Siting Variables with Renewable Energy Projects: A Case Study in Southern California

CCSE Clean Energy Conference

K. Harley McDonald, Business Developer

September 16, 2010

Agenda

• About Iberdrola Renewables

• A Case Study: the Tule Wind Power Project

• Project Overview

• General Siting Variables with Utility Scale Wind Energy Development

• External siting concerns

• Internal siting requirements

2

Who is Iberdrola Renewables?

• Iberdrola Renovables is the world’s leading provider of wind power globally, with more than 10,000 MW of renewable energy in operation

• Iberdrola, S.A is the fourth largest utility company in world by Market Cap, with 33,000 people in more than 40 countries and a 107 year history with roots in hydroelectric

• We believe in partnering with the community to build support for our projects

• We are good neighbors – industry leaders for setting the bar with environmental efforts and community outreach

3

Big Horn 199.5 MW Owned

Klondike 24 MW Owned

Klondike II75 MW Owned

Klondike III223.6 MW Owned

Klondike IIIa76.5 MW Owned

North American Wind Assets

Pleasant Valley

144 MW PPA

Twin Buttes

75 MW Owned

High Winds162 MW PPA

Shiloh150 MW Owned

Mountain View III

22.44 MW Owned

Dillon

45 MW Owned MID-CONTINENT REGION

MinnDakota

150 MW Owned

Elk River150 MW Owned

WESTERN

REGION

Casselman

34.5 MW Owned

Locust Ridge

26 MW Owned

Maple Ridge II

45.4 MW Owned

(91 MW Project)

NORTHEAST REGIONFlying Cloud

43.5 MW Owned

Updated May 5, 2010

Wind projects owned or controlled

Colorado Green

81 MW Owned

(162 MW Project)

Winnebago 20 Owned

Providence Heights72 MW Owned

Top of Iowa II,80 MW Owned

Moraine

51 MW Owned

Trimont

101 MW Owned

Lempster

24 MW Owned

Locust Ridge II

102 MW Owned

Pebble Springs98.7 MW Owned

Buffalo Ridge

50.4 MW Owned

Elm Creek

Maple Ridge 1

115.5 MW Owned

(231 MW Project)

Moraine II

49.5 MW Owned

Peñascal202 MW Owned

Barton Chapel120 MW Owned

Barton160 MW Owned

99 MW Owned

Farmers City 146 MW Owned

Dry Lake63 MW Owned

Star Point99 MW Owned

Hay Canyon 100.8 MW Owned

Streator Cayuga Ridge300 MW Owned

Rugby149.1 MW Owned

Committed to the Environment &Communities We Work in

Community:• Shiny Apple Award for work with Palm Springs Unified School

District

• Prism Award for efforts with the Local Community for the Dillon project from LA Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America

Environment:• Released first ever company-wide Avian and Bat Protection

Program

• Partnered with Bat Conservation International on groundbreaking research program at operating wind farm in PA

• Active participant in creation of California Voluntary Siting Guidelines

• Member of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Wind Turbine Guideline Advisory Committee

5

Tule Wind Project

• Up to 200 MW

• Estimated online in second half of 2012

• Less than 2% of project area will be the actual facilities footprint,

allowing room for other multiple uses on site including hiking,

camping, and off-road vehicle use

• One of BLM’s fast-track projects

• Trying to capture ARRA funds

Tule Wind Project Overview

7

Additional Benefits of Tule

• Border Patrol

– Better roads for patrol

– Increased presence in the area from O&M employees

• Local Jobs

– 325 jobs during construction

– 10-12 full-time permanent jobs during operation

• Iberdrola is investing in $1,000,000 in campground improvements in the

local area

• County property tax

– $5,000,000 per year in tax revenue to the County

– $1,000,000 in direct annual payments to local landowners

8

General Siting Variables

• Environmental impacts – birds and bats

• Noise

• Visual Impacts

• NIMBY-ism

Dillon Wind Project

Palm Springs, CA

9

General concerns from the public:

Birds and Bats

• Most concerns are based on 20 year

old problems that occurred at a few

unfortunately sited windy areas in the

country

• Requirements now exist for avian and

bat studies prior to the development of

a wind farm

• Iberdrola Renewables conducts a

minimum of 2 years avian studies on

every project and was the first to

implement a policy on post-

construction monitoring

10

Noise

• Modern wind turbine technology is very quiet, and consistently so

among turbines produced by the major manufacturers

• Turbines are set back far enough away from homes, to a distance

where they should not be heard by the residents

• When the wind blows, one can usually only hear the wind and not the

turbines

11

Visual Impacts

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

12

Internal Siting Requirements

To be successful a wind site must have:

• Strong Wind Resource

• Landowner Interest

• Minimal Environmental Impacts

• Market/Customer for Power

13

Transmission Diagram

14

Constraints

15

Turbines have setbacks from:

• Roads

• Property lines – participating and non-participating

• Homes and noise

• Biological and cultural resources

• Radar and weather stations – beam paths

• FAA

• Distance between turbines

• Jurisdictional waters

• Campgrounds

Constraints Map – Before

16

Constraints Map – Before and After

17

Summary of Siting Variables

• Minimal Environmental Impacts

– Avian and bats, cultural, biological

– Visual

– Noise

• Strong Wind Resource

• Landowner Interest

• Market/Customer for Power

• Access to Transmission

• Setback constraints

18

Questions?