Transcript Developing & Marketing New Wind Energy

ADDRESSING THE ISSUES
Calumet County Board
May 20, 2008
Tom Swierczewski, AICP
• Project Coordinator for Midwest Wind Energy
and Principal Coordinator for Stonybrook
• BS in Community and Regional Planning from
Iowa State University
• Member American Institute of Certified Planners
• Professional Planner for 11 yrs
• City Planner and Zoning Official for City of
Geneva, IL
Midwest Wind Energy
 Leading Developer of Wind Power Projects in Midwest
 Current Project Development Portfolio > 1500 MWs
• Developed Cedar Ridge (80 MW, Fond du Lac County)
and Butler Ridge (54 MW, Dodge County)
• 530 MWs targeted for construction in 2008
 Goal: 1500 MWs by 2010
 Responsible for Project Development
• “Concept to Construction”
Edison Mission Group
Subsidiary of Edison International (NYSE – EIX)
• EIX - Assets totaling over $36 billion
EMG is a Leading Independent Power Producer
• 9000 MWs Owned and Operated in the U.S.
 Leader in Renewable Energy
• Currently Owns/Operates 1055 MWs of Wind Power
• 5th Largest Owner of Wind Power in the U.S.
Why Calumet County?
 Unique wind
resource
 Proximity to
transmission
 Land use
compatibility
 Regulatory
environment
(before recent
amendments)
Wisconsin’s Wind
Resource
Calumet County is
located in the heart of
Wisconsin’s Best wind
resource area
Subject Site
Town Zoning
• Town of Brothertown Zoning Ordinance Exempts Wind
Energy Facilities from Town Zoning
• Defers siting authority to Calumet County Wind Energy
Facility Ordinance
• Thus, Wind Energy Facilities are permitted in the Town
of Brothertown with a County permit
County Zoning
• Wind Turbines are PERMITTED in Calumet County subject
to a siting permit per Chapter 79 of the County Code (“Wind
Energy Facility Ordinance”)
• “Wind Energy Facilities are permitted in Calumet County
provided the operation is in compliance with [the WEF
Ordinance.] The ability of the applicant to create, enlarge or
modify a Wind Energy Facility is not debatable….”
• WEF Ordinance has Strict Application Requirements and
Regulations that Protect Public Health and Safety
State Statute
• Section 66.0401 of Wisconsin Statutes. “No county, town,
city or village may place any restriction on the installation of
a wind energy system unless the restriction serves to
preserve or protect the public health and safety.”
ORD. 04-77
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION III OF THE
ZONING ORDINANCE REGARDING AGRICULTURAL
DISTRICT
WHEREAS, Wisconsin Statute Section 66.0401
provides limited authority for towns to regulate wind
energy systems; and…
Summary of Existing
Regulations
• Wind turbines are legally permitted in Brothertown
• Wind turbines are legally permitted in Calumet County
• Wisconsin State Law strictly limits local governments’
ability to restrict wind turbines
• Fact: Landowners in Calumet County are legally
entitled to install wind turbines with a County permit.
• Fact: Recently adopted regulations make developing
utility scale wind farms impossible.
Project timeline/history
October 2005 – August 2006
•
Calumet County adopts wind energy ordinance
•
MWE Identified Proposed Project Area, Analyzed
available wind data and transmission system
•
Held Public Information Meeting
•
Erected 2 met towers on site and initiated land acquisition
•
Prepared Preliminary Turbine Layout Plan
•
Filed Interconnection Request w/ATC
•
Held on-site visits w/WDNR & USFWS
•
Conducted Landowner Meetings
Project timeline/history
August 2006 – January 2007
• Wind energy opponents sought to amend County
Ordinance to eliminate wind turbine development in
Calumet County
• MWE Suspended Development Activities – took “wait and
see” approach
• MWE attended County meetings and public hearings –
submitted evidence and testimony
• Calumet County rejected opponents’ amendments and
upheld current ordinance
• Opponents filed Federal lawsuit against County
Project timeline/history
February 2007 – August 2007
• MWE resumed development activities
• Avian Risk, Environmental Site and Geological
Assessments
• Started to Finalize Turbine Layout Plan
• Met w/County Staff re: permit application requirements
• Opponents request Town of Stockbridge to restrict wind
turbines
• Town of Stockbridge Imposes Moratorium
• Town of Stockbridge drafts new “license ordinance”
• MWE reconfigured project to locate all turbines in
Brothertown
Project timeline/history
August 2007 – Present
• Opponents initiate anti-wind energy campaign
• Opponents again seek amendments to County ordinance
• County will not consider amendments due to pending
Federal lawsuit
• Opponents move to withdraw lawsuit
• Ad-Hoc Committee on wind is formed, trip to Crescent
Ridge is taken, amendments adopted precluding wind
development in Calumet County
• MWE suspends development activity and begins
preparations for PSC submittal
Addressing the Issues
• Groundwater Impacts
• Impact on Property Values
• Shadow Flicker
• Company Accountability (if something goes wrong)
• Benefits of Wind Energy
Groundwater Impacts
• SBW understands the issue well:
– Local bedrock is frequently fractured because of the
area’s Karst geology
– Excavation could expose existing fractures or crack
the bedrock further allowing contaminants to enter
the shallow aquifers
– This is a real problem that applies to any excavation,
including foundations for new homes.
