rp_0201_1.html
New Maps Resolve to Boost Wind Power
More than 2 million acres of land in Washington and Idaho carry commercial wind power potential according to data contained in new high-resolution wind maps . Preliminary maps for Montana and Oregon also show substantial land area with wind resources rated Class 4 or above, averaging 16 mph annually, the minimum necessary for wind development.
These much-anticipated maps, a project spearheaded by Heather Rhodes-Weaver of NW Sustainable Energy for Economic Development (SEED ), significantly improve modeling of the region’s wind resources. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL ) and five independent meteorologists have validated simulated wind speed predictions developed by TrueWind Solutions , a wind mapping contractor, using data collected at dozens of sites throughout the region.
The computer techniques used to develop the new maps provide important data for seasonal and daily wind patterns to help identify the most valuable areas for wind power. Through CDROM data and a user-friendly web interface, the maps will greatly aid rural communities in exploring opportunities to harness wind energy.
The mapping project was launched nearly a year ago in partnership with the Last Mile Electric Cooperative , a group of rural utilities in the Northwest. Project leaders hoped to screen out less promising areas and to provide better information to farmers and ranchers interested in developing wind resources on their land. Taking a leap of faith, the Northwest Cooperative Development Center agreed to be fiscal host for the project before complete project funding was secured. Numerous public agencies, utilities, private wind developers and turbine manufacturers, consulting firms, and other non-profit organizations jumped in to co-sponsor the effort.
“It only seems right, and natural, for rural utilities to do everything they can in a cost-effective way to advance both farm-based renewable energy development and rural economic development,” noted Aaron Jones , manager of the Washington Rural Electric Cooperative Association . “In my opinion, that’s the next great chapter in the rural electrification story.”
With help from NREL and Seattle-based Integral GIS , NWSEED prepared preliminary estimates of acreage and potential power production for utilities, legislative districts, counties, and tribal reservations. Tribes are previewing wind maps for reservation land and will decide individually whether to publicize that information.
Although the new wind maps will not eliminate the need for on-site wind measurement for large-scale installations, they will help utilities and developers target the most economical areas. The maps will also help landowners make a first-cut determination on whether to install distributed wind turbines to supply power on-site.
NWSEED hopes the project will drive down the costs of wind power and ensure that public interests are protected as the Northwest’s wind resources are developed. The maps will be widely disseminated to libraries, utilities, county commissions, community action agencies and extension offices throughout the region as well as via e-mail and the Internet ( www.windpowermaps.org ).
Wind maps for Montana, Oregon and northern California will be finalized over the next month, and the
National Center for Appropriate Technology
will assist with the formal public launch of the interactive Web site, which will include “zoom in” options to view details down to a 40-acre grid scale. The wind map for Wyoming
along with site-specific graphs and a financial calculator will be available by March.
Key project sponsors include NREL, the Bonneville Power Administration
, Montana Power
, the Wyoming Business Council
, the Northwest Power Planning Council
, Klickitat County
, enXco
, Zilkha Renewable Energy
, Enron Wind
, ABB
, Renewable Energy Systems
, Chelan PUD
, Idaho Power
, and the Energy Project
. PacifiCorp Power Marketing
,
Climate Solutions
, the
Washington State University Energy Program
, the
Renewable Northwest Project
, Global Energy Concepts
, and more than a dozen other organizations have provided in-kind support.
Solar, Biomass and Geothermal Maps
Building on the Northwest wind mapping effort, the
Land & Water Fund of the Rockies
and NWSEED are leading a larger project to produce a “Renewable Energy Atlas of the West” covering wind, solar, biomass and geothermal resources in the 11-state region.
Overlays will include transmission and distribution systems, sensitive wilderness and cultural areas, existing renewable facilities, and utility service territories. Related energy policy details, such as net-metering laws or renewable portfolio standards, will show areas where incentives and other standards have been effective in driving renewable development. The Atlas will be posted at www.energyatlas.org this spring.
–
Heather Rhodes-Weaver, NW SEED