HONOLULU, Hawaii, April 6, 2008 (ENS) – The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory has signed a memorandum of understanding with a Massachusetts-based wind farm company to establish a remote research affiliate partner site on Maui.

It is the first such partner site for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s wind technology program outside of its base in Colorado.

UPC Wind Partners LLC will use the site to study the integration of wind technology into the Hawaii utility system.

The 30 megawatt UPC Wind Partners Kaheawa wind farm is located in the West Maui Mountains high above Maui’s coastline. It generates enough power to supply nine percent of Maui’s electrical needs.

Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle announced the collaborative public-private partnership to establish a wind technology program on March 31 in Honolulu.

“The establishment of a partner site of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory on Maui recognizes our islands’ abundant renewable resources, and the advancements we are making to transform Hawaii into one of the world’s first economies based primarily on clean energy resources,” said the governor.

This latest partnership expands on the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative between the State of Hawaii and the U.S. Department of Energy that started in January and aims to have 70 percent of Hawaii’s energy come from clean, renewable sources by 2030.

UPC Wind Partners’ Kaheawa wind farm
in the West Maui Mountains
(Photo courtesy UPC Wind)

The Maui partner site at UPC Wind’s Kaheawa Wind Farm will conduct research and development on advanced wind energy technologies, including operational and control studies, energy storage options and integration of renewable electricity into existing grids.

“Governor Lingle has made a concerted effort to encourage wind power development in Hawaii, as the state seeks to grow its energy independence,” said Paul Gaynor, president and chief executive of UPC Wind Partners, LLC.

“We’re looking forward to participating in this partnership to help develop new technologies that can grow the wind industry as the leading provider of renewable power in the country,” Gaynor said.

The research aims to help maximize the integration of wind into Hawaii’s utility system so that this renewable resource can compete with traditional energy sources, providing a clean, renewable alternative for Hawaii’s and the nation’s energy needs.

“This partnership will provide Hawaii with invaluable technical assistance, access to leading-edge research, and relationships with additional national partners as we seek to develop innovative approaches to increase our energy independence and reduce our reliance on imported fossil fuels,” the governor said.

“The U.S. Department of Energy is pleased to commit the expertise of its National Renewable Energy Laboratory to help harness Hawaii’s unique abundance of natural resources and showcase the broad benefits of renewable energy technologies and alternative fuels at work on an unprecedented scale,” said Andy Karsner the Department of Energy’s assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Karsner said, “We look forward to further public-private partnerships that will advance the goals of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative and serve as an example to be replicated in the United States and other island communities around the world.”

“This is the first presence for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s wind technology program outside of its base in Colorado,” said NREL Director Dan Arvizu who was in Hawaii to sign the agreement and inspect the new Maui site.

“NREL recognizes the potential in Hawaii both to deploy wind technologies to meet our energy needs and to use successes here as models for other states and regions.”

Wind energy is one of many renewable resources and technologies being built into the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative.

“For Hawaii to achieve the bold 70 percent clean energy target in one generation, partnerships between the public and private sectors; among federal, state and local government entities and between research institutions and industry will be critical,” said Governor Lingle, a Republican. “It will require a fundamental transformation in how Hawaii generates, transmits and uses energy.”

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ALBANY, New York, January 28, 2008 (ENS) – Guidelines meant to facilitate wind power development across New York state while minimizing the potential impacts to birds and bats were proposed Thursday by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, DEC.

Currently, six wind farms are operating with a rated capacity of 423 megawatts from 263 turbines in Madison, Wyoming, Lewis and Erie counties.

Five other wind farms that are under construction in Clinton, Wyoming and Steuben counties will provide an additional 405 mw from 238 turbines when completed in the summer of 2008. More than 30 additional wind farm siting proposals are actively undergoing environmental review.

New York is working towards achieving a Renewable Portfolio Standard whereby the state must meet a goal of 25 percent renewable energy generation by 2013.

DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis called wind energy development “an important component of Governor Eliot Spitzer’s clean renewable energy initiative in New York.”

“As proposals for commercial wind energy ventures continue to increase across the state, these draft guidelines will provide a valuable tool for those evaluating a project, as well as for our staff charged with protecting the state’s critical bird and bat populations,” Grannis said.

As construction of wind turbines increases, there is also the increased potential for birds and bats to collide with the towers and rotating blades. The presence of spinning turbines may also induce behavioral changes in nesting or migrating birds, and in foraging bats, according to the DEC.

During the environmental review process, wind energy proposals must include assessments of the impacts the project could have on wildlife – especially birds and bats – and other natural resources. In the past, these assessments have been completed on a case-by-case basis.

The draft guidelines suggest that before expending a lot of effort to site a wind energy project, developers should determine whether or not the location is within the habitat of a bird or bat species that is listed as threatened or endangered.

Another suggested consideration is whether the location of the project is within five miles of the Atlantic coastline or the shoreline of one of the Great Lakes – areas that are frequented by birds and bats.

Maple Ridge Wind Farm in
Lewis County, New York
(Photo courtesy PPM Energy)

The proposed guidelines provide a standardized process for completing assessments, which both benefits project applicants and improves the quality of the information obtained about bird and bat populations.

The new guidelines outline DEC’s recommendations to commercial wind energy developers on how to characterize bird and bat resources at wind energy sites and how to document and estimate bird and bat mortality resulting from collisions with turbines.

The protocols in the guidelines are intended to allow comparison of data collected at different sites and in different years so that the information can be used to assess the ecological effects of wind energy generation.

Protocols for both pre-construction studies and post-construction monitoring are included in the proposed guidelines.

DEC began development of the draft guidelines after collaborating with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and other stakeholders at a New York Wind/Wildlife Technical Workshop in August 2006. Workshop participants presented information on bird and bat impacts at existing wind farms as well as various study methods and sampling technologies.

Since the workshop, DEC has met with individual wind energy developers to discuss recommendations for pre-construction studies and post-construction monitoring at specific locations. Information presented at the workshop and the shared experiences provided by the developers have been incorporated into the proposed guidelines.

To view the proposed guidelines, click here.

Public comments are welcome until March 7, 2008. Comments can be mailed to Brianna Gary at NYSDEC Bureau of Habitat, 625 Broadway, 5th Floor, Albany, NY 12233-4756 or sent via email from the website.

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