Oregon Farmers examine biomass crops and power generation February 10, 2010

Local farmers Monday were invited to be involved in the renewable energy field, not only as producers of a crop that could be turned into a fuel, but also as owners of the power generation facility that would burn the crop to produce electricity.

The question is “are we going to be in the driver’s seat?” Randon Wilson, an attorney who specializes in forming agriculture co-ops, said. “We have to decide where we are in charge.”

Wilson told the group, gathered at the Boulevard Grange near Ontario, as members of a proposed co-op for production of biomass crops, they could own the whole process from farm to processing to generation, or they could just do a portion of it. That would include producing the biomass crop that would be turned into fuel or producing the crop and the processing facility that would turn the crop into pellets.

It would take about five months to construct a processing plant to make the pellets, Wilson said. Construction of a power plant will take 18 to 24 months, Renewable Ag Energy Inc. President Kirk Christensen said.

The meeting was hosted by representatives of Renewable Ag Energy, Inc., an Ontario company assisting a group of local farmers, Agri Energy Producers, to bring a new crop to Malheur County.

While there is more than one crop that would produce the biomass, the co-op proponents were mainly discussing high biomass sorghum.

The high biomass crops would be planted in late May. Irrigation and fertilizer applications would be similar to corn. It would be harvested in September or October. Chopped green, it would be hauled to a conversion facility, where it would be stored, dried, cubed and shipped.

Harvesting, hauling and processing costs will be absorbed by the co-op, Christensen said.

“We’re not playing the fuel market,” Christensen said.

The farmers would be paid for growing the crop and participate in the profits from the conversion plan and profits from the generation facility, he said.

“We can’t survive on just what is produced on the farm,” Wilson said. “We need more bites. We have to take a look at energy.”

It was estimated the power plant would support 17 to 20 family-wage jobs, Christensen said.

Choices include full integration, wholly owned by the farmers, or partial integration, linked with other joint ventures or investors, Wilson said. But, it becomes difficult when you mix producers and investors, Wilson said, because eventually there are tensions between the two interests.

“We would like to get the jump on creating a state-wide co-op,” he said, adding that different groups of growers could act as separate divisions.

Such a large co-op would give the producers a lot of clout, Wilson said.

“There is a significant market,” he said.

Wilson, Christensen and others were also meeting with representatives from state agencies this week to discuss the permitting processes, land-use and other regulation issues.

Larry Meyer, Argus Observer – http://www.argusobserver.com/articles/2010/02/10/news/doc4b72f4004d160870392186.txt

Conservation efforts will play key role in meeting Northwest’s energy needs February 10, 2010

The Northwest should meet most of its electricity needs over the next two decades through extensive energy conservation efforts, and it’s going to take more than just changing light bulbs.

That’s the conclusion of a regional power blueprint the Northwest Power and Conservation Council that was unanimously approved Wednesday morning at council headquarters in dowmtown Portland. It focuses on the benefits of efficiency over building new power plants.

“For customers, it’s a good thing in that it’s very clearly saying the direction the region should go in terms of power supply is first and foremost energy efficiency,” said Bob Jerks, director of the Citizens’ Utility Board of Oregon.

The plan estimates about 85 percent of Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana’s new power demand over the next 20 years – about 5,900 megawatts – could be met through conservation, with the rest coming from new renewable power sources like wind, as well as natural gas power plants.

The council says finding additional power through efficiency will be far cheaper than developing new power generation, whether from renewable sources like wind or traditional fossil fuel power plants.

“That’s good for the climate, and it’s good for pocket books,” Jenks said.

Significantly, the council says the region does not need to build any new coal-fired plants to power our iPods, ovens and electric cars.

But while efficiency is cost effective, it’s not free. The council estimates spending would need to step up from a quarter of a billion to $1 billion a year by 2018 to accomplish its efficiency goal. Those expenditures would show up as part of customers’ electricity bills.

That and the ambitious scope of the plan led to some pushback from the region’s electric utilities.

