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Commonwealth Wind: Program Refinements and Research Projects

Commonwealth Wind: Program Refinements and Research Projects. Mass. Wind Working Group July 18, 2012. Installed Wind Generating Capacity. Wind Project Development Challenges. Economic competitiveness Competition with regional wind projects Competition with other renewable energy sources

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Commonwealth Wind: Program Refinements and Research Projects

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  1. Commonwealth Wind: Program Refinements and Research Projects Mass. Wind Working Group July 18, 2012

  2. Installed Wind Generating Capacity

  3. Wind Project Development Challenges • Economic competitiveness • Competition with regional wind projects • Competition with other renewable energy sources • Expiration of federal PTC/ITC; uncertainty regarding renewal • Siting and Community Acceptance • No standardized siting rules to guide project reviews • Strident opposition with conflicting messages, especially regarding health • General lack of wind/energy literacy for public and decision-makers, • Minimal public outreach/stakeholder engagement in early project development stages

  4. Program Refinements: Economic Competitiveness • Community scale projects • Re-evaluate funding levels for design and construction to address expiration of federal incentives • Commercial projects • Monitor and support state policy developments

  5. Program Refinements to address: Siting and Community Acceptance - 1 • Require stakeholder engagement and public education at all development stages • Support use of facilitation services • Support or provide “wind energy 101 and 201” sessions • Undertake comprehensive energy planning exercises in communities/regions • Remove some program distinction between community scale and commercial projects • Extend site assessment services to private, community scale projects • Use the same solicitation for both types of projects at site assessment and feasibility study stages • Providing additional funding for pre-construction acoustic studies

  6. Revised Program Structure Business Planning Grant Design & Construction Grant Site Assessment Services Wind Monitoring Feasibility Study Acoustic Study 100+ kW Development Grants and Loans Education and Facilitation Services Legend Cmty. & Cmrcl. Community Only Commercial Only Small Only Construction Rebates < 100 kW

  7. Program Refinements to address: Siting and Community Acceptance - 2 • Provide information resources at MassCEC.com • Environmental benefits • Property values • Acoustics • Health • Grid integration • Others . . . • Target MassCEC support to well-sited projects with good prospects for obtaining local approvals • Employ rigorous analysis and conservative assumptions • Employ solid public engagement and education processes

  8. Research Projects - 1 • Pre-construction acoustic study methodology – done • Property value study with regional focus – in process • MA focused/Smaller projects • Residential transactions at multiple distances and periods • Solicitation for projects needing to evaluate alternative grid upgrade solutions – coming soon • Falmouth Wind Turbine Options Process – in process • Facilitation and technical support in response to request from Town • Kingston acoustic monitoring • Technical support in response to request from developer • Results will inform developer, Town boards, state officials and general public, but do not constitute a compliance test

  9. Research Projects - 2 • Research Study on Wind Turbine Acoustics • Collaboration between MassDEP and MassCEC • Objectives • Measure the level and quality of sound emissions from a variety of operating wind projects in Massachusetts • Seek to understand and quantify the influence of variables including turbine type and size, wind conditions, topography and distance • This is a research study, not a compliance test • Measurements and analysis will be done by a consulting group selected by MassDEP and MassCEC • RFP to be released soon

  10. Thank You . . . MassCEC Commonwealth Wind Team Nils Bolgen NBolgen@masscec.com 617-315-9311 Peter McPhee PMcPhee@masscec.com 617-315-9343 Leigh Cameron LCameron@masscec.com 617-315-9315 Tyler Studds TStudds@masscec.com 617-315-9378 Seth Federspiel SFederspiel@masscec.com www.masscec.com

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