CESA has been awarded a two-year grant from the U.S. Department
of Energy to develop new organizational and analysis
activities to advance outreach and provide technical assistance
to state agencies and officials across the nation regarding
the merits, approaches, and policy tools available to accelerate
wind project development.
CESA will facilitate peer-to-peer communication between
CESA state members with advanced wind programs, DOE representatives,
and state
leaders to identify and promote adoption of best siting
practices, innovative state wind policies and effective
finance programs.
The specific objectives of States Advancing Wind project
are to:
1. provide information and technical assistance to state
leaders and state energy programs in the development of effective
wind siting policies and finance programs.
2. identify, describe, and foster state practices and strategies
to accelerate acceptance of wind.
3. identify and promote strategic opportunities for states
and federal to advance wind technology deployment through
partnerships, collaboration, and targeted activities .
4. advance state and federal cooperation to advance offshore
wind development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)
Upcoming Webinars and Other Events
October 5, 2010 - 1-2:30 pm ET: How public officials
can objectively assess the visual effects of wind development.
Registration information coming
soon.
CESA
Webinars and Presentations
June 1,
2010
Title: Effective Public Financing Tools to Support
Distributed Wind Development - Webinar
Hosted by: Clean Energy States Alliance
This webinar explored the variety of useful and innovative financing
tools that states can use to support greater deployment of distributed
wind projects,
as well as tools states can use to complement existing federal financing
mechanisms such as the Investment Tax Credit and Treasury Cash Grant. This
webinar is the second in a series of state wind policy briefings organized
by Clean Energy States Alliance's States Advancing Wind project. It is
made
possible by the Department of Energy's Wind Powering America State Outreach
Project.
Audio
File (Window Media Format)
Speakers included:
-Mark Bolinger, Research Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory: Quantifying the Value of theSection 1603 Treasury
Cash Grant to Community Wind Projects
-John Harper, Managing Director of Project Investments,
Global Energy Investors: Considerations
in Financing Community Wind Projects (pdf)
-Charles Kubert, Project Director, Clean Energy States Alliance: Financing
Community and Distributed Wind Projects: Possible Role for the States (pdf)
April 8, 2010
State Policies and Programs to Advance Distributed
Wind Projects - Webinar
Hosted by: Clean Energy States Alliance
Many
states are recognizing the value of supporting “behind
the meter” community-scale wind energy projects
at public facilities, schools, and private businesses.
These projects fit neatly into local electric distribution
systems and help to build local support for wind energy
while providing long-term control of energy costs for
the host facilities. States have supported these projects
with both financial and technical assistance. This webinar
will explore the economics of these distributed wind
projects and state programs to support them. This webinar
is the first in a series of state wind policy briefings
organized by Clean Energy States Alliance's States Advancing
Wind project.
Audio
and Video File of the Webinar: Windows Media format
Presentations: PDF Format
-Charlie Kubert, Project Director, Clean Energy States Alliance
-Carter
Wall, Executive Director, Renewable Energy-Massachusetts Clean Energy
Center
-Bill
Basa, Director-Public Policy, Northern Power Systems
-Charles
Newcomb, NexGen Energy Partners, LLC
Reports
 AWEA
Small Wind Turbine Global Market Study, a
new report from the American Wind Energy Association, finds
that the U.S. market for small wind energy systems (up to
100
kW) is prospering, expanding 15% in 2009 and accounting for
about half of the units sold in the entire world. June 2010.
Supporting
On-Site Distributed Wind Generation Projects, by Charles
Kubert and Mark Sinclair, Clean Energy States Alliance. CESA
has prepared this
state wind energy program guide for state
clean energy fund managers and policymakers that support
the installation
of on-site,
behind-the-meter
wind turbines at private businesses and municipal and other
public facilities. The program guide lays out the many policy
actions which states can take to encourage the development
of these projects, among these are: project feasibility assessment
support, grant and other incentive programs, interconnection
and net
metering policies and model zoning ordinances. The guide
also provides case studies of the leading state clean energy
funds providing support to this market. May 2010.
Preliminary
Evaluation of the Impact of the Section 1603 Treasury Grant
Program on Renewable Energy
Deployment in 2009, by Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory for the Committee on Ways and Means of the U.S.