“That money is going to come from ratepayers, and that puts upward pressure on rates,” said Michael Early, executive director of Industrial Customers of Northwest Utilities. “And that’s not something utilities want to do in this economic environment,” when demand for power is not growing.

Council members praised the plan Wednesday for taking into account a future that includes strict regulation on carbon dioxide emissions from coal and other traditional power sources.

“Because carbon penalties loom in one form or another and uncertainty about those penalties abounds, the region can see the day when carbon emissions must be reduced,” Melinda Eden, one of the two council members from Oregon, said following the vote.

The plan’s estimated 5,900 megawatts of conservation – the rough equivalent of the power-producing capacity of 10 coal plants like Portland General Electric’s Boardman facility – would come through things like homeowners increasing insulation at their homes and business refitting their buildings with power-saving lights, as well as more complex improvements to the grid that distributes power around the region.

Utilities will take the plan into account when setting their own strategies for meeting the future demand of their customers. More directly, council policy guides the Bonneville Power Administration, the federal agency that sells electricity from the region’s dams.

The council and Bonneville are charged with balancing power needs with protecting imperiled salmon, and critics of the power agency say the council’s analysis shows the region can do away with 4 of its 31 dams to help fish without jeopardizing its energy future.

The unanimous passage of the plan comes after years of debate between council members and input from utilities and citizens’ groups.

Following Wednesday’s vote, Terry Morgan, the council’s director of power planning, compared those deliberations to the television reality program Survivor.

There were victories and defeats, he said, “and some of us were almost voted off the island.”

John Killen, The Oregonian – http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/02/conservation_efforts_will_play.html

NW power plan: No coal, only wind, gas, efficiency February 10, 2010

The latest energy plan for the Pacific Northwest has been adopted with the goal of limiting greenhouse gas pollution by increased conservation and wind power development.

The Northwest Power and Conservation Council unanimously adopted the regional energy plan Wednesday at a meeting in Portland.

The plan covers Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana for the next 20 years. But the council revises it every five years to keep up with changes.

The new plan says most of the increased demand for electricity in the Northwest can be met with improved efficiency, conservation and wind power.

Associated Press – http://www.tri-cityherald.com/1154/story/895843.html

Idaho Power plans more generation from wind February 8, 2010

Idaho Power’s new plan for meeting anticipated customer energy needs for the next two decades shows the utility’s energy portfolio will grow increasingly diverse with a heightened emphasis on renewable sources.

Idaho Power filed its integrated resource plan for 2009 with the Idaho Public Utilities Commission in December.

// Wind energy is slated to become an increasingly substantial energy source for Idaho Power. Spokeswoman Stephanie McCurdy said the utility put out a request for proposals in May seeking 150 megawatts of wind power generation.

Now, Idaho Power has 192 megawatts of wind capacity in its system, and by 2012, McCurdy said the company expects to have more than 600 megawatts of wind power.

To ensure a stable power source at times when wind power wanes, Idaho Power plans to build a natural gas combined cycle combustion turbine capable of producing 300 megawatts of power, called the Langley Gulch plant, in Payette County. Construction on the project is scheduled to start this August, and the plant should be on line by July 2012.

Idaho Power’s plan also calls for 40 megawatts of geothermal power — about 20 megawatts of that total are part of a contract that’s awaiting approval by the IPUC.

The plan is updated every two years with input from Idaho Power’s Integrated Resource Plan Advisory Council, made of members from the general public, the government sector and environmental stakeholders.

The plan also outlines the company’s steps to promote energy efficiency. McCurdy noted Idaho Power has 17 energy efficiency programs and two educational initiatives pertaining to energy efficiency.

One is a credit of $7 per month for customers who allow Idaho Power to install devices on their air conditioners that cycle off air conditioning at peak hours.

Customers are free to share their opinions about the utility’s future plans or ask questions about the plan by emailing  irp@idahopower.com, but the public comment will not affect the 2009 integrated resource plan.