Groundwater Impacts
• Pre-construction planning can avoid this problem
• SBW has mapped all visible Karst features including sink
holes and cracks in the ground
• SBW has located turbines to avoid these areas
• SBW will obtain rock core samples at each turbine site to
determine existing condition of the rock
• If the core indicates unsound subsurface rock then SBW
will use construction techniques to minimize fractures:
– Quick-setting cements and anchors to seal cracks
– Avoid drilling, blasting or hammering on the bedrock
• These measures are currently being implemented in the
Blue Sky/Green Field project
Property Values
Economic Impacts of Wind Power in Kittitas County, WA, prepared
by EcoNorthwest, November 2002.
Evaluated impact from 22 wind farms across the country
Property Values
Renewable Energy Policy Project, May 2003
• Analyzed over 25,000 records of property sales within 5 miles
of 10 different wind farms using 3 methodologies
Property Values
• A Real Estate Study of the Proposed Forward Wind Energy
Center, Dodge and Fond du Lac Counties, WI, by Polletti and
Associates, May 20, 2005 for the PSC of Wisconsin
• Investigated property sales in the Town of Lincoln, Kewaunee
County, WI and at Mendota Hills, Lee County, IL
Property Values
• Impact of Windmill Visibility on Property Values in Madison
County, NY, Bard Center for Environmental Policy, 4/2006
• Analyzed impact on 280 homes near a 20-turbine wind farm
Shadow Flicker
• Blade shadow flicker can be observed when:
– Sun is visible near sunrise or sunset (24% sunny, 28%
partly sunny)
– Wind direction causes rotor to be parallel to observer.
– Direct line of sight between observer, turbine and sun. No
trees or other obstructions
– Short duration event due to sun’s movement
• Rate of “flicker” is approximately 1/second
• 1000’ setbacks are more than adequate to mitigate effects of
shadow flicker
• No known studies attributing shadow flicker from wind farms
to health or safety issues
Microwave Beampath
Interference
• All beampaths have
been mapped
• All turbines are
located outside of
beam paths
• Turbines are either
in a beampath or
they’re out.
• No need for further
setback if they’re
not in a beampath.
Ice “Throws”
(Ice Shedding)
• Icing only occurs with an infrequent combination of
temperature, humidity & low wind speed - May occur 1-4
times per year
• Turbines automatically shut down when ice forms due to
blade imbalance
• Wet snow or ice sloughs off around the base of the turbine
• Setbacks are more than adequate to protect public safety
• With over 10,000 operating turbines in U.S. never a report
of ice related injury
Company
Accountability
• Who do we call if something goes wrong?
– On-site operation and maintenance center open 40 hours
per week
– 24-hour emergency telephone number available for afterhours calls
• What if the company abandons the wind farm?
– SBW provides financial security to guarantee
decommissioning in the event of facility abandonment
– Decommission guarantees are required by the County
Ordinance
– Decommission guarantees are also in all leases
Benefits of Wind
Energy
Stony Brook would generate enough renewable
energy to power ~30,000 Wisconsin homes
Benefits of Wind
Energy
• Clean, safe, renewable
• No emissions or environmental
impacts
• Reduce dependence on
foreign oil
• Reduce dependence on
nuclear, coal and other power
sources
• Most economical of all
renewable sources
Project Benefits
• Harvesting the wind is good for farmers
• Offers additional means of farming income
• Preserves agricultural way of life
Next Steps
Where do we go from here?
What would you like us to do?
Q&A