Commonwealth Wind: Program Refinements and Research Projects

1. Commonwealth Wind: Program Refinements and Research Projects Mass. Wind Working Group July 18, 2012

2. Installed Wind Generating Capacity

3. Wind Project Development Challenges • Economic competitiveness • Competition with regional wind projects • Competition with other renewable energy sources • Expiration of federal PTC/ITC; uncertainty regarding renewal • Siting and Community Acceptance • No standardized siting rules to guide project reviews • Strident opposition with conflicting messages, especially regarding health • General lack of wind/energy literacy for public and decision-makers, • Minimal public outreach/stakeholder engagement in early project development stages

4. Program Refinements: Economic Competitiveness • Community scale projects • Re-evaluate funding levels for design and construction to address expiration of federal incentives • Commercial projects • Monitor and support state policy developments

5. Program Refinements to address: Siting and Community Acceptance - 1 • Require stakeholder engagement and public education at all development stages • Support use of facilitation services • Support or provide “wind energy 101 and 201” sessions • Undertake comprehensive energy planning exercises in communities/regions • Remove some program distinction between community scale and commercial projects • Extend site assessment services to private, community scale projects • Use the same solicitation for both types of projects at site assessment and feasibility study stages • Providing additional funding for pre-construction acoustic studies

6. Revised Program Structure Business Planning Grant Design & Construction Grant Site Assessment Services Wind Monitoring Feasibility Study Acoustic Study 100+ kW Development Grants and Loans Education and Facilitation Services Legend Cmty. & Cmrcl. Community Only Commercial Only Small Only Construction Rebates < 100 kW

7. Program Refinements to address: Siting and Community Acceptance - 2 • Provide information resources at MassCEC.com • Environmental benefits • Property values • Acoustics • Health • Grid integration • Others . . . • Target MassCEC support to well-sited projects with good prospects for obtaining local approvals • Employ rigorous analysis and conservative assumptions • Employ solid public engagement and education processes

8. Research Projects - 1 • Pre-construction acoustic study methodology – done • Property value study with regional focus – in process • MA focused/Smaller projects • Residential transactions at multiple distances and periods • Solicitation for projects needing to evaluate alternative grid upgrade solutions – coming soon • Falmouth Wind Turbine Options Process – in process • Facilitation and technical support in response to request from Town • Kingston acoustic monitoring • Technical support in response to request from developer • Results will inform developer, Town boards, state officials and general public, but do not constitute a compliance test

9. Research Projects - 2 • Research Study on Wind Turbine Acoustics • Collaboration between MassDEP and MassCEC • Objectives • Measure the level and quality of sound emissions from a variety of operating wind projects in Massachusetts • Seek to understand and quantify the influence of variables including turbine type and size, wind conditions, topography and distance • This is a research study, not a compliance test • Measurements and analysis will be done by a consulting group selected by MassDEP and MassCEC • RFP to be released soon

10. Thank You . . . MassCEC Commonwealth Wind Team Nils Bolgen NBolgen@masscec.com 617-315-9311 Peter McPhee PMcPhee@masscec.com 617-315-9343 Leigh Cameron LCameron@masscec.com 617-315-9315 Tyler Studds TStudds@masscec.com 617-315-9378 Seth Federspiel SFederspiel@masscec.com www.masscec.com