John O’Connell, Idaho State Journal – http://www.idahopress.com/news/?id=29870

Idaho Power Files Plan To Meet Future Power Demand January 30, 2010

Idaho Power Co. has filed a plan with the state’s energy regulator detailing how it will meet growing customer demand over the next 20 years.

The state’s biggest utility says it intends to add 3,000 megawatts of power generated by a mix of natural gas, wind and geothermal to serve an estimated 680,000 customers by 2029. The company now serves about 486,000 customers.

The majority of the new energy is expected to come from the Langley Gulch natural gas plant now under construction near New Plymouth. Wind generation will provide 150 megawatts of energy, and geothermal sources another 40 megawatts.

The filing with the Idaho Public Utilities Commission also predicts increases in customer costs as the utility relies less on energy produced at coal-fired plants. About 78 percent of its electricity in 2008 came from hydroelectric and coal resources.
Idaho Power said it also hopes to reduce summer power demand by encouraging customers to use energy efficient appliances.

Associated Press -http://www.kivitv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11904919

ISU gets grant for renewable energy training program January 30, 2010

The federal government has awarded Idaho State University $1.5 million to establish a new program for training technicians suited to work in the renewable energy industry.

The U.S. Department of Labor grant will be funneled to ISU’s Energy Systems Technology and Education Center. Administrators will use the money to create a nine-month to certify technicians who can pursue careers in wind energy and other renewable energy fields.

Students completing the program will be certified as renewable energy technicians. With additional classes, they can obtain an associates degree in wind engineering or mechanical engineering technology.

The center hopes to begin offering classes in the renewable energy program in the fall of 2011.

Associated Press – http://www.khq.com/Global/story.asp?S=11900548

Forecast: NW Energy prices likely to rise modestly January 24, 2010

Energy prices in 2009 reflected both good and bad news for consumers; the good news was that prices for natural gas and oil were much lower than the previous year; the bad news was that a severe recession was part of the reason for the lower prices.

Looking ahead to 2010, I expect a modest recovery of energy prices, the extent of which depends to a large degree on the economy. A robust recovery from the recession would put more upward pressure on energy prices. A sluggish recovery would moderate energy price increases.

Oil prices should increase moderately during 2010. They remain high by historical standards even during the recession. The outlook for oil prices, however, must always be conditioned on developments in the Middle East. Changes in world oil prices quickly find their way to the gasoline station and consumers’ pockets.

Natural gas prices fell by about 50 percent between 2008 and 2009. Many consumers have seen the effects of this reduction in their natural gas bills as distributors pass along cost reductions in rates. I expect moderate natural gas price increases this year.

However, a new development is at work in the U.S. natural gas market that could affect future prices. A couple of years ago, natural gas supplies were expected to decline for the U.S. and Canada. Yet, improved drilling and recovery technologies have unlocked natural gas supplies from shale and other non-conventional formations. The result was a substantial increase in natural gas supplies that, combined with the recession, contributed to the collapse of prices in 2009. While there are questions remaining about the future of these non-conventional supplies, they are likely to help contain price increases for years to come. Nevertheless, the higher cost of developing these supplies will prevent large decreases in natural gas prices in the long term.

Electricity prices for consumers are less volatile than oil and natural gas prices. They are regulated to a greater extent and more insulated from market fluctuations. This is especially true in the Pacific Northwest, where hydroelectricity supplies a large share of our electricity. Hydroelectricity cost does not change directly based on fuel prices.

Future costs of electricity are increasingly likely to be affected by policies addressing climate change concerns. It is important to understand that, nationwide, electricity generation accounts for 38 percent of carbon dioxide emissions.

Because of the large presence of hydroelectricity in the Pacific Northwest, the electric generation share of carbon dioxide emissions is only 23 percent. For example, electricity generation in Washington state produces only 20 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions per kilowatt-hour of the total U.S. electricity generation.

