Community Wind Energy 2006

Expanding the Know-How - Expanding the Market

March 7-8, 2006
Iowa Events Center
Des Moines IA

Over 500 participants from 32 states and 3 countries gathered in Des Moines, Iowa March 7-8th to advance the dialogue on community wind. Conference attendees and experts connected with each other over two days to share valuable information and make plans to realize the potential of wind energy for local economies. Thank you to all who participated!

Slides and audio recordings of most of the presentations are available by contacting Windustry at 612-870-3461.

Click here to go directly to a directory of the proceedings.

Download a copy of the conference program by clicking here.

Our sponsors:

Partnering Sponsors:

  • The Energy Foundation
  • The McKnight Foundation

Gold Sponsors:

  • Clipper Windpower
  • John Deere Wind Energy

Silver Sponsors:

  • Alliant Energy
  • Iowa Energy Center
  • LM Glasfiber
  • Suzlon Wind Energy Corporation
  • WindLogics Inc.
  • Winkelman's Environmentally Responsible Construction
  • Xcel Energy

Bronze Sponsors:

  • American Corn Growers Foundation & American Corn Growers Association
  • Consulting Engineers Group
  • Energy Maintenance Services, LLC
  • EcoEnergy, LLC
  • GE Energy
  • George K. Baum & Company
  • Horizon Wind Energy
  • Iowa Farm Bureau
  • JW Prairie Wind Power, LLC
  • Minnesota Power
  • Minnesotans for an Energy Efficient Economy (ME3)
  • NRG Systems, Inc.
  • Outland Renewable Energy
  • PPM Energy
  • US Department of Energy - Midwest Regional Office
  • Wind Utility Consulting
  • Vestas

In-Kind Sponsors

  • ATS Wind Energy Services
  • Iowa Environmental Council
  • Iowa Farmers Union
  • North Dakota Clean Water Action

Conference Planning Team

The 2006 conference planning team included the following organizations:

  • American Corn Growers Association
  • American Corn Growers Foundation
  • National Association of Counties (NACO)
  • Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA)
  • Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC)
  • Green Prairie Energy
  • Intertribal Council on Utility Policy
  • Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities
  • Iowa Department of Natural Resources
  • Iowa Energy Center
  • Iowa Environmental Council
  • Iowa Farm Bureau
  • Iowa Farmers Union
  • Iowa Policy Project
  • Minnesota Department of Commerce
  • National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
  • Northwest Sustainable Energy for Economic Development (SEED)
  • Ontario Sustainable Energy Association (OSEA)
  • Sagrillo Power and Light
  • Seventh Generation Energy
  • The 25 × 25 Initiative
  • The Minnesota Project
  • U.S. Department of Energy
  • Union of Concerned Scientists
  • Western Business Coalition for New Energy Technologies and the
  • Interwest Energy Alliance
  • Western Resource Advocates
  • Windustry
  • Wisconsin Division of Energy

Conference Proceedings

Tuesday, March 7th, 2006: Expanding the Market

7:30 am-8:30 am: Registration and continental breakfast

8:30-10:15 am: Opening Plenary Session (Exhibit Hall C)

Welcome featuring Iowa leaders, followed by a wind industry update, keynote address on community energy, and snapshots of community wind.

Moderator: Lisa Daniels, Executive Director, Windustry

  • Introductions: Bob Haug, Executive Director Iowa Municipal Utility Association
  • Featured Speaker: Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack
  • Featured Speaker: Peter Dreyfuss, Director, US Department of Energy Midwest Regional Office
  • Featured Speaker: How has the Landscape Changed for Wind Energy? Roby Roberts, President of the Board of Directors, American Wind Energy Association
  • What does Community Wind Look Like? Lisa Daniels, Executive Director, Windustry
  • Snapshots of Community Wind:
    • Mark Willers, CEO, Minwind Energy
    • Tom Wind, Wind Utility Consulting
    • Hans-D. Feddersen, German Wind Energy Cooperatives
  • Keynote Speaker: Community Energy, David Morris, Vice President, Institute for Local Self-Reliance

