Tony's Newsletter
Tracking Activities of the Colorado Renewable Energy Forum
and the Development of Wind Projects
From Colorado Working Landscapes, June 29, 2004
Volume 1, Issue 10
The Colorado Renewable Energy Forum (CREF) is an organization of energy, financial and legal professionals, local communities, and advocate organizations committed to the development of wind and other renewable energy resources. To be added to or taken off the distribution list for Tony's Newsletter please send an email to frank@workinglandscapes.com.
CREF Steering Committee Meetings
The function of CREF’s Steering Committee is to coordinate activities among its partnership organizations in a manner that will facilitate renewable energy development. Membership is granted by CREF Chairperson, Tracee Bentley but is basically open to all partners wishing to contribute. The next meeting is scheduled for 9:30 A.M. on July 2, 2004 at the Colorado Farm Bureau office in Centennial, CO. Please contact Ms. Bentley at tbentley@colofb.com if you plan to attend. The Friday agenda includes proposals for updating the CREF Action Plan, finalizing a grant proposal for Department of Energy (DOE) funding, and planning a kickoff event originally scheduled for June 30th.
Important Events Leading to Community Wind Development
On June 16 landowners and rural leaders from four Colorado communities met at the Colorado Farm Bureau’s headquarters with a range of technical experts to discuss community wind development. “We all learned from each other,” explained CREF Chair, Tracee Bentley, “I was pleased to learn of how rural communities are getting organized and what CREF can do to help them.” Fundraising was a clear priority that will be discussed by the CREF Steering Committee during its July 2nd meeting.
Susan Innis of Western Resource Advocates (WRA) described “green tags” as a potential source of funding for community wind projects and as a method for linking urban consumers of electricity with rural producers. Certain electric customers will support renewable energy by purchasing the non-energy attributes of a project (air quality, water conservation, climate change, energy independence, etc.). Boulder Community Hospital, for example, met with leaders in Wray last week to explore the possible purchase of green tags from the local school district project (CREF will publish a case history of the Wray project next week). “Establishing these urban/rural linkages is a win-win strategy,” claimed Ms. Innis. She added “WRA would like to work with CREF to build the necessary partnerships.”
Darlene Scott announced her decision to join the Governor’s Office of Economic Development serving 14 eastern counties. She will begin this challenge beginning on July 15, based in Burlington where she served as the City’s economic development director. Darlene said “My first mission will be to sit down with leaders in each county to simply listen.” Once determined, she asked that the meeting schedule be published in the CREF Newsletter.
Ron Lehr, with the American Wind Energy Association, described the process by which Xcel Energy submits its plan for meeting future energy needs to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for 500 MW of renewable energy. On Friday, June 18, the PUC issued its schedule for considering the Renewable Energy RFP (these dates are likely, but subject to change).
· July 23, Answers Due (Comments to the proposed Renewable Energy RFP)
· August 2, Rebuttal and Cross Examination
· August 4 & 6, Hearing Dates
· August 16, Expedited Ruling (the wind RFP will be released)
· November 15, Proposals Due
· February 14, 2005, Xcel announces “short list”
· April 15, 2005, Sign Contracts
CREF has begun exploring creation of a 30-50 MW set aside for community wind within the 500 MW Renewable Energy RFP. Expectations are that major wind developers would incorporate a community wind component into their large projects. During a June 21st meeting, Xcel explained that CREF would need to present a firm energy price to the PUC as part of the proposal. Any such proposal must be submitted to the PUC by July 23rd.
Incorporating local ownership into large wind developments provides rural economic benefits, creates a strong community relationship with the developer, and may prove beneficial to the electric utility. Making all the elements of community wind come together is a challenge for the many parties involved. Rural communities are taking on this challenge including the four represented at the June 16 Wind Networking Workshop.
Prairie Wind Energy (Kiowa, Bent, Prowers, and Baca counties)
· Seeking 2-4 turbine project
· Prairie Wind Energy, LLC comprised of landowners in Kiowa, Bent, Prowers, and Baca counties.
· Interested in networking with people along Front Range
· Prairie Wind Energy, LLC has received wind consulting work and anemometers.
· Challenge: Connecting to the market
Baca Green Energy
· 30 investors (26 reside in Baca County; 4 out of state)
· Feasibility Study conducted
· Anemometers were setup last August
· Planning for 2-4 turbines
· Challenges: Power Purchase Contract; Transmission lines
Wray Community and Wray High School, RD-2 School District
· Wray RD-2 School District seeking to develop a wind project with one turbine. Revenue from the project will offset the energy costs the district is spending each year.
· Recently submitted Energy Impact Request. Collected letters of support from state and federal elected government officials.
· Received more than $500,000 from local donations (21 local residents) and foundations.
· Seeking a 660 KW turbine with a budget of $900,000.
· Sister City conversations with Boulder.
· Challenges: obtaining funds that enable other funds to be directed toward the project; no one would commit money until someone else committed money.
Sedgewick County
· Landowners have been contacted by the CSU Cooperative Extension Office and a wind stakeholders group has been established.
· Anemometers have been setup at different heights with data showing wind is very good.
· Economic development projects are very important to Sedgwick County.
Community Wind Financing Handbook Available
This timely 25-page publication is must reading for Colorado community wind advocates. Case histories are used to illustrate ownership and financing options. The handbook was released last week by the Chicago-based Environmental Law and Policy Center and can be accessed on their website at http://www.elpc.org/energy/windhandbook2004.pdf. If necessary, a hard copy can be obtained from CREF by emailing frank@workinglandscapes.com.
NREL Stakeholder Technology Forum, Thursday, July 8, 2004, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Biomass Fuels, Power and Products: Economic and Environmental Opportunities for Colorado and the Nation
At the NREL Visitors Center, Golden, CO 15013 Denver West Parkway
You are invited to participate in a stakeholder forum on biomass technologies, policy and commercialization at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Biomass including trees, grasses, agricultural crops and other biological material, is one of our most important energy resources.
This stakeholder forum will bring together leaders from Colorado’s agriculture, industry, environmental, government and scientific community for briefings and discussions on biomass technologies, public policy and commercialization. Tours will be offered of NREL’s state-of-the-art biomass laboratories. Sponsored by NREL, the United Nations Foundation and the University of Colorado at Denver’s Wirth Chair in Environmental and Community Development Policy.
Registration is required. Email stakeholderpartnerships@nrel.gov or call 303-275-3166.
Agenda
9:30 a.m. Registration
10:00 a.m. Opening Remarks – NREL Welcome
Moderator – Heidi VanGenderen, Senior Associate, Wirth Chair
10:10 a.m. Bioenergy Technologies; Presentation and Discussion
Mike Pacheco, Director, National Bioenergy Center, NREL
11:00 a.m. Biofuels Policy; Presentation and Discussion
Reid Detchon, Executive Director, Energy Future Coalition
12:00 noon Lunch, networking
12:30 p.m. Biomass Projects in Colorado
Ed Lewis, Deputy Director, Colorado Governor’s Office of Energy Management and Conservation
1:00 p.m. Biofuels Commercialization; Presentation and Discussion
Jeff Passmore, Executive Vice President, IOGEN Corporation
1:50 p.m. Closing Comments – Heidi VanGenderen
2:15 p.m. NREL Biomass Laboratories Tour
Colorado Working Landscapes (CWL) is a landowner-driven public policy forum seeking to build communication bridges between divergent interest groups while striving for win-win solutions. Our goal is to keep Colorado's agricultural landscapes intact, both economically and ecologically, while respecting private property rights and local control.