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Our
Wind Co-op Breaking Ground
Turbines On-Line in Washington and Montana
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| Don and Beverly Grim’s 10 kW turbine
in Peshastin, WA |
As more farmers realize the economic benefits
of producing home grown energy, wind turbines are once again
becoming common place in the wheat fields and range land of
America. Northwest SEED and its partners are helping rural
landowners lead an energy independence renaissance through
“Our Wind Co-op,” providing the spark needed to
get ideas and projects up and going.
Initial funding from the U.S. Department of
Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Bonneville
Environmental Foundation, a USDA Value-Added Development Grant,
and the Renewable Northwest Project has helped launch Our
Wind Coop to utilize the cooperative business model and install
4 of the initially planned 10 small-scale wind projects. With
another site under construction, the Co-op is working to bring
6 additional turbines on line in the Northwest by early 2004.
Big Sky Wind
Northwest SEED’s most recent “Energy
Independence” ceremonies took place in Stanford and
East Glacier, MT, this October. The well attended dedications
marked Montana’s first cooperatively-owned wind turbine
installations. The Bergey wind turbines will primarily serve
on-site electrical needs, with any surplus electricity fed
into the power grid for use by neighboring utility customers.
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| Sarah Peterson
places guy wire clamps on Jess Alger’s turbine in
Stanford, MT |
The Stanford site, a 1200-acre cattle
ranch and wheat farm nestled in the Judith Basin, is owned
by Jess Alger, a fourth generation Montana farmer. Like much
of the area, Stanford experiences steady Class 3 winds. Mounted
on a 100-foot guyed tower, the 10 kW turbine is expected to
produce 18,000 kWh each year, enough to offset all of the
electricity used on the Alger Ranch. It has already generated
1,500 kWh since installation in late September.
In East Glacier, bison rancher Doug Nelson installed
his 10 kW turbine on a 60-foot guyed tower in October and
is working to repair damage caused during an extreme wind
storm. Located on the Blackfeet Reservation a few miles east
of Glacier National Park, Nelson’s 700-acre ranch is
in a Class 4 wind area. The turbine is expected to produce
20,000 kWh each year, enough to supply power for Nelson’s
shop, his extensive electric fences, and partially offset
electricity needed for his ranch operations.
Liberty County Commissioner Don Marble is overseeing
installation of Our Wind Coop’s third Montana turbine,
slated to come on line in early December 2003 near the county’s
maintenance shop in Chester. With funding provided by Northwestern
Energy’s Universal Systems Benefit (USB) program and
the State Department of Environmental Quality, the National
Center for Appropriate Technology has provided significant
support for Our Wind Coop’s Montana installations.
Washington Update
Beverly and Don Grim’s 10 kW wind
turbine, mounted on a 100-foot free standing tower in Peshastin,
WA, was energized in May 2003, serving as the kickoff to Our
Wind Co-op. The July 3rd “Energy Independence”
ceremony was well attended by project partners and local politicians,
including State Representative Mike Armstrong and several
Chelan County and PUD Commissioners.
Landowner Ed Kennell installed a 10 kW turbine
on an 80-foot guyed tower this November on Luna Butte near
Goldendale, WA, marking the latest addition to the Co-op lineup.
Northwest SEED is planning a third inauguration ceremony for
Our Wind Coop in January 2004 to celebrate the growing popularity
of both small and large-scale wind projects in Klickitat County.
What is Our Wind Co-op?
Our Wind Co-op is a unique cooperative
assisting farmers, ranchers and rural facilities to invest
in small-scale wind turbines across the Northwest. In partnership
with the Northwest Cooperative Development Center, the Last
Mile Electric Cooperative, and Climate Solutions, Northwest
SEED is continuing to pursue additional sites in Washington,
Oregon and Idaho to reach our goal of installing ten wind
systems by Spring 2004.
The energy production of all turbines participating
in the Co-op will be monitored and reported on the ourwind.org
website to allow co-op members and the general public to observe
turbine performance. The environmental attributes of this
energy will be aggregated, marketed and sold as Co-op “Green
Tags” to provide additional ongoing revenue, which adds
to the economic viability of the effort.
To learn more about Our Wind Co-op, visit: www.ourwind.org
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Hot Off the
Press:
Permitting Small Wind Turbines
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Small wind turbine owners have
traditionally encountered an overwhelming task in sorting
through siting considerations and confusing regulations. Now
help has arrived. Northwest SEED recently released a comprehensive
guide for small wind turbine owners, in collaboration with
the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) and the California
Energy Commission. It highlights special state incentives
to lower the costs of small-scale installations and can be
used by local officials seeking to understand and improve
permitting regulations affecting these energy systems.
The handbook is a case study of California’s groundbreaking
state law (AB 1207) which established permitting standards
for small wind systems at local levels.The handbook is a useful
tool for counties and residents outside California, providing
current information to address the most common concerns raised
in response to small wind turbine installations. Among the
issues covered are visual impacts, acoustics, concern for
wildlife, and property values. It also includes a model small
wind zoning ordinance which AWEA encourages counties to adopt,
and recommendations for best practices with a list of “Do’s
and Don’ts” for counties reviewing small wind
permit applications.
This handbook concludes with an extensive reference section
that includes contact information and links for county officials,
state programs that offer incentives for small wind turbines,
wind maps and rankings of counties and zip codes by windy
acreage to aid direct marketing efforts, turbine dealers and
manufacturers, and advocacy groups that promote residential
energy systems.