10:15-10:40 am: Morning Break among exhibits

10:40 am-12:25 pm: Breakouts Sessions

[community wind track]

Public Policy: What Works and What’s Needed
Moderator: Carol Werner, Executive Director, Environmental and Energy Study Institute

  • National Policy, Lola Spradley, 25 x 25 Initiative and former speaker of the Colorado State House
  • State Incentive Highlights:Minnesota’s Community-Based Energy Development (C-ED)Tariff, Mike Taylor, Program Administrator, Minnesota Department of Commerce
  • Oregon’s Community Wind Tariff, Carel Dewinkel, Senior Policy Analyst, Oregon Department of Energy
  • Iowa’s Community Wind Tax Incentive, John Norris, Chairman, Iowa Utilities Board (invited)
  • Public Policy for Community Wind in Germany, Henning Holst, small wind project developer from Germany
  • Tribal Policy, Pat Spears, President, Intertribal Council on Utility Policy

Financing Community Wind: Equity Panel
Community wind and the PTC, what kinds of deals are being made, and what equity investors are looking for in a project.

Moderator: Keith Martin, Chadbourne & Parke LLP

Speaker/Panelist:

Using the Production Tax Credit, James Duffy, Nixon Peabody LLP

Panelists:

  • David Brija-Towery, Business Development Manager, John Deere Credit
  • Ward C. Marshall, Babcock & Brown
  • John P. Harper, Principal, Birch Tree Capital, LLC
  • Tim MacDonald, Senior Vice President, Meridian Clean Fuels, LLC
  • Mike Skelly, Chief Development Officer, Horizon Wind Energy

Home, Farm, and Community Wind Basics and Understanding your Wind Resource

Fundamentals of wind energy, cost, feasibility basics of wind assessment, and commercial-scale and small wind turbine technology

Moderator: David Miller, Director Research & Commodity Services, Iowa Farm Bureau

  • Wind Industry Overview and Commercial-Scale Turbines, John Dunlop, Senior Outreach Representative, American Wind Energy Association
  • Understanding Your Wind Resource, Lee Alnes, Vice President and General Manager, WindLogics Inc.
  • Home and Farm-sized Wind Turbines, Speaker: TBA

12:30-2:00 pm: Lunch: Featuring “A Taste of Iowa” menu.
What does a farmer have in common with an arctic explorer?
Introduction: David Kolsrud, Farmer and Manager of Corner Stone Farmers Cooperative
Keynote Speaker: Will Steger, Educator/Arctic Explorer

2:00-3:45 pm: Breakout Sessions

[Community Wind Track]

Supporting Community Wind with State Clean Energy Funds
Creating and using State Clean Energy Funds for community wind projects.

Moderator: Cameron Brooks, Project Director, Clean Energy States Alliance/Clean Energy Group

Panelists:

  • Ed Miller, Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation
  • Jason Gifford, Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust
  • Alan Cowan, Renewable Energy Program Manager, Energy Trust of Oregon, Inc.
  • Roger Clark, Manager for Technology and Policy, The TRF
  • Sustainable Development Fund (Pennsylvania)
  • Mark Daugherty, Wisconsin Focus on Energy

Public Power Projects: Case Studies and New Opportunities
Case studies of public projects, successful strategies, and practical experiences.

Moderator: Bob Haug, Executive Director, Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities

Speakers/Panelists:

  • Sean Middleton, Manager of Engineering, Illinois Rural Electric Cooperative
  • Dan Hayes, Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency
  • New Financing Model for Public Power, Tim MacDonald, Senior Vice President, Meridian Clean Fuels, LLC
  • Dairyland's Renewable Energy Strategy, John McWilliams, Dairyland Power Cooperative

[Home and Farm Wind Track]

Home and Farm Wind Turbines: How to Choose Equipment and Select an Installer
Choosing the right equipment, questions to ask before you buy, and what to expect from an installer.

