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NWCC NATIONAL WIND COORDINATING COMMITTEE |
HIGHLIGHTS
June 15, 2006
DATES TO REMEMBER
Updated Agenda! July 18-19, 2006, NWCC Western Transmission Workshop in Denver – Visit NWCC Western Transmission Workshop to see the featured speakers and panelists participation. Do not miss joining other Western leaders, including Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal, at this hands-on event to develop action plans for implementing the CDEAC and Western Governors’ wind and transmission recommendations. The draft agenda, logistics, and online registration are available here. The hotel room block closes on June 26th, so register soon!
Wind Power & Radar Issue Forum & NWCC Business Meeting, July 27 in Reno, NV – Learn from experts about the interactions between wind power and radar at NWCC’s next issue forum. Following the forum, NWCC will hold its 37th business meeting. Registration opens soon here.
NWCC CONFERENCE CALLS
Siting Workgroup Call
June 22 @ noon ET
Transmission
Workgroup Call
June 27 @ 1:00 pm ET
Steering Committee
Call
June 29 @ 1:00 pm ET
Wildlife Workgroup Call
July 12 @ 1:00 pm ET
Working Groups
Western
Transmission Planning Call
June 16 @ 3:00 pm ET
Use More Grid Action Team Call
June 19 @ noon ET
GS3C Call
June 19 @ 2:00 pm ET
Expansion Action Team Call
June 23 @ 3:00 pm ET
NWCC MEETINGS
Wildlife Workgroup Core Group:
Gaps Prioritization
June 20-21, 2006 - Boulder, CO
Leadership Forum: Implementing
Transmission Recommendations in the West
July 18-19, 2006 - Denver, CO
Issue Forum on Wind Power and Radar Interaction & Business Meeting #37
July 27, 2006 - Reno, NV
Wildlife Interaction with Wind
Developments: Research Meeting VI
November 14-16, 2006 -
San Antonio, TX
Midwest Transmission Workshop
December 4-5, 2006 - Minneapolis, MN
MAGIC MOMENTS
Updated Calendar of 2006 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
On June 20-21, the NWCC Wildlife Workgroup Core Group meets in Boulder, CO to discuss and prioritize research gaps in the wind/wildlife arena. A dialogue on peer review and publication options for NWCC wildlife documents will be included on the 21st. Please register for the meeting here.
Following the gaps prioritization exercise, a white paper on the priorities will be written and shared at the November Wildlife Research Meeting VI in Texas. For more information on these activities, contact Madeleine West, mwest@resolv.org.
6th NWCC Wildlife-Wind Research Meeting – Sign up now for this event on Nov 14-16, 2006 in San Antonio, Texas. Topics to be covered include:
- Interaction of wind power facilities and birds pre- and post-construction;
- Interaction of wind power facilities and bats pre- and post-construction;
- Applicable methods and study designs specialized for birds, bats, and common to both;
- Assessing impacts and risk to wildlife;
- Identification of critical gaps in knowledge related to wind project decision-making. Attempt to identify what is needed to fill these gaps.
Individuals interested in presenting on any of these topics are invited to submit an abstract by June 20. Abstracts are also being accepted for a possible poster session during the meeting. Review committees headed by session chairs are being assembled to identify recommended speakers. For more information, contact Madeleine West at mwest@resolv.org.
Recent Wildlife Workgroup subgroup activities include:
Grassland and Shrub Steppe Species Collaborative (GS3C) – Research is ongoing by the KSU team investigating the potential impacts of wind power on prairie chickens. On the next GS3C conference call, researchers will give an update on progress to date.
Authors of the draft grassland songbirds monitoring protocol are reviewing the comments submitted by the Wildlife Workgroup technical advisors.
The Ornithological Council is assembling a body of papers to include in its literature review on avian grassland/shrub steppe species and wind projects. A first draft is expected soon.
Risk Assessment – A panel on risk assessment is being planned for the November 2006 NWCC Wildlife Research VI meeting. For the NWCC draft white paper on ecological risk assessment, click here.
Nocturnal Methods and Metrics – The Nocturnal Methods and Metrics Subgroup is making a recommendation to the Core Group at their June 20-21 meeting in Boulder, CO on how to publish the primer on nocturnal methods and metrics for studying wind interaction with birds and bats which is currently under development.
Mitigation Toolbox - The Mitigation Subgroup has identified a summer intern candidate to research and assemble a “toolbox” of possible mitigation options. The intern will be hired pending availability of funds requested from the Energy Foundation. The subgroup is also developing a panel on mitigation for the November wildlife research conference. For more information or to become involved, contact Madeleine West at mwest@resolv.org.
Wind/Wildlife Activities and Events Electronic Table – For the latest on wind/wildlife related research, meetings, papers, and more, check out our electronic table available here. If you have a new item or update to add to this table, please contact Madeleine West, mwest@resolv.org.
The next Wildlife Workgroup call is scheduled for July 12th, 1 pm ET. Please mark your calendars.
The state siting guidelines fact sheets are available for free download at http://www.nationalwind.org/workgroups/siting/. Hard copies are now available by request. For information about this project, please contact Madeleine West at mwest@resolv.org.
The next Siting Workgroup call is scheduled for June 22, 12 pm ET. Please mark your calendars.
On July 18-19, NWCC is hosting Leadership Forum: Implementing Transmission Recommendations in the West in Denver. Leaders from the Western region and national level are coming together to develop action plans for implementing the CDEAC and Western Governors’ wind and transmission recommendations, as well as obtain commitments from regional and national leaders on their roles in implementing the action plans. For more information, contact Katie Kalinowski, kkalinowski@resolv.org.
Drafting of the action plans is already underway, with two teams working on plans to present for review and discussion at the forum. Please register, as the hotel room block closes June 26th.
The Midwest Transmission planning committee continues to revise the draft agenda for the December 4-5 workshop in Minneapolis, MN.
The Transmission Update brief on DOE’s work to identify transmission corriors under Sections 368 and 1221 of EPAct is complete and online. On June 13th, the Transmission Update call featured Daniel Hedberg from FERC addressing FERC’s NOPR to update Order 888. A written brief is under development. To join this listserve, contact Katie Kalinowski at kkalinowski@resolv.org.
The next Transmission Workgroup call is scheduled for June 27th, 1 pm ET and the next Transmission Update call will be August 1st. Please mark your calendars.