Nevertheless, efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions are likely to significantly affect the cost of electricity. Electric utilities in Washington are subject to renewable portfolio standards that require growing shares of electricity supplies to be renewable. Renewable electricity generation is more expensive than existing generation and new natural gas-fired electricity generation. Proposed cap-and-trade systems for greenhouse gases would raise the cost of existing carbon dioxide-emitting generation, especially existing coal plants that account for 85 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions from the Northwest power system. Even improved efficiency of electricity use can raise electricity rates, while at the same time reducing electric bills for homes and businesses that participate because less electricity is consumed.

Conservation vs. new power

Carbon emissions and electricity costs were issues that the Northwest Power and Conservation Council addressed in its new draft Sixth Power Plan for the Pacific Northwest. The resource strategy advocated in the plan is an aggressive pursuit of improved efficiency (conservation) in homes, businesses, and factories.

The council found that much of the region’s expected growth in electricity needs could be met with conservation at far lower cost and risk than building additional generation. In addition, renewable electricity generation acquired to meet renewable portfolio standards in the region will help reduce carbon emissions. The region should improve the operational procedures of the power system to better integrate variable generation sources such as wind, but also should look for other small-scale renewable opportunities in local communities. After renewable power requirements are met, natural gas-fired generation is the next best source, if necessary. In the long-term, other forms of generation, efficiency, energy storage, or operational changes should be considered, researched, and demonstrated, including smart-grid technologies.

Such an energy strategy requires that the region’s citizens and businesses, working with their local utilities, participate in securing their own energy futures. Low-cost supplies of energy can no longer be taken for granted. But energy that is available can be used far more efficiently, reducing the impact of rising costs and resulting in a more sustainable economy.

Terry Morlan, Columbian forecaster; The Columbian – http://www.columbian.com/news/2010/jan/24/energy-prices-likely-to-rise-modestly/

Blaine County gives nod to residential wind turbines January 14, 2010

Kim Johnson counts herself as an environmentalist who’s always seeking ways to make her Hailey home more self-sufficient and earth-friendly.

So when she started researching residential-scale wind turbines as a possible way to pull less power off the electrical grid, she was surprised to find information that turned her opinion against them.

Johnson was one of several Blaine County residents to testify before county commissioners on Tuesday afternoon, during a hearing in which commissioners unanimously approved an ordinance regulating where and how county homeowners can install wind turbines.

“This ordinance doesn’t force anybody to put up a wind tower,” said Commissioner Larry Schoen, who has investigated wind power at his own Bellevue Triangle-area ranch. He said anyone asking to put up a wind tower would be well advised to do as he did: conduct study of wind speeds over their home and do a cost/benefit analysis.

Schoen also addressed audience concerns that the ordinance — which allows some wind turbines on large properties to be approved administratively, while others on smaller parcels must go through a public conditional-use permit process — doesn’t give the public enough input.

“We have struck a fair balance,” he said, acknowledging that the county wants to encourage alternative energy use when appropriate, and to make the process easy and accountable.

Some in the audience were proponents of the ordinance, saying the existing power transmission system has serious environmental and operational weaknesses, citing last month’s Christmas outage. They argued residents should be allowed to experiment with alternatives.

Other speakers said exploring alternative energy creation was great, but that wind turbines have specific weaknesses that make them inappropriate for the county. These include the impact they would have on views, the lack of good wind in the valley, and that construction of the turbines is not an environmentally friendly process so their overall impact on the planet is negative, not positive.

“There’s so much spin around this stuff, no pun intended,” Johnson said of her research. “Sometimes what they’re touting as green sounds good, but it doesn’t make sense.”

Johnson isn’t likely to be among those who take advantage of the wind turbine ordinance, and commissioners have said interest in installing turbines has been expressed by only a few homeowners. After the ordinance has been in place for a while, they have said, they will gauge how the public has received it and consider changes to the law.

