Commercial-Scale Community Wind

Commercial-scale community wind projects use energy in the wind to generate electricity on a large scale for hundreds, thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of homes. Putting together a commercial-scale community wind project requires an entrepreneurial spirit. You need to understand business and finance, the wind industry in the U.S., and the political and regulatory framework that shapes wind development in the United States. You also will spend many years planning your project. This list of resources provides some of the best information available for developing a commercial-scale community wind project.

Contents

Quick connect
Development Handbooks CERTs blog posts
Presentations, Webinars & Conferences CERTs case studies
Transmission/Interconnection CERTs presentations
Wind Resource Assessment & Cashflow Modeling CERTs reports
Incentives  
Companies/Consultants  
Legal Issues  
Siting & Permitting  
Case Studies  

Development Handbooks

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Community-Based Energy Development (C-BED) tariff fact sheet – CERTs
Learn more about the C-BED tariff, a public policy adopted by the Minnesota Legislature in 2005 to promote more locally owned and dispersed wind energy facilities within the state.

Community Wind Development Handbook – Rural Minnesota Energy Board and partners
This Handbook is designed to provide local community leaders of “wholesale” community wind projects with practical knowledge of what to expect when developing commercial-scale projects in the range of 2 to 50 Megawatts. The handbook was developed on behalf of Rural Minnesota Energy Board through a funding collaboration involving AURI, MN Corn Growers, CERTS, Southwest Initiative Foundation, and The Minnesota Project. AURI managed the project on behalf of the collaborators and contracted its development with Windustry.

Community Wind Toolbox – Windustry
From recruiting an effective project team, wind resource assessment that will help your project to acquire financing, understanding various business structures and how they can affect your projects bottom line, as well as primers on the interconnection process and tips on negotiating wind turbine purchase, this publication covers many of the issues you will need to consider while planning your project. Each chapter of the Toolbox contains additional resources to find more detailed information about the topic.

Wind Energy Siting Handbook – American Wind Energy Association
This extensive 183 page handbook is designed to take the reader from the basic steps and considerations within the wind development process through to construction of the wind project. It can be downloaded in full or by chapter. Definitely worth consultation.

Community Wind: An Oregon Guidebook – Energy Trust of Oregon in Collaboration with NW SEED
This guidebook provides a conceptual framework for understanding many of the complex issues associated with developing a community wind project. Topics covered include: Project Design and Management, Resource Assessment and Siting, Permitting, Financing and Development Models and much more.

Native American Resources & Tools – US DOE EERE Wind Powering America Program
This page lists resources and tools specifically for Native Americans. Read personal interviews with Native Americans who have experience installing wind power on Native American lands, find wind resource maps that have Indian Reservation boundaries, and watch a video about installing wind power on Native American lands.

Wind Energy Toolkit – New York State Research and Energy Development Authority (NYSERDA)
This toolkit covers many details about the wind industry, wind development, and wind energy’s impact on communities that host projects including information on wind energy and property values, payments in lieu of taxes, assessing project environmental impacts and much more.

The Community Wind Financing Handbook – Environmental Law and Policy Center
This publication explains many of the financing options available to community wind projects to help these projects utilize tax credits for wind energy.

Presentations, Webinars & Conferences

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Community Wind Energy Conference Proceedings – Windustry
Every two years Windustry holds a national community wind energy conference where seasoned professionals in wind energy development hold workshops. Access presentations, audio recordings, and transcripts from these conferences here.

Web Seminar on Community Wind – Midwest Ag Energy Network
This webinar was an introduction to important community wind issues, presented by a handful of leading experts in the field. It drew over 120 participants from 16 states, across a wide spectrum including nonprofit, business & industry, economic development, county & city officials, legislative staff, finance, education, planning & zoning, electric utility representatives, as well as a number of interested community members.

Community vs. Corporate Wind: Does it Matter Who Develops the Wind in Big Stone County, MN? – Arne Kildegaard, Ph.D. and Josephine Myers-Kuykindall, UMN Morris
Also see the accompanying report.

Transmission/Interconnection

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Minnesota Dispersed Generation Study
Learn about alternative wind/transmission system integration schemes that Minnesota is exploring to help meet the Renewable Energy Standard.

Minnesota State Wide Study of Dispersed Generation Potential
By Matt Schuerger, Energy Systems Consulting, LLC, and Brian Antonich, Antonich Wind Energy Consulting
In 2007 the Minnesota Legislature adopted a requirement for a Statewide Study of Dispersed Generation Potential. The Minnesota Department of Commerce, community based energy developers, and advocates believe the results of the study can be used to help guide the development of locally-owned renewable energy projects which have the potential for significant economic benefit in rural Minnesota. Read this publication to learn more about how smaller dispersed wind projects can be incorporated into transmission systems that are approaching capacity.