Moderator: Brian Antonich, Windustry

  • Roy Butler, Four Winds Renewable Energy LLC
  • Victor Creazzi, AeroFire Windpower

3:45-4:10 pm Afternoon Break among exhibits

4:10-5:30 pm: Breakout Sessions

[Community Wind Track]

Local Benefits: Economic Development and Building Local Policy
How wind energy contributes to local economies, public benefits of wind energy through taxes, and a panel of local officials.

Moderator: Mark Lindquist, the Minnesota Project

  • From Snack Bars to Rebar, Craig Cox, Western Business Coalition for New Energy Technologies and the Interwest Energy Alliance
  • Tax Treatment of Wind Energy, Warren Ault, Windustry & LM Glasfiber
  • Local Officials:
    • Jack Keers, Pipestone, MN County Commissioner
    • Beth Bilyeu-Hesse, Executive Director, Forest City, Iowa Economic Development Corp.

Utility Forum: Perspectives on Community Wind
Large utilities weigh-in on the role of community wind, power purchase agreements, and how they choose power suppliers.

Moderator: Ed DeMeo, Renewable Energy Consulting Services, Inc.

Panelists:

  • Karen Hyde, Xcel Energy
  • Mark Rathbun, Great River Energy
  • Kim Zuhlke, Alliant
  • Dean Crist, Mid-American

Home and Farm Scale Wind: Addressing Barriers: Siting, Permitting, Zoning, and Utility Interconnection
When and how to approach local and state agencies to secure permits to secure permits and gather support for your installation.

Moderator: Heather Rhoads-Weaver, eFormative Options LLC

Speakers:

  • Victor Creazzi, AeroFire Windpower
  • Roy Butler, Four Winds Renewable Energy LLC

5:30-7:30 pm Networking Reception: "Sharing a Clean Energy Vision"
Featuring an informal public policy forum with Iowa-themed refreshments served among the exhibits. Music entertainment with World Port.

Reception Host: Iowa State Senator Mary Lundby
Short Presentation: The Dollars and $ense of Wind Energy, Larry Flowers, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Wednesday, March 8th, 2006: Expanding the Know-How

7:00 – 8:00 am Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:00-9:40 am: Breakout Sessions

[community wind track]

So You Want to be a Wind Developer
A summary overview of the wind development process, best practices, and interconnection.

Moderator/Speaker: Iowa Farmers Union (invited)

Speakers:

  • Wind Development Process Overview, Wes Slaymaker, P.E., Director of Wind Energy Development, EcoEnergy LLC
  • Distribution Level Interconnection Opportunities, Mike Michaud, Energy Consulting Services
  • Best Practices for Easements, Land Leases, and Siting, Ed DeMeo, Renewable Energy Consulting Services, Inc.
  • Community Wind Project Business Models, Mark Bolinger, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

[Home and Farm Wind Track]

Home & Farm Wind: Practical Economics and Life-cycle Cost
Determining lice-cycle costs and “break-even” variables of small wind systems, considering wind resources, equipment packages, installation costs, and incentives.

Moderator: Heather Rhoads-Weaver, eFormative Options LLC

Speaker:

  • Equipment Package Cost, Jim Green, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Panelists:

  • Robert Olson, Clarion-Goldfield Community School District: 50kW Iowa school project
  • Larry Grimstad, Iowa farmer/banker: 10kW turbine
  • Jennifer Eigenberger, Lake Shore Technical College: 65kW turbine
  • Tom Hurd, Spatial Designs: 1kW and 3.6kW turbines

9:40-10:00 am: Break

10:00 am-11:30 am Breakouts Sessions:

[community wind track]

Business Models: Farmer and Small Developer Panel
Community wind project developers and farmers discuss how they put together their projects and the advantages and disadvantages of different business models.

