind projects. The evaluation committee will make a recommendation to the Grassland Subgroup, Wildlife Workgroup, and NWCC Steering Committee. The target is for research to begin in September so that the research product is available before the next field season.

Risk Assessment - Members of the Risk Assessment Subgroup are drafting a white paper on risk assessment application to wind power, incorporating the latest terminology and current risk assessment processes. The draft white paper will be discussed on the subgroup’s next call in September.

Nocturnal Methods and Metrics - This subgroup’s primary activity is to facilitate creation of a companion document to the NWCC publication Studying Wind Energy/Bird Interactions: A Guidance Document. A draft “request for intent to propose” to write the companion is being finalized and a review committee is being assembled.

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

NWCC and NCSL staff have begun developing factsheets for state siting guidelines. These state-by-state siting factsheets will provide an overview of the guidelines, model rules, or regulations that govern wind energy siting in each featured state. Accompanying the factsheets will be a breakdown of commonalities between states, best practices, lessons learned, and more. For information about this project, please contact Miles Keogh at mkeogh@resolv.org.

The date for the NWCC fall workshop on technical considerations for siting wind facilities has been changed to December 1 - 2. The meeting will be held in Washington, DC and bring 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. Panels on sound, visual, safety, communications interference, and other impacts associated with wind development will be featured. For more information on this meeting, contact Miles Keogh at mkeogh@resolv.org.

Over 50 participants have already registered for the “Wind Energy and Transmission in the Southwest Power Pool” workshop, September 19, 2005 at the Ramada Downtown, Topeka, Kansas. Registration is still open through the NWCC website. Meeting participants will identify critical decision makers and entities that needed to play an active role in resolving transmission issues, and determine a path forward for engaging these individuals and organizations.

On October 20th, join the NWCC in Lansing, Michigan for an afternoon issue forum that explores the relationship between wind energy and air pollution reductions. Speakers from the EPA, state of Michigan, Environmental Resources Trust, and other experts will discuss how wind energy can be used to help local communities meet Clean Air Act requirements and other air quality and climate change goals. More information will be available soon at www.nationalwind.org.