What obstacles exist to the siting of wind generation

1

• What obstacles exist to the siting of wind
  generation?
• Lisa Linowes, Industrial Wind Action GroupNARUC
  Wind Siting SessionNovember 14, 2007Anaheim,
  California

2

• Benefit Cost Trade-off
• THE OBSTACLES
• Unreliable generation
• Noise and health effects
• Property value questions
• Wildlife and habitat impacts
• Aesthetics

3

• Grid interconnection requests by region (as of
  10/07)
• New England (NE ISO) 2,100 MW
• New York (NY ISO) 6,800 MW
• Mid-Atlantic region (PJM) 24,500 MW (northern
  IN and IL)
• Mid-West region (MISO) 65,500 MW
• Texas (ERCOT) 35,500 MW (most of TX)
• South-central region (SPP) 19,300 MW (KS, OK,
  TX panhandle)
• Western region (WECC) 11,200 MW (entire
  western US)
• TOTAL 164,900 MW
• Notes
• a) rounded to nearest 100 MW
• some numbers may be inflated due to occasional
  multiple interconnection study applications
• entry in the queue does not guarantee a project
  will be built however, it is an indicator of
  activity.

4

• FROM WEST COAST
• Intermittent resource.
• Cant be counted on to meet peak load.
• Typically doesnt blow on hottest days of the
  year.
• Less than 10 of nameplate at summer peak.

Source California ISO integration of renewable
resources report (Draft) 9/07
5

• TO EAST COAST
• Highly VariableWind speeds are highly variable
  hour to hour (see graph).
• Pay real-time RatesDeviation from day-ahead
  schedule pay real-time rate for energy
  imbalance.
• Reserve ChargesAll energy produced above/ below
  day-ahead tolerance band assessed operating
  reserve charges.

Source Independent Economic Assessment of the
Proposed Bluewater Offshore Wind Farm 11/07
6

• TO EUROPE
• Two major studies, identical conclusions
• wind energy provides 8 effective capacity.
• The relative contribution of wind power to
  Germanys guaranteed capacity will fall
  continuously to 4 by 2020.
• Given forecast wind capacity of over 48,000MW ,
  only 2,000MW of traditional power production
  replaced by wind .

Source E.ON Netz GmbH Wind Report 2005
7

The noise is at times unbearable. At best we
get a constant pulsating thump from the blades
During summer months it sometimes becomes
impossible for us to sit out in our garden. When
we go inside the pulsating noise is so
invasive. Letter in the Carmarthen Journal May
2005
Noise? Yes, unbearable and theres no escape.
Noise and vibrations from the turbines penetrate
our homes. At times there is no escape from it.
It doesnt matter which room you go to, there is
no escape. It ranges from the sound of a high
range jet to a fleet of planes approaching but
never arrive. When its really bad it takes on a
repetitive, pulsating, thumping noise that can go
on for hours or even days. W. Todd Testimony
to ME Wind Power Task Force Sep 2007
Other issues shadow strobe, flicker
8
Noise Lots of research limited understanding
9

• Property devaluation?
• Studies not conclusive methodologies questioned.

Somerset PA (above) disturbed Lempster
NH (left) pristine
10

• Wildlife and habitat?
• Precautionary principle should prevail.

• Annual kill of bats by wind turbines in only the
  Mid-Atlantic Highlands region is projected to be
  111,000 by 2020. (Kunz et.al)
• Thousands of birds/bats killed yearly at
  individual wind sites in WV, TN, PA, NY and
  Alberta. Altamont is not an anomaly!
  (post-construction surveys)
• Only modest investments in monitoring and data
  collection. In some cases, researchers locked out
  (NAS report, 5/07)

11

• Economic opportunity?
• Costs of industrializing rural America
• Inflated economic gain, jobs
• Costs for backup power and transmission
• Active lobbying for reduced tax burden

myth
12

Canadian project (left) Spearville KS (below)
reality
13
Elk River KS the flint hills
100 1.5 MW turbines
Images courtesy Kevin Sink
14
What can you do?

• Recognize wind farms and wind parks for what
  they are Electric generating
  facilities.
• Look before you embrace
  
  Contradicting research should raise a red flag.
• Enable public-friendly proceedings
  
  Participation should not be exempted as
  recently happened in MD.
• Instigate state and local guidelines
• Protect the public and the
  environment from negative impacts.

15
Thank You

• Lisa Linowes
• www.windaction.org
• 603-838-6588