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NWCC NATIONAL WIND COORDINATING COMMITTEE |
HIGHLIGHTS
August 15, 2006
DATES TO REMEMBER
Deadline Extension for Wildlife Abstracts – Abstracts to present at NWCC’s Wildlife-Wind Research Meeting VI are now being accepted through September 15, 2006; however, please notify NWCC staff of your intent to submit an abstract no later than September 1. Information on submitting abstracts is available on the NWCC homepage or from Madeleine West, mwest@resolv.org.
Wind Power & Radar Presentations Available – Presentations from the July 27 NWCC Issue Forum on wind power and radar interaction are online. A written brief based on the forum is under development and will be posted on the same webpage.
NWCC CONFERENCE CALLS
Transmission Workgroup Call
August 22 @ 2:00 pm ET
Steering Committee Call
August 23 @ 1:00 pm ET
Wildlife Workgroup Call
September 13 @ 2:30 pm ET
NWCC MEETINGS
Wildlife Interaction with Wind
Developments: Research Meeting VI
November 14-15, 2006 -
San Antonio, TX
Wildlife Workgroup Core Group Meeting
November 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
Core Group Meeting Summary Online – The summary from the June 20–21 meeting of the NWCC Wildlife Workgroup Core Group is complete and available.
6th NWCC Wildlife-Wind Research Meeting – Registration is open for this meeting, scheduled for Nov 14-15, 2006 in San Antonio, Texas. On November 16 the Wildlife Workgroup Core Group will meet to discuss workgroup updates and activities. Register online. 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.
The deadline for abstracts has been extended to
September 15; however, please notify NWCC staff of your intent to submit
an abstract no later than September 1!
For more information about this event, contact Madeleine West at
mwest@resolv.org.
The new Gaps Subgroup is providing feedback on a draft white paper on research gaps as prioritized at the June Core Group meeting. An updated version of the white paper will be presented in draft form for discussion at the NWCC Wildlife Research Meeting VI this November in San Antonio. Following the meeting, the Wildlife Workgroup will continue to refine the white paper and would like to finalize it in 2007 as a consensus on research gaps.
Recent Wildlife Workgroup subgroup activities include:
Grassland and Shrub Steppe Species Collaborative (GS3C) – On August 14th the GS3C had its bimonthly call. The researchers investigating the potential impacts of wind energy on prairie chickens talked about the quarterly report they submitted in July.
Comments on the first draft of the literature review on avian grassland/shrub steppe species and wind projects have been compiled and sent to the authors for consideration. The second draft of the literature review is due by early October.
The draft grassland songbirds monitoring protocol is being revised by a protocol author and will be sent out for review in the coming weeks.
Nocturnal Methods and Metrics – The first draft of the primer on nocturnal methods and metrics for studying wind interaction with birds and bats is anticipated in early November. A subgroup conference call will be scheduled that month to review the draft primer.
Mitigation Toolbox - The toolbox intern is making good progress on researching and assembling a “toolbox” of possible mitigation options related to wind project impacts on wildlife. Support for the intern is provided by a grant from the Energy Foundation. The Mitigation 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.
Risk Assessment – The Risk Assessment Subgroup has been reconvened. A conference call is being scheduled for September to discuss a workplan. To become involved, contact Madeleine West, mwest@resolv.org.
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.
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 September 13, 2:30pm ET (note change from the usual call time). Please mark your calendars.
On the next Siting Workgroup call, participants will be asked for feedback on the draft workgroup blueprint presented at the NWCC business meeting on July 27th.
Copies of the state siting guidelines fact sheets were distributed to fact sheet contributors and a mailing with the fact sheet link went out to legislative librarians. The fact sheets are available for free download. For information about this project, please contact Madeleine West at mwest@resolv.org.
The August Siting Workgroup has been postponed to September 21, 1 pm ET. There is no longer a siting call on August 16 or 23. Please update your calendars.
The Midwest Transmission subgroup held a call on August 10th to continue revising the agenda for the workshop scheduled for December 4-5 in Minneapolis, MN. Speaker invitations will go out shortly. The next planning call is scheduled for Monday, Sept 25th at 1 pm ET.
Next steps, presentations, and the final participants list from the NWCC / WGA Leadership Forum: Implementing Transmission Recommendations in the West are online. Participants agreed to create a Leadership Implementation team and to further update the draft action plans for implementing the CDEAC and Western Governors’ wind and transmission recommendations; work towards these goals begins this month. A summary of the leadership forum is being written. For more information on Western transmission activities, contact Katie Kalinowski, kkalinowski@resolv.org.
The August 1 Transmission Update call featured David Withrow from the California ISO and Larry Chaset from California PUC discussing transmission related statues and policies in their state. Briefs from the June and August calls remain under development. To join the Transmission Update listserve, contact Katie Kalinowski at kkalinowski@resolv.org.
The next Transmission Workgroup call is scheduled for August 22, 2 pm ET and the next Transmission Update call will be October 10, 1 pm ET. Please mark your calendars.