House of Representatives. This report examines the effect
of the 30% Treasury cash grant-in-lieu-of-tax credit - a
provision
of
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act - on deployment
of renewable energy in 2009. Among other findings, the report
determines that the program was heavily subscribed, especially
by wind projects, and motivated 2,400 MW of wind installations
that might not otherwise have happened (and 3,860 associated
long-term, full-time jobs along with over 50,000 short-term
jobs). April 2010.
State
and Provincial Land-Based Wind Farm Siting Policy in the
Great Lakes Region: Summary and Analysis (link)
Created by the Great Lakes Wind Collaborative to compare and contrast Great Lakes
state and provincial policies affecting wind farm development, from siting guidelines
to enforceable regulations to a hybrid of the two approaches, in order to identify
which policies are potentially most effective and innovative. January 2010. See: http://www.glc.org/energy/wind/pdf/GLWC-LandBasedSiting-Jan2010.pdf
The
Impact of Wind Power Projects on Residential Property Values
in the United States: A Multi-Site Hedonic Analysis (link)
This report, by Ryan Wiser and Ben Hoen of Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratories, describes an empirical analysis performed
by the authors that found that proximity to wind energy facilities
does not have a pervasive or widespread adverse effect on
the property values of nearby homes. December 2009. See http://eetd.lbl.gov/ea/ems/reports/lbnl-2829e-ppt.pdf
Emerging
Renewables Program Small Wind Incentives Study (link)
Prepared for the California Energy Commission by KEMA Consulting.
KEMA examined fluctuating and declining demand for wind
incentives in California since the
emergence of the California Energy Commission’s Emerging Renewables Program
in 1998. Factors influencing demand include a maturing infrastructure for installers
and manufacturers, increasing public exposure to small wind and renewables
systems, changing system costs, and varying incentives. KEMA’s recommendations
include keeping the current incentive level while encouraging customers to
take advantage of the newly uncapped federal Investment Tax Credit, as well
as revising equipment certification processes and developing production, planning,
and siting tools and regimes. July 2009.
See http://www.energy.ca.gov/2009publications/CEC-300-2009-003/CEC-300-2009-003.PDF
Wind
Turbine Sound and Health Effects: An Expert Panel Review,
prepared for AWEA and Canadian Wind Energy Association, December
2009.
Finance
State-Based
Financing Tools to Support Distributed and Community Wind
Projects, by Charles Kubert and Mark Sinclair, Clean
Energy States Alliance. This state wind energy program
guide was created to help state clean energy fund managers
and policymakers examine the various ways states can provide
financial support for distributed wind projects. The options
available to states range from rebates and loans to bridge
financing and renewable portfolio standards, and should be
evaluated in light of the availability of tax and other incentives
available at the federal level. The report also looks at
third-party financing, which is increasingly being used by
private and public entities to develop projects in
tight financial times. May 2010.
Revealing
the Hidden Value that the Federal Investment Tax Credit
and Treasury Cash Grant Provide to Community Wind
Projects, by Mark Bolinger of Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, looks at the positive impact of the financial
crisis of 2008-2009 and subsequent stimulus package provisions,
including the ITC and grant-in-lieu of ITC, on community
wind project development in the U.S. January 2010.
See http://eetd.lbl.gov/ea/ems/reports/lbnl-2909e.pdf
Community
Wind Financing is a handbook developed by
the Environmental Law and Policy Center to help farmers and
other people in rural communities understand how to finance
locally owned wind power projects. It includes information
on ownership structures, roles of financial intermediaries,
and sources of federal and state financial support. October
2009. See
http://elpc.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/ELPC-Community-Wind-Book-09.pdf
2008
Wind Technologies Report, by Ryan Wiser and Mark Bolinger
of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory reflects on the
growth of the wind industry from 2008-2009. In this timeframe,
8,559 MW of new capacity was added, almost 60% more than
the previous year. The U.S. continues to lead the world
in annual wind capacity growth, and overtook Germany to
take the lead in cumulative installed capacity. The report
examines these statistics, along with analyses of market
forces, manufacturers, financing and contract mechanisms,
technologies, and forecasts. July 2009. See http://eetd.lbl.gov/EA/emp/reports/2008-wind-technologies.pdf
State Guides
Small
Wind Electric Systems: A Maryland Consumer's Guide (Revised
August 2009) (PDF 1.1 MB) by NREL.