Ariel Hansen, Magic Valley News Times – http://www.magicvalley.com/news/local/article_f33310d4-bc26-57fb-b2cb-11c50a616d6b.html

Boise is one of the world’s leading geothermal cities December 11, 2009

This week world leaders gathering in Copenhagen for the United Nations Climate Change Conference are feeling the geothermal heat that is part of the energy solution for Copenhagen and for cities and countries around the world. In fact, Copenhagen could meet 50 percent of its district heating needs by using its geothermal resources.

With Copenhagen in the spotlight this week as an example of geothermal’s potential, the Geothermal Energy Association has identified 10 leading geothermal cities around the globe.

Boise made the list for several reasons: the city’s public works department has the largest direct use geothermal system in the U.S.; the city’s geothermal system injects 100 percent of the water back into the aquifer; the Idaho State Capitol is among several buildings in the Capitol Mall area that are heated by the system and Boise built its first geothermal heating system in 1892.

Last week the Boise City Council passed three resolutions furthering its commitment to using geothermal resources — increasing the city’s geothermal pumping limit, tying in with the Warm Springs water district to supplement its geothermal supplies and setting a policy for extending city geothermal lines to private property.

These agreements represent an “opportunity to maximize a resource that is about as good as it gets when it comes to climate change. Lowering our carbon footprint and being responsible with resources to the benefit of our citizens,” Mayor Dave Bieter said during the Dec. 1 council meeting.

In addition to Boise, other cities the international geothermal association recognized as examples of world leaders in geothermal municipal development include:

• Copenhagen, Denmark: Having set a target of zero carbon emissions by 2025, Copenhagen is a leader in clean energy alternatives and could meet 50 percent of its district heating needs by using its geothermal resources.

• Reykjavik, Iceland: With a high level of geothermal activity and insightful developments by the Icelanders over the years, 87 percent of Iceland’s buildings are heated geothermally.

• Reno, Nevada: City and business leaders have been encouraged by the success and remarkable potential of the energy source and are marketing Reno as a geothermal center for industry activities, corporate offices and research facilities.

• Perth, Australia: Perth has declared its intention to enter the geothermal community with a new twist — as the very first geothermally cooled city with commercial geothermal-powered heating and air-conditioning units.

• Xianyang, China: Recently deemed “China’s Official Geothermal City,” in the largest emissions-producing nation in the world, Xianyang is helping China achieve the goal they set of 16 percent renewables by 2020 — up from 7 percent in 2005. Also of note, Beijing famously used geothermal pumps to power the 2008 Olympics.

• Madrid, Spain: Madrid’s regional government is on board with six renewable energy projects, one of which is a 8-megawatt geothermal district heating project.

• Masdar City, Abu Dhabi: The city’s goal is to function 100 percent on renewable energy; a shining example to the rest of the world. The city plans to obtain half of its power from geothermal resources.

• Klamath Falls, Oregon: Geothermal has been used for space heating since the turn of the century and for a variety of uses including heating homes, schools, businesses, swimming pools, and for snow melt systems for sidewalks and highway. In addition, geothermal provides Oregon Institute of Technology’s 11-building campus all of its heating needs.

Cynthia Sewell, Idaho Statesman – http://www.idahostatesman.com/boise/story/1003511.html

Idaho Power wants to make efficiency program permanent December 9, 2009

Idaho Power Co. wants regulators to make permanent a program that helps the utility recover its fixed costs, saying it will provide incentives to promote energy efficiency and conservation.

The Idaho Public Utilities Commission is considering the proposal, which would result in the Fixed Cost Adjustment program becoming permanent after a 3-year pilot program.

The company says the program has helped the company nearly double its investment in energy efficiency and conservation since 2006.

Just does it mean to customers’ bills?

During the first year, Idaho Power’s residential and small-business clients got a credit that averaged about 48 cents per month.

During the second year, customers saw their monthly bills rise by an average 56 cents.

The regulators are still setting up a schedule to process the request but there’s a Dec. 16 deadline for parties to sign up to participate in hearings.

On the Net:

For documents related to this case: http://www.puc.idaho.gov and click on the electric icon, then on “Open Electric Cases” and scroll down to Case No. IPC-E-09-28.

