Georgia Wind Working Group Meeting: 6-22-05, 12:30 PM @ GEFA Opening: Rita Kilpatrick gave a welcoming and overview of the meeting 1. Julia Miller: Update on State Wind Map GEFA budgeted the money for a statewide wind map. Susan spoke with people at NREL and they are interested in coastal wind and interested in doing a RFP on the coast, so GEFA decided to get in on this process. NREL proposals are due on Friday June 24th. NREL will cost share some of it and may decide to do all of the state. GEFA is not yet under contract with someone but is hoping to have the map in the fall to share with everyone. Questions: 1. If it gets underway in fall, how long will the process be? A; ideally eight weeks to six months to complete mapping after contract in August, Average 3-4 months 2. How accessible will maps be to the public? A: very accessible 3. Will map give seasonal averages? A; Usually give annual averages…Usually show county boundaries, transmission lines Comments regarding state wind map; You can use a finer resolution in the mountains and present results by county. There already has been some wind mapping in GA; it’s just not validated. TVA did focused mapping, with Lookout Mountain because it’s a very narrow resource. It would be very helpful to get daily variations on the wind map b/c of sea breezes in coastal areas. 2. Susan Stewart: update on Georgia Tech and Southern Company Georgia Tech analyzed the wind data off the coast of Georgia, gave a proposal to Southern Company to further the study, and will start a one-year conceptual design study with them. Southern Company is, not required to develop wind, just a feasibility study to look off the coast, they can’t say yet which location the study will be at. Other developments/Comments: Phil Dougherty will report and let us know what’s going on with Wind Powering America. They will update the information on GA on the WPA website, put lead contacts, efforts underway, etc… online. Ex: GA’s working relationship with NREL and the offshore efforts of GT and Southern Company, will be made public online Everyone should see the OWEA conference online to think about creating a SE group for wind, so the south will be more unified. 3. Mission statement: Everyone seemed okay with the current mission statement. Phil Dougherty: Liked the mission statement. He mentioned that many WWGs were struggling with how to give out fact-based information (pro and cons in their states of winds) and act as an outreach program in the state at a community level and deal with wind issues, He recommended to have discussion on whether the group will be a promoter of good decision making, with fact-based information or just an advocate of wind power 4. Goals of Group: We should encourage research at the GA universities, not all technology issues really solved yet, such as for low-speed wind energy. Someone mentioned that technology should not be one of our main goals, if the group doesn’t have funding for it. WPA, on R&D side has NREL, who is one of key players. The Group should be a repository of information that feeds back to NREL. Serve as breeding grounds for ideas and coordinate needs by passing along to researchers what the real needs are. Identify barriers to entry and success here, how to address barriers. On website have links to discussion about various wind barriers, factual information on site as part of information to people Group in good position to put out credible information, solid info and facts, to make the group a repository for those involved in WWG to access and make use on their own as they see fit, whichever way they choose to go… give info to host communities living in the areas that will have wind developments, advocacy should be role of individual stakeholders, not the group itself 5. Matrix: A. Integrated Wind Energy in Education and Research Programs: Develop and disseminate Materials for Wind, pull together what we have in existence B. Suggestions to add to matrix: Publicize facts, host meeting- discussion about low wind speeds, how we can be involved, what’s going on in low wind speed area, bring together interested parties. WWG help provide forum for people interested in it, bring someone from NREL in to have discussion with them but this shouldn’t be one of main focuses / Phil Dougherty has not heard of a WWG being advocates on the Wind research side of things. Liz Philpot: public issues on this, address people’s “not in my backyard” viewpoints, work with children to get them involved in wind energy, then they will inform parents, etc…Phil: variety of audiences that you will be working with and for, lots of variables 6-7 core constituency’s that you must provide service to, each of them have role to play to address and solve a barrier, find tune products you provide with them. EX: agriculture, coastal, co-ops effected, county officials you must engage, zoning and permitting guys, will want to turn to WWG for that kind of information. Move “conduct wind seminars for strategic audiences” from under milestones to the first column deliverables, then move subgroups to milestones 6. Other Comments: See how TN and NC started finding out who were players on wind projects, how do they work with wind issues on local levels. How did other WWG get their acts together: find out who else will need to be added to group, there will be lots of discussions. Some WWG used Wind Maps to kick-off discussions with interested parties, then have public stakeholder WWG meeting to engage public, media, lawmakers. Many WWG shouldn’t have own projects they are working/promoting b/c there will always be someone who disagrees, just keep from calling out certain projects. Don’t associate wwg with specific projects. After Wind Map comes out in fall, the group shouldwork to promote the map in Media. When we have next conference call, see if Phil Dougherty and Larry Flowers can join, and see what kickoff options will be. Have small discussion to decide options, then present to bigger group for consideration. Who has economic tools to access costs of wind power: at what point is wind efficiency viable for people to support and develop? A: To determine cost point is very difficult b/c not looking at just GA, must be system wide, WPA has economic models that wwg can use, so when time comes it will be available for GA, Dwight Bailey will make those economic models available to group. Need public domain cost analysis, b/c utilities may develop on their own but not statewide. Georgia Power mentioned that they think wind is a little high to put in regular energy generation mix but can put in green power program, have to put 15% of solar and wind in energy generation by year 4 of RFP. Rick Carson said Clipperwind might want to try and sell power to Georgia power. Rick Carson mentioned, that Kevin from Clipperwind, should be called to do a presentation 7. Potential Stakeholders/ people to contact: How do new people join this group? It works well to have a manageable size group for stakeholders interested in coming to these types of meeting, then others with specific interests who can go to educational seminars/ forums. Stakeholder groups should be limited to 12-20 people Bob Zabadel in Knoxville, expert of Wind Power and John Kirby at ORNL. These may be important people to contact for the wwg. Get someone in State Economic Dvlpmt office to come to group. In terms of stakeholders: one trend, the Photovoltaic people are gravitating towards small wind, very interested in it…Thomas Tripp from TN, might be interested in getting involved 8. Important Dates and Next Meeting Times: There might be an eastern wind summit in Raleigh on September 19 and 20th Our next meeting will potentially be in September…sometime in fall to coorelate with the wind map, or latter part of august… send out times of a few different weeks, Location for meetings: GT, tech square