Homeowners, ranchers, and small businesses can use wind-generated
electricity to reduce their utility bills. The purpose of
this guide is to provide consumers with basic information
about small wind electric systems to help them determine
if wind energy will meet their needs.
Model
Amendment to a Zoning Ordinance or By-law Allowing Conditional
Use of Wind Energy Facilities: this model by-law, prepared
by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental
Affairs, was designed to help cities and towns establish
reasonable
standards for wind power development. See http://www.mass.gov/Eoeea/docs/doer/renewables/wind/model-wind-bylaw-0810.pdf
Wind
Energy Development and the Comprehensive Plan: Part of New
York State Energy Research & Development Authority’s
(NYSERDA’s) Wind Energy Toolkit. This guide was designed
to help local planning officials integrate wind into their
municipal and regional plans.
See http://www.powernaturally.org/Programs/Wind/toolkit/1_windenergydevplan.pdf
Wind
Energy Model Ordinance Options: New York State Energy Research & Development
Authority (NYSERDA). This handbook is designed to help local
planning officials assess their options for adopting ordinances
for wind energy development. See http://www.powernaturally.org/Programs/Wind/toolkit/2_windenergymodel.pdf
Resources
Small
Wind Energy News, is a website from the folks at IREC,
which also publishes the Small
Wind Newsletter each month, to keep readers up-to-date
on the latest news and resources for small wind.
"Midsize
Wind Turbines for the U.S. Community Wind Market"
EERE Webinar (April 28, 2010). NREL Senior Project Leader Trudy Forsyth presents
this TAP Webinar on the DOE midsize wind turbine development project.
Wind
Powering America Program (link)
The Department of Energy’s Wind Powering America Program’s goal
is to dramatically increase the use of wind energy in the U.S. by working with
states, regions, the agricultural community, Native Americans, utilities, and
schools to spur wind power development. The site includes an overview of existing
installed wind capacity by state, wind resource maps, and a listing of current
state activities focused on wind, amongst many other tools and publications.
New
Wind Resource Maps and Wind Potential Estimates for the
U.S. (link) prepared by NREL and AWS Truewind, LLC,
of Albany, New York.
Governors'
Wind Energy Coalition (link) - a bipartisan group of
the nation’s governors who are dedicated to the development
of the nation’s wind energy resources to meet America’s
domestic energy demands in an environmentally responsible
manner—while reducing the nation’s dependence
on imported energy sources and stimulating state and national
economic development. See the GWC's recent wind energy
recommendations to the President and Congress:
New
England Wind Forum Newsletter (link)
Produced by Sustainable Energy Advantage, LLC under contract to the Wind Powering
America Program of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
DOE
20% Wind Energy by 2030 Project (link)
DOE’s technical report, “20% Wind Energy by 2030: Increasing Wind
Energy’s Contribution to U.S. Electricity Supply,” explores one
scenario for reaching the 20% goal by 2030 and contrasts it to a scenario in
which no new wind power capacity is installed in the U.S. It examines costs,
impacts, and challenges associated with this goal, along with requirements
for technology, manufacturing, transmission, markets, environment, and siting
to make this goal a reality. The report concludes that the U.S. possesses ample
wind resources to meet this goal.
NREL
Eastern Wind Integration and Transmission Study (EWITS) (link)
The National Renewable Energy Lab analyzed the challenges and implications
of shifting 20% of the Eastern Interconnection’s load to wind by 2024
in this report, which finds that while this shift is technically feasible,
it will require significant expansion of transmission infrastructure.
States Advancing Wind Listserve
Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) would like to invite
you to join a new STATES ADVANCING WIND PEER NETWORK
as part of the DOE’s Wind Powering America State
Outreach Project. The goal of this initiative is to create
a peer-to-peer network for sharing information on the merits,
approaches, best program practices, and policy tools available
for states to accelerate wind project development. The
information that will be provided will include briefing
papers and notices of in-depth webinars on specific topics
such as best siting practices, innovative policy tools,
and emerging finance mechanisms for wind projects, as well
as real-time information on state wind activities. The
objective is to provide objective, quality, targeted information
for state officials and those interested in state wind
policy, not to overwhelm you with too much information
too frequently – and to seed opportunities for collaboration.
To join the listserve, please send an email to Anne
Margolis (anne@cleanegroup.org) with “Wind listserve” in
the subject line and include your contact information.
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