Associated Press – http://www.khq.com/Global/story.asp?S=11646665

Hailey, ID Considering Wind Energy Ordinance November 29, 2009

Hailey may soon be set to harness the wind for electricity. On Monday, the City Council held a first reading of a proposed ordinance change that would permit installation of small-scale wind-energy systems.

The ordinance would allow for free-standing and rooftop-mounted wind turbines in the Business, Limited Industrial, Airport and SCI-Industrial zones.

Hailey Planner Mariel Platt told the council earlier this month that Hailey’s average wind speeds range up to 14 mph across the town. She said a home turbine in areas where winds average 6-12 mph could cover one-fifth to one-third of average household electrical needs.

Platt addressed concerns that rooftop mounted turbines can cause structural damage to buildings, raised earlier this month by engineer Cal Strope, in a staff report prior to the meeting. She stated that she had found little cause for concern about structural damage on commercial buildings.

“I found the evidence which discredits roof-mounted systems entirely to be minimal,” she wrote.

The ordinance would allow for turbines up to 10 feet above maximum building height levels. One turbine will be allowed per single-ownership lot.

The turbines would be allowed on a conditional-use basis, taking into account wind speed readings on the proposed site as well as alternate sites on a particular lot.

If the turbine is not used or goes out of service for any reason, the city could terminate the conditional-use permit.

Building permits, including the stamp of approval from a licensed structural engineer, would be required before installing a wind turbine.

There will be two more public readings of the wind turbine ordinance before it becomes city law.

Tony Evans, Idaho Mountain Express - http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005128894

$178M Smart Grid project to improve NW power system November 26, 2009

The Northwest has been selected for a landmark $178 million Smart Grid Demonstration Project that could help lay the groundwork for more energy-efficient power distribution nationwide.

Battelle will manage the Northwest project, which will involve more than 60,000 customers in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming.

The Northwest project is one of 16 chosen by the Department of Energy, the agency announced Tuesday.

A smart grid is a system designed to improve power delivery and reliability and increase efficiency by using intelligent, two-way communication technologies, which includes everything from interactive appliances in homes to substation automation and sensors on transmission lines.

Generators of electricity, suppliers and users are all part of the equation.

With increased communication and information, smart grid technology enables real-time monitoring of electric energy use, an exchange of information about supply and demand and adjustments to power consumption when the grid is under stress to ensure consistent delivery of electricity.

About half of the project’s money will be provided by the Department of Energy through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the other half will come from utilities, technology companies and other participating entities.

The entire Northwest project should create about 1,500 jobs at its peak across the region in manufacturing, installing and operating smart grid equipment, telecommunications networks, software and controls.

Battelle’s Ron Melton, the project’s director, said it’ll take about two years for the project team, which includes 15 utilities and the Bonneville Power Administration, to install the smart infrastructure. Battelle operates the Richland-based Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for the Department of Energy.

“Around this time in 2011 we should have the infrastructure up and running,” he said.

The project team will then spend the next two years gathering information, evaluating the technology and researching the smart grid’s performance, Melton said.

In addition to the public utilities, Battelle and BPA, Melton said technology companies such as AREVA and IBM will help develop the smart infrastructure.

“The Smart Grid Demonstration Project is meant to push the envelope of the use of smart grid technologies,” he said.

Benton PUD is one of the 15 utilities on the project team.

Rick Dunn, Benton PUD’s director of engineering, said the public utility’s involvement will include installing intelligent electronic devices on four feeders that distribute electricity from its Reata substation. Those devices should allow the Benton PUD to better track the flow and demand of electricity distributed to customers.

“Smart grid is many things,” Dunn said, “but one thing for sure is it’s the convergence of IT infrastructure and electrical infrastructure.”

Dunn expects the PUD’s smart infrastructure to be installed at select sites in Benton PUD’s coverage area throughout the next year. Software also will be installed so the public utility can gather and collect data from the digital readers.

