NWCC NATIONAL WIND COORDINATING COMMITTEE

HIGHLIGHTS

October 15, 2006

DATES TO REMEMBER

Leadership Forum Summary & Sen. Domenici Address Available! The meeting summary from the July NWCC/WGA Leadership Forum on Implementing Transmission Recommendations in the West is now online. Taped remarks from Senator Pete Domenici, Chair of the U.S. Senate Energy Committee, played at the forum are also online - click here and look for the link under “Opening Remarks.” Note that depending on your internet connection, it may take some time for these files to open.

Register now for NWCC Midwest Transmission Workshop VI – Join regional and national leaders for this workshop on Dec 4-5, 2006 in Bloomington, MN (Twin Cities). The agenda, logistics, and registration are online.

NWCC CONFERENCE CALLS

Steering Committee Call
October 26 @ 1:00 pm ET

Wildlife Workgroup Call
November 8 @ 2:30 pm ET

Working Groups

Wildlife Research Meeting VI Planning Call
October 17 @ 2:00 pm ET

Midwest Transmission Planning Call
October 19 @ 1:00 pm ET

Risk Assessment Call
October 20 @ 2:00 pm ET

GS3C Call
October 25 @ noon ET

Core Group / Gaps Subgroup Call
October 30 @ 11:00am 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:

Gaps Subgroup – the subgroup and Core Group will hold a conference call on Oct 30th to review together the updated draft white paper on research gaps (as prioritized at the June Core Group meeting). The white paper will be presented in draft form for discussion at the NWCC Wildlife Research Meeting VI. Following the meeting, the Wildlife Workgroup plans to refine the white paper finalize it in 2007 as a consensus on research priorities.

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 nearly complete. A subgroup conference call will be scheduled for November to review the draft primer.

Mitigation Toolbox - The toolbox intern has finished researching and assembling a “toolbox” of possible mitigation options related to wind project impacts on wildlife. Additional funds are being sought from wildlife groups and industry to support further 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.

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 continue to explore opportunities to partner on a meeting to draw together legislators and other regional leaders to discuss regional coordination on wind energy siting. NCSL staff is reaching out to 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.

The next Midwest Transmission subgroup planning call was rescheduled for Oct 19th. The subgroup is 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.

The meeting summary and presentations 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. For more information on Western transmission activities, contact Katie Kalinowski, kkalinowski@resolv.org.

The October 10th Transmission Update call featured David Hurlbut from the Texas PUC talking about the PUC’s draft rules on competitive renewable energy zones and Elliot Mainzer from Bonneville Power Administration discussing a recently formed wind integration working group in the Pacific Northwest. A written brief based on this call is currently under development. Updates are available on the web. 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; please mark your calendars. The next Transmission Update call will be announced at a later date.