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NWCC NATIONAL WIND COORDINATING COMMITTEE |
HIGHLIGHTS
October 1, 2006
DATES TO REMEMBER
Updated agenda - NWCC Midwest Transmission Workshop VI – The latest on confirmed speakers for this workshop is online. Please plan to join us on December 4-5, 2006 in Bloomington, MN (Twin Cities). Registration and logistics also available here.
NWCC Welcomes Executive Assistant Jason Peller – Jason has joined the NWCC team to assist with meeting planning, call scheduling, and general NWCC administrative activities. Look for messages from Jason, jpeller@resolv.org, in the near future as he supports the NWCC workplan.
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.
**Advancing Renewable Energy Conference**
DOE and USDA are hosting the Advancing Renewable Energy Conference
October 10-12 in St. Louis, MO. The goal of the conference is to help
build necessary partnerships and strategies for hastening the
commercialization of viable renewable energy industries. For more
information and to register
click here.
NWCC CONFERENCE CALLS
Transmission Update Call
October 10 @ 1:00 pm ET
Steering Committee Call
October 26 @ 1:00 pm ET
Working Groups
Midwest
Transmission Planning Call
October 12 @ 1:00 pm ET
Risk Assessment Call
October 20 @ 2:00 pm ET
GS3C Call
October 25 @ noon 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
Jason Peller
Executive Assistant
(202) 965-6387
jpeller@resolv.org
NWCC WORKGROUP UPDATES
6th NWCC Wildlife-Wind Research Meeting, Nov 14-15, San Antonio, TX – For registration and other meeting details, click here. Topics to be covered in San Antonio 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.
Reserve your hotel room now! The room block at the Radisson Hotel – Downtown Market Square expires October 31.
The next NWCC Wildlife Workgroup Core Group meeting will be Nov 16th. For more information about these events, contact Madeleine West at mwest@resolv.org.
Recent Wildlife Workgroup subgroup activities include:
The Gaps Subgroup continues to revise its draft white paper on research gaps (as prioritized at the June Core Group meeting) in anticipation of the November meetings. 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.
Grassland and Shrub Steppe Species Collaborative (GS3C) – The next GS3C call has been rescheduled for October 25th at noon ET. On the last call, the researchers investigating the potential impacts of wind energy on prairie chickens talked about the quarterly report they submitted in July. Photos from the Spring 2006 season can be viewed at www.k-state.edu/bsanderc/wind/.
The second draft of the literature review on avian grassland/shrub steppe species and wind projects is expected in early October.
The draft grassland songbirds monitoring protocol is being revised by a protocol author and will be sent out to the subgroup for review.
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 has nearly completed her workplan on researching and assembling a “toolbox” of possible mitigation options related to wind project impacts on wildlife. Additional funds are being sought from wildlife groups to support additional work on this effort. The toolbox will be presented at the Wildlife Research Meeting VI in November.
The Mitigation Subgroup is also developing a panel on mitigation for the November wildlife research meeting. For more information or to become involved, contact Madeleine West at mwest@resolv.org.
Risk Assessment –The Risk Assessment Subgroup has been reconvened and the next conference call is scheduled for October 20, 2:00 pm ET to discuss a workplan. To become involved, contact Madeleine West, mwest@resolv.org.
Risk Assessment – The Risk Assessment Subgroup has been reconvened and the next conference call is scheduled for October 20, 2:00 pm ET to discuss a workplan. To become involved, contact Madeleine West, mwest@resolv.org.
A panel on risk assessment is being planned for the November wildlife research 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 November 8, 2:30pm ET. Please mark your calendars.
NCSL and NWCC staffs are parterning on a meeting to draw together legislators and other regional leaders to discuss regional coordination on wind energy siting. This concept is part of the NWCC Siting Workgroup blueprint approved by the Steering Committee after the July business meeting. Currently NCSL staff is touching base with stakeholders to get their perspective on topics of interest regarding wind power siting. Another NWCC Siting Workgroup call will be scheduled later this fall as this concept is developed for workgroup input and feedback.
The next Siting Workgroup call will be scheduled for later this fall—there will not be a call on October 18th. To join the Siting Workgroup listserve, please contact Jason Peller at jpeller@resolv.org.
NWCC Midwest Transmission Workshop VI is scheduled for December 4-5, 2006 in Bloomington, MN (Twin Cities). This event provides an opportunity to:
- Discuss policy and market drivers for building transmission (RPS, transmission authorities, REOs, etc) and their implications for wind energy in the Midwest
- Provide updates on regional and state transmission activities
- Review progress to date on transmission planning for wind energy in the Midwest and identify issues that remain to be addressed
The draft agenda, logistics, and online registration for this workshop are online.
On September 25th, the Midwest Transmission subgroup convened its latest conference call to review speaker invitations and other workshop planning. The subgroup is now compiling a list of perceived obstacles to wind energy transmission, which they plan to prioritize and present for discussion during the breakout sessions at the workshop. If you would like to submit obstacle ideas for this process, please contact Katie Kalinowski, kkalinowski@resolv.org.
Next steps, presentations, and the final participants list from the NWCC / WGA Leadership Forum: Implementing Transmission Recommendations in the West are online. NWCC and WGA staffs are collaborating to develop a quarterly newsletter on progress towards implementation of the wind and transmission recommendations discussed at the forum. Planning continues to form a Leadership Implementation team to further guide implementation efforts. The leadership forum summary is being finalized and will be available soon. For more information on Western transmission activities, contact Katie Kalinowski, kkalinowski@resolv.org.
The August/September Transmission Update brief is now available here. The update featured David Withrow from the California ISO and Larry Chaset from California PUC discussing transmission related statues and policies in their state. The next update is October 10th at 1 pm ET and will focus on the Texas PUC's draft rules on competitive renewable energy zones and a recently formed wind integration working group in the Pacific Northwest. Our speakers will be David Hurlbut of the Texas Public Utilities Commission and Elliot Mainzer from Bonneville Power Administration. To join the Transmission Update listserve, contact Jason Peller, jpeller@resolv.org.
The next Transmission Workgroup call is scheduled for November 21 at 2 pm ET and the next Transmission Update call will be October 10, 1 pm ET. Please mark your calendars.