Moderator: Ed Ritger, Ritger Law Offices, Attorney & Counselors at Law

Panelists:

  • Dan Juhl, DanMar & Associates
  • Mark Willers, Minwind Energy, LLC
  • Ryan Wolf, Farmer/Small Wind Developer
  • Paul Woodin, Western Wind Power

Public Projects: Schools, Financing and Practical Information
Drivers and tools for public wind energy projects including case studies and financing with clean renewable energy bonds (CREBs).

Moderator: Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs), Charles Kubert, Environmental Law and Policy Center

Speakers:

  • Wind in Schools, Tony Jimenez, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
  • Wind Energy and Turbine Technology at Iowa Lakes Community College, Alden Zeitz, Instructor/Engineer, Iowa Lakes Community College
  • Wind for Schools in Iowa, Teresa Galluzzo, Research Associate, Iowa Policy Project
  • O&M for School Wind Projects, Jim Tirevold, Director of Buildings and Grounds, Spirit Lake Community Schools

[Home and Farm Wind Track]

Home & Farm Wind: Designing Policies for Utility Interconnection & Zoning and Permitting

Speaker/Moderator: Heather Rhoads-Weaver, eFormative Options LLC

Speaker:

  • Home and Farm Wind Turbines in the Eyes of the Rural Electric Cooperatives, Jim Green, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Panelists:

  • Interconnection in Iowa, John Pearce, Iowa Utilities Board
  • Policy for Utility Interconnection, Andy Kruse, Southwest Windpower
  • Local Zoning Ordinance Development in Wisconsin, Jennifer Eigenberger, Lake Shore Technical College
  • Urban Zoning Ordinances for Wind, Tricia Sandahl, Mason City Planning & Zoning

11:30 am-12:30 noon: Lunch - Featuring an Iowa-themed menu.
Keynote speakers from Germany on community wind development: Henning Holst and Hans-D Feddersen

12:45–2:15 pm: Breakouts Sessions

[community wind track]

A Million Little Pieces (Non-Fiction)
Negotiating with a utility, hiring attorneys, and making your project cash flow.

Moderator: Sarah Johnson, Windustry

  • Power Purchase Agreements, Interconnection, and Turbine Supply: Be Smart and Hire Smart People, Jeff Paulson, Jeffrey C. Paulson and Associates
  • USDA Rural Development's Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Program, Teresa Bomhoff, Iowa Rural Development, USDA
  • Building Your Wind Project Proforma: Factors Affecting Economics and Sensitivity Analysis, Tom Wind, Wind Utility Consulting

[Home and Farm Wind Track]

Home & Farm Wind: Incentive Program Highlights and Organizing to Impact Policy

What kinds of state incentive programs have been effective throughout the nation, and how did they get into place?

2:15 - 2:30 pm: Afternoon Break

2:30 pm- 3:40 pm Breakout Sessions

[Community Wind Track]

Financing Community Wind: Debt Panel
What makes a good wind project from a lender’s perspective

Moderator: Ed Woolsey, Green Prairie Energy

Speakers/Panelists:

  • An Overview of Financing Wind Projects, Ken Reiners, Vice President, Agstar Financial Services
  • Financing Wind Power Projects: Bond Financing Alternatives, Lee White, Executive Vice President, George K. Baum & Company
  • Wind Data and Due Diligence. What is the Project's Capacity Factor?, Mark Ahlstrom,CEO, WindLogics Inc.

Community Wind-Water Projects
A look at several approaches to powering local water treatment and supply systems with wind power.

Moderator: Laura Miner-Nordstrom, US Department of Energy

Speakers:

  • Texas Wind Powered Desalination, Andy Swift, Texas Tech University
  • Other speakers to be announced on wind powered desalination and municipal water treatment plants

3:40-5:00 pm: Wind Industry Forum & Wrap-up

Wind Industry Forum: Turbine Supply, Technology, Operations, and Maintenance

Moderator: Larry Flowers, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Panelists:

  • Leif Andersen, Suzlon Wind Energy Corp.
  • Tom Feiler, Clipper Windpower
  • Mark Eilers, GE Energy
Topic: 
Conference
conference
Ownership: 
Community Owned