To order printed copies of the handbook, contact:
California Energy Commission, at 916-654-4058 or email renewable@energy.state.ca.us
Download a copy online at www.awea.org/smallwind/documents/permitting.pdf
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Energy
Atlas: Idaho Version Newly Released
In November of 2003 Northwest SEED released
the Idaho State Edition of The Renewable Energy Atlas of the
West. Extracted from the original publication which covered
the potential of renewable resources in the entire Northwest,
the Idaho Edition is a resource for Idaho based policy makers,
advocates, landowners, developers and others looking toward
renewable options for electricity production. click
to download the Idaho Edition of the Energy Atlas.
Utilizing state-of-the-art GIS technology, the Atlas synthesizes
data and presents graphical representations of potential solar,
geothermal, biomass, and wind resources in Idaho. The Idaho
Edition is a focused publication that combines the best existing
renewable resource maps and data into a single comprehensive,
publicly available document and interactive Web site. Online
zoom-in maps are available at: www.energyatlas.org.
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Energy
Policy Update
Building regional and national support
for renewables
Northwest SEED is working alongside its
partners in the Renew Washington campaign to ensure that a
growing portion of our state’s electricity needs will
be met by power from clean renewable energy sources. Already
many utilities and producers are primed to meet that goal.
At the national level Northwest SEED continues to support
renewable energy provisions in the federal energy bill, including
incentives and standards to stimulate significant economic
and market growth in renewable energy production.
Renewing Washington: The Benefits
As one of the core campaign partners, Northwest
SEED is working closely with the Renewable Northwest Project,
the NW Energy Coalition, and the Washington Public Interest
Research Group, and numerous other organizations and businesses
to create financial incentives and regulatory assurances to
promote wind, biomass, solar and other home-grown renewable
energy sources, as well as to increase energy efficiency throughout
the state. Northwest SEED is helping the campaign link farmers
and ranchers with urban green power supporters to create a
strong base of support for public policy to establish a market
for clean energy resources.
Recently the Renew Washington campaign asked
Opinion Dynamics Corporation, a national public-opinion research
firm based in Cambridge, Mass., to assess voter attitudes
on energy issues and proposed Energy Portfolio legislation.
The bill sets reasonable goals for electric utilities to gradually
increase the amount of energy they acquire from renewable
resources as well as reduce the energy their customers use
through building efficiency programs and energy-saving appliances
and lighting.
The poll results show strong support in the
state of Washington for such goals. Nine out of ten Washington
voters back efforts to establish more renewable energy and
energy efficiency in the state. A clear majority of those
polled also agree that more renewable energy sources would
benefit the state with jobs, stable electric rates and increased
tax revenues. The survey shows that nearly two-thirds of the
state’s voters support standards for utility investments
in renewable energy and energy efficiency, with similar support
from both Republicans and Democrats and voters in both eastern
and western Washington. These voters cite economic benefits
such as more jobs, new sources of farm income and stable electric
rates.
Farmers and rural communities throughout the
state and nation are beginning to reap rewards from biomass,
wind, solar and energy efficiency measures that help improve
the bottom line on their farm operations and aid grid stability
in their communities. The growing interest in and support
for renewables and efficiency is yielding successful discussions
with utilities and other stakeholders regarding public policy
to set renewable energy and energy efficiency goals.
National Renewable Electricity Standard
(RES)
Northwest SEED has been working hard to
ensure that comprehensive energy legislation emerging from
Congress includes strong provisions to support renewable energy
development in our nation. In September Senators Bingaman
(D-NM) and Collins (R-ME) sent a letter in support of a federal
Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) to Energy Committee Chairs
Senator Domenici (R-NM) and Representative Tauzin (R-LA),
the Chair of the House Energy committee. In an impressive
showing of support, fifty-three Senators signed on to this
letter, including Northwest Senators Gordon Smith (R-OR),
Ron Wyden (D-OR), Max Baucus (D-MT), Patty Murray (D-WA) and
Maria Cantwell (D-WA). Northwest SEED would like to especially
recognize Oregon’s Senator Smith for taking a leadership
role among his fellow Republicans by supporting the RES.
With the House and Senate racing to pass a comprehensive energy
bill before their winter recess, meaningful discussion of
an RES took a back seat to contentious debates on increased
oil and nuclear production incentives, fuel additives, and
oil drilling in Alaska. Although some incentives for renewables
were included in the conference bill presented for a vote,
the bill lacked strong provisions - like an RES - to promote
renewable energy. Last week the House of Representatives voted
to pass an energy bill without such measures, but a disagreement
about some provisions has pushed a final vote on the conference
bill in the Senate until at least January.
Upcoming Action
As the issues of national and state energy
portfolio legislation are debated over the coming months,
Northwest SEED will continue our efforts to ensure that energy
policy reflects the public’s widespread support for
renewable energy: homegrown energy for our economy, for our
energy security, and for our communities. Visit the Northwest
SEED website (www.nwseed.org)
and sign up for email updates to stay informed about the national
energy debate. Keep up to date on the Washington State issues
through the Renew Washington campaign site (www.renewwashington.org).
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Volunteer
Hall of Fame
Our volunteers are essential for
us to carry out our mission to promote renewable energy and
economic opportunities in rural areas. We appreciate volunteers’
dedication and the priceless gifts of their time, talents
and resources.
Matt Carr
Carsten Croff
Trent Elwing
Mary Harris
Harvey Hawks
Patrick Kilcline
Dinky Pfeifle
Vivian Shin
Kevin Snively
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STRENGTHENING THE RURAL ECONOMY