Distributed Generation Interconnection Standards – New Rules Project
Learn about interconnection standards for distributed generation (generally wind or other electrical generation technologies sized 20 MW or less that are interconnected to the electrical distribution system).

Midwest Independent System Operator
When interconnecting any wind project in most of the Midwest projects must be studied by the Midwest Independent System Operator. Visit this website to find important information about the interconnection process for wind systems, schedules for technical studies and important news about rule changes.

Utility Wind Integration Group (UWIG)
The Utility Wind Integration Group (UWIG) mission is to accelerate the development and application of good engineering and operational practices supporting the appropriate integration of wind power into the electric system through the coordinated efforts of wind industry stakeholders, including federal agencies, trade associations, and industry research organizations. Learn about wind integration studies from around the country as well as new tools that have been developed by utility engineers for utility engineers to aid in the interconnection of wind projects.

Rural Wind Energy Development Revolving Loan Fund – Minnesota Office of Energy Security
The purpose of the Rural Wind Energy Development Revolving Loan program is to provide financial assistance to owners of eligible community-based wind energy projects for wind studies and transmission interconnection studies. Loan proceeds must be used to fund wind studies and transmission interconnection studies only.

Wind Resource Assessment and Cash Flow Modeling

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Community Wind Project Calculator – Alice Orrell, Alice Orrell Consulting, and Brian Antonich, Windustry
A wind project calculator that allows the user to calculate up to 20 year cash flows for wind projects utilizing different ownership models, tax incentives, and grants. This calculator requires background in wind energy finance, tax and other legal issues surrounding wind energy. When planning a project it is advisable to enlist the help of someone who has experience with these issues.

Wind Energy Finance – US DOE, NREL
This is application is an on-line levelized cost of energy calculator for wind energy projects. You will need to set up a username and password, but there is no charge for using the software.

Excel Wind Analysis and Wind Turbine Power Curves – US DOE, Idaho National Laboratory
This Excel based wind analysis platform allows the user to pair wind data with wind turbine power curves to produce production estimates for wind projects. It is advisable to enlist the aid of a meteorologist for data validation and interpretation purposes.

Public Wind Resource Data and Supporting Resources

Rural Wind Energy Development Revolving Loan Fund – Minnesota Office of Energy Security
The purpose of the Rural Wind Energy Development Revolving Loan program is to provide financial assistance to owners of eligible community-based wind energy projects for wind studies and transmission interconnection studies. Loan proceeds must be used to fund wind studies and transmission interconnection studies only.

West Central Minnesota Wind Resource Maps – CERTs, USDA-ARS, UMM WCROC
Big Stone County, Chippewa County, Douglas County, Grant County, Kandiyohi County, Lac Qui Parle County, McLeod County, Meeker County, Nicollet County, Pope County, Renville County, Sibley County, Stearns County, Stevens County, Swift County, Yellow Medicine County

Incentives

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Minnesota Renewable Energy Incentives – State Energy Office
A cheat sheet of Minnesota incentives for renewable energy projects, including wind.

Rural Wind Energy Development Revolving Loan Fund – Minnesota Office of Energy Security
The purpose of the Rural Wind Energy Development Revolving Loan program is to provide financial assistance to owners of eligible community-based wind energy projects for wind studies and transmission interconnection studies. Loan proceeds must be used to fund wind studies and transmission interconnection studies only.

2008 Midwest Community Wind Policy Update – Brian Antonich, Antonich Wind Energy Consulting, LLC
Get up to date on new policies related to community wind in Nebraska, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota.

2007 Minnesota Legislation Relating to Community Wind – Carl Nelson, The Minnesota Project
This summary by Carl Nelson summarizes the two major bills SF 145 and SF 2096 passed during the 2007 Minnesota legislative session that contained provisions relating to community wind.

Community Wind: A Review of Select State and Federal Policy – Farmers Legal Action Group (FLAG)
This is a guide to existing state and federal policy incentives that specifically seek to promote the local benefits of wind energy developments. The report covers laws from Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon, and the federal government that impact where and to whom the benefits of new wind energy developments flow.

U.S. Department of Agriculture – Rural Development: Businesses and Cooperatives Programs
This branch of the U.S.D.A. administers the Farm Bill Section 9006: Renewable Energy and Efficiency Program. Visit this website to sign up for notices of funds available for renewable energy projects and for contact information for your closest Rural Development office. The Rural Development staff is there to help guide you through the grant writing process.

Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs) – Environmental Law and Policy Center
Find updates on the very popular low cost financing program publicly owned renewable energy projects, including, a description of the program, deadlines for applications, IRS notices and rulings, and prospects for extension of the programs.

Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE)
A one stop shop for existing policies that are designed to spur renewable energy and energy efficiency development on both the state and national level. This site is where to go to find incentives and policies in your state. It is regularly updated by experts in renewable energy policy and provides descriptions of how each policy is being implemented in an easy to read format with links to higher level information.

Native American Anemometer Loan Program – NREL & WAPA
The Native American Anemometer Loan Program is part of an effort to promote the installation of wind turbines on Native American lands. NREL’s program allows Native American tribes to borrow anemometers and the equipment needed for installation so that they may measure the wind resource on tribal lands.

Companies/Consultants

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Hiring a Renewable Energy Dealer – MN Office of Energy Security, Dept. of Commerce (May 2008)
Questions to ask a renewable energy contractor; includes a list of solar and wind energy contractors in Minnesota.

Wind Energy Companies – Windustry
Windustry has a searchable database of the community wind industry in the Midwest that can aid in planning projects, writing grants, supplying equipment and much more.

American Wind Energy Association Member Database – American Wind Energy Association
Search the directory of over 1000 companies and consultants that are members of the American Wind Energy Association. Find companies involved in every aspect of wind energy development, large and small, from predevelopment planning to operations and maintenance firms.

Legal Issues

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Wind Energy Leases and Easements – Windustry
This is the best resource for gaining a better understanding of wind energy leases and easements if you are a land owner who has been approached by a wind developer or if you are a developer approaching landowners to participate in wind projects. These documents are not meant to be a substitute for legal advice, but rather to give you the vocabulary and background you and your legal council need to negotiate a fair deal with wind developers or landowners.

Farmers’ Guide to Wind Energy: Legal Issues in Farming the Wind – Farmers’ Legal Action Group
This book serves as a guide to the many legal issues faced by farmers and rural landowners who seek to develop wind energy projects. Legal issues covered in this guide include negotiating wind property agreements, siting a wind farm, liability risks associated with developing and operating wind turbines, project financing, choice of business structure, government incentives for wind development, and the tax consequences of these efforts.

Siting/Permiting

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Wind Turbine Facility Siting & Permiting – Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC)
The MN Public Utilities Commission has responsibility for the site and route permitting of certain energy facilities, including wind turbine siting of wind energy conversion systems generating more than 5 megawatts.

Wind Energy Siting Handbook – American Wind Energy Association
This is a technical document that provides a regulatory framework for siting ordinances as well as technical information on the types of impacts projects can have, studies a developer can commission to understand impacts, and methods to mitigate them.

Community Wind Toolbox Chapter 6: Permitting Basics – Windustry
Communities around the country are working to find the best ways to permit and tax wind generation facilities. Their decisions are vital to windy areas because they determine the impacts and benefits of wind energy projects for the broader community. Some states, like Minnesota, have developed statewide policies but still involve local agencies in the process, while most states leave it to the counties or other local permitting agencies to create regulations and issue permits. Read this publication to gain a greater understanding of how the permitting process works.

Minnesota Model Wind Ordinance – The Minnesota Project, Southwest Regional Development Commission, Minnesota Association of County Planning and Zoning Administrators; partially funded by CERTs
This model ordinance is based on real experience and real industry needs, focused on county government institutions and organizations. It was created to revise and update ordinances developed in the mid to late 1990s, and to allow members of the Clean Energy Resource Teams to learn more about wind zoning to ensure the development of reasonable standards in their counties. Also see the Companion to the Model Ordinance.

Wind Energy Guide for County Commissioners – US DOE, NREL, Wind Powering America, and the National Association of Counties
This is a quick reference guide to help local officials find the best information about the wind energy development process and how they responsibly promote its development in their communities.

National Wind Coordinating Collaborative (NWCC)
The National Wind Coordinating Collaborative is a consensus based collaborative comprised of electric utilities, wind industry representatives, wind energy advocates, wildlife experts, and other experts and professionals who are dedicated to developing and disseminating best practices for responsible wind energy development around the United States. This is the BEST resources for finding out the most up-to-date information on the technical, environmental, economic, and community impacts of wind energy. These resources are great for educating local officials and community members about the real impacts of wind energy on surrounding communities.

Case Studies

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CERTs Wind Energy Case Studies

Other Case Studies

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Commercial-Scale Community Wind