Brandon Blevins

Southern Alliance for Clean Energy

Jefferson CountyMay 2, 2009

Tennessee Wind Working Group

TNWWG provides outreach and education to rural, windy Tennessee communities on the benefits of harnessing wind energy.

•DOE Grant through State of TennesseeDOE Grant through State of Tennessee •TNWWG provides TNWWG provides education:education: Hosts at least 4 Free All Day Workshops for select communities in Tennessee

•TNWWG provides TNWWG provides communication:communication: Maintain communication between key stakeholders including USDA, TN State Energy Office, TVA, Local Community Officials, Wind Industry, Non-profits, Schools, Environmental Groups, and interested Tennessee citizens

•TNWWG provides TNWWG provides consultation:consultation:Facilitate TN Anemometer Loan program and assist TVA Wind Resource Assessment

www.tennesseewind.org Brandon Blevins Brandon Blevins Gil Melear HoughGil Melear Hough

Credit: National Renewable Energy Laboratory Innovation for Our Energy Future

• Wind energy displaces– Fuel– Emissions; carbon

• Wind provides a hedge against rising fuel prices (natural gas, coal)

• Wind is an energy source with limited capacity contribution other generation is also required

• Wind can be cost-competitive with other forms of generation and may reduce electricity cost

What are the benefits of wind energy to the power system?

Where is the Wind?

Source: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1991

How Much Wind Energy is in the US?

Source: National Renewable Energy Lab, 2008

20% Wind Vision

Source: Department of Energy 2008, NREL “WinDS of Change” 2006

TVA Wind Energy Potential

Source: Tennessee Valley Authority, June 2008

Wind energy ~ 8,000 GWh

Hydro Generation (FY ‘06)•9,900 GWh Source: TVA website

While wind energy is the most abundant cost effective renewable energy source, there are no solid policies that attract wind developers to the state of TN or the TVA region.

Jefferson County Wind Map

Some small wind sitesEmphasizes need for proper sizingTaller towers needed

One commercial wind siteEnglish Mtn Shares border with Cocke and Sevier CountyNeed for collaboration

Source: http://www.windustry.org/wind-basics/learn-about-wind-energy/wind-basics-wind-energy-today-and-tomorrow/wind-energy-today-and

Construction Operation

Gravel Access Road 14’-20’ wide

Gravel Crane Pad and Turnaround ~40’ x 60’

Subsurface Concrete Foundation~40’ - 50’ diameter

Turbine Pedestal16’ – 18’ diameter

Each wind turbine requires 0.5 - 2 acres. A typical facility requires only about 1%-3% of the total land under lease.

Land Use

Local Economic Impact

• Economic Development– 1MW wind = $1.5-2 million of

taxable equipment

• Landowner Land Lease Payments– $3,000-5,000 / MW / Turbine /Yr

• Jobs– Wind energy projects create a

few long term O&M jobs– Create many short term jobs

during construction

Case Study: South Dakota

40 MW (20 turbines) of wind energy installed. $100,000/yr in land lease payments $250,000/yr tax= 1/2 county school budget

Case Study: South Dakota

40 MW (20 turbines) of wind energy installed. $100,000/yr in land lease payments $250,000/yr tax= 1/2 county school budget

Local/Community Ownership Options

Municipalities & Municipal Utilities Palmdale, CA; Algona, IA; Moorhead, MN

Rural Electric Cooperatives Farmer/Local Investors

LLCs, Investors Pools, Cooperatives; Kas Brothers • Minwind Energy

Schools Spirit Lake, Iowa • Carleton College, Northfield, MN

Tribal Communities Example: Rosebud, SD

Courtesy: Windustry

Wind for Schools

• Community Education– The greatest impediment to wind energy

development is education. • Student Education and Training

– Supports the education and training of K-12 students in preparation for real jobs in the future.

• Utility Education– Utility becomes educated on variability,

interconnection, and operation of grid with wind turbines operating

• Reduced Energy Costs– School sees reduced energy savings

(depends on turbines size and wind resource)

Small (1-100 kW)

Example: Bergey XL at a Farm

• Ned Trivette• 65’ tilt-up tower• Batteryless, Grid-tie• Watauga County

Wind Turbines need Towers to access good Fuel

30’ above obstructions within 300 – 500’

How to Buy A Wind-Electric System

1. Energy Analysis2. Efficiency measures3. Know your wind resource4. Select your turbine5. Select your tower and the rest

of the system• Grid-tie, no batteries• Off-grid, you need

batteries. • Good idea to add

SOLAR

Do it Right! • Be Safe• Maximize your resource

Financing Options

30% Federal Tax CreditNo ceiling. Businesses and individuals

40% TN Clean Energy Technology Grant Businesses only, capped at $75,000Need to conduct due diligence to qualify (wind map or anemometer)

25% USDA 9007 Grant (farms and rural small businesses)Historically for larger systems. Need conduct due diligence to qualify (wind map or anemometer)

TVA Generation Partners Program$0.03/kW above retail

For full details visit: http://www.dsireusa.org

Reference Sources

Brandon BlevinsWind Program CoordinatorSouthern Alliance for Clean Energyhttp://www.cleanenergy.org blevins@cleanenergy.org

• American Wind Energy Association: http://www.awea.org

– Official industry association, reports, conferences, and events

• Wind Powering America: http://www.windpoweringamerica.gov

– Technical resource, tools, and state networking

• DSIREUSA: http://www.dsireusa.org

– Financial incentives for wind projects

• Appalachian State University: http://wind.appstate.edu

– Small wind demonstration center

– Workshops, Training Sessions