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NWCC NATIONAL WIND COORDINATING COMMITTEE |
HIGHLIGHTS
January 3, 2006
DATES TO REMEMBER
Save the date! November 14-16, 2006, NWCC Wildlife Interactions with Wind Developments: Research Meeting VI – Please plan to join us in Texas for NWCC’s sixth meeting on wind power and wildlife. The agenda is being worked on by NWCC members. The agenda and other meeting information are forthcoming, keep reading these updates and checking our website, www.nationalwind.org.
Wind Energy and Transmission in the Southwest Power Pool Summary – The summary from NWCC’s last transmission workshop in the SPP region is complete and available. For presentations and other materials, click here.
Save the date! February 27-28, 2006, NWCC Wildlife Workgroup Core Group Meeting – Core Group members, alternates, and other interested parties will meet February 27-28 in Washington, DC for updates on subgroup activities, discussion of ecological risk assessment frameworks, and presentations on recent research endeavors. The agenda and other meeting information are under development; keep reading these updates and checking our website, www.nationalwind.org.
Steering Committee call rescheduled – The next NWCC Steering Committee call was rescheduled for Thursday, January 19th, 1 pm ET (no longer Jan 26th). However, a scheduling conflict has arisen and new scheduling information will be sent to the Steering Committee.
Economic development update – As determined by members at the Nov 30 Business Meeting, the NWCC will discontinue writing economic development briefs. ED Brief Vol. 1 and 2, as well as other NWCC economic development materials, will continue to be offered online. Please look to Wind Powering America and others to summarize the latest on the economic development impacts of wind power.
NWCC CONFERENCE CALLS
Transmission Workgroup Call
January 17 @ 2:00 pm ET
Working Groups
Nocturnal Methods
and Metrics Subgroup Call
January 6 @ 2:00 pm ET
Wildlife Research
Meeting VI Planning Call
January 19 @ noon ET
Environmental
Caucus Call
January 23 @ 1:00 pm ET
Grassland/Shrub Steppe Species Subgroup Call
January 27 @ noon ET
NWCC MEETINGS
Wildlife Workgroup Core Group Meeting
February 27-28, 2006
Washington, DC
Wildlife Interaction with Wind
Developments: Research Meeting VI
November 14-16, 2006
Texas
MAGIC MOMENTS
Updated Calendar of 2006 Events: click here
NWCC STAFF CONTACTS
Katie Kalinowski
Outreach Coordinator
(202) 965-6383
kkalinowski@resolv.org
Madeleine West
Research Fellow
(202) 965-6216
mwest@resolv.org
NWCC WORKGROUP UPDATES
The core group will select workgroup chair(s) via an email nomination process. Both seats have one year terms, with the vice chair moving up to chair and a new vice chair selected. For more information, contact Katie Kalinowski at kkalinowski@resolv.org.
Recent Wildlife Workgroup subgroup activities include:
Grassland/Shrub Steppe Species - On the last subgroup conference call, the group reviewed grouse research proposals and is now continuing follow-up discussions with Drs. Bruce Sandercock and Samantha Wisely at Kansas State University. Availability of research funds remains a question and NWCC staff is coordinating with the KSU team on funding sources, as well as talking with EPRI about research money. Wind industry pledges received to date are expected to be extended and extension letters are being drawn up.
The literature review on avian grassland/shrub steppe species and wind projects is under development. A conference call to address questions from the Ornithological Council research team is being organized with the literature review advisory committee.
Comments on the grassland songbirds monitoring protocol have been incorporated and the new draft will be sent to the subgroup for review and comment.
Operating protocols for this subgroup have been drafted and are being revised based on member comments.
Risk Assessment - Review of the subgroup’s draft white paper on ecological risk assessment and its potential application to wind power is nearly complete. It will soon be distributed to the workgroup. A conference call or meeting will be convened for the workgroup to decide how and whether it wishes to proceed in this area.
Nocturnal Methods and Metrics - The conference call to review the statement of work for the companion document to the NWCC publication Studying Wind Energy/Bird Interactions: A Guidance Document is rescheduled for Friday, Jan 6, 2 pm ET.
The 6th NWCC Wildlife-Wind Research Meeting will be November 14-16 in Texas. The planning committee is working on developing a meeting agenda and securing a meeting location. For more information, contact Katie Kalinowski at kkalinowski@resolv.org.
Mitigation Toolbox - Work is resuming on this important resource. For more information, contact Katie Kalinowski at kkalinowski@resolv.org.
Comments on the draft state-by-state siting factsheets are in and the factsheets are being edited. Soon the factsheets will be submitted to the steering committee for approval as a NWCC resource document. For information about this project, please contact Madeleine West at mwest@resolv.org.
On Dec 1-2, NWCC hosted a workshop in Washington, DC on technical considerations for siting wind facilities. Panels on sound, visual, safety, communications interference, and other non-wildlife siting factors associated with wind development were featured. Speaker presentations are online and proceedings are under development.
The next Siting Workgroup call is scheduled for February 16th, 2 pm ET. Please mark your calendars.
The December/January Transmission Update call held Dec 13th focused on current events in the upper Midwest. Dale Osborn from MISO and Matt Schuerger and Beth Soholt from Wind on the Wires were the featured presenters. A brief based on the call is underdevelopment and will be posted on the Transmission Updates page when completed. The next update call will be February 21st at 1 pm ET (not on Feb 14th as previously scheduled).
The meeting summary for NWCC’s “Wind Energy and Transmission in the Southwest Power Pool” workshop, held September 19th in Topeka, Kansas, is complete and available. Presentations and other meeting materials are already available here.
The next Transmission Workgroup call is scheduled for January 17th, 2 pm ET. Please mark your calendars.
Staff at the NWCC Want to Wish You
and Yours a Healthy and Prosperous New Year!