Benton PUD has installed thousands of advanced metering infrastructure, or AMI, meters, which also are called smart meters, throughout this year. The intelligent, digital readers and AMI readers should work together to give Benton PUD an accurate, almost real-time picture of energy use and distribution among customers.

The project will involve more than 112 megawatts of power, enough to serve 86,000 households.

Drew Foster – http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/northwest/story/968399.html

Construction set to start on multi-County Idaho wind farm November 21, 2009

Construction begins in the next several weeks on a large-scale wind farm spanning Elmore and three surrounding counties to provide the state additional renewable energy resources.

Led by the Exergy Development Group based in Montana, the $500 million Idaho Wind Project includes building nearly 150 turbines capable of generating up to 219 megawatts of power.

The project includes building 15 of these wind turbines in the Bell Rapids area near Hagerman roughly a mile within the Elmore County’s southeastern border, said company representative Patricia Pilz. A majority of the remaining turbines would remain in Twin Falls County.

During a public hearing Nov. 4, the Elmore County Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved the company’s conditional use permit. The commission also approved a height variance request, which the company needed since the towers extend up nearly 400 feet when their blades reach their maximum height.

Mountain Home News – http://www.mountainhomenews.com/story/1588031.html

Sherman Co. is distributing $350K in wind farm proceeds to county residents November 21, 2009

Many Sherman County residents will have a nice little bonus just in time for the holidays, thanks to the wind turbines dotting the county.
Sherman County commissioners announced this week that the county is distributing nearly $350,000 in wind farm payments to county residents. A total of 593 households in the county qualified and on Dec. 10, the county will mail each of them a $590 check from the county’s Strategic Investment Plan (SIP).
SIP itself is funded by wind farm owners. The State of Oregon gives an exemption from property taxes above the first $25 million to certain qualified developments in rural areas. That program allows local entities to negotiate “in lieu” payments or community service fees equal to 25 percent of exempt taxes, up to $500,000 per year. With several such wind farms in the county and more coming, Sherman County has a steady stream of money coming for a number of years.
Rather than simply tossing the new revenue into the general fund, the county put together a Wind Revenue Advisory Committee. One of their suggestions was to share some of the funds directly with local residents.
According to Commissioner Mike Smith, the qualifications for the payment are simple. “You have to be a resident of Sherman County for one year, have not been absent from the county for more than 90 days, and since this payment is for each qualified home you need to be chosen as the head of household by those living in the home.”
Both renters and homeowners qualified for the payments.
“The wind tower developments have had an effect on everyone in the county,” Smith said, “so we should all be treated equally. This way everyone in our community can be involved and invested in the success of wind power in Sherman County.”
The amount of the payment, he said, was due to the amount of money set aside this year for the fund and the number of qualifying applicants. Because the amount was below $600, the county did not have to send 1099 forms to the residents and the Internal Revenue Service.
There were some hiccups in the program’s first year, Smith said. “There are close to 1,000 homes in our county and some that would have qualified did not apply or applied past the cut-off date of Aug 31st,” he said.
The county did send two mailers to every home, ran newspaper ads, and posted information on a widely read e-mail newsletter.
Even so, some homeowners missed the boat.
“Although we seriously considered all appeals, we had to follow the rules that had been set in the ordinance that authorized these payments,” Smith said. “We all believe next year most everyone will apply and we are enthusiastic about the continuation of this payment over the life of the SIP agreements.”

By Rodger Nichols, The Chronicle - http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/news/2009/11/news11-22-09-02.shtml

“Green jobs” likely in Idaho, perhaps driven by more hydro power, state agency says November 20, 2009

Renewable energy is one place the state could make job gains, said the Idaho Department of Commerce.

In 2008, the U.S. Energy Information Agency ranked Idaho seventh nationally in its renewable energy generating capacity, and an Idaho Department of Labor analysis found energy sector employers paying $2.6 billion to over 49,000 workers, 12 percent of total wages and 7.5 percent of total jobs.

A $1.25 million federal grant awarded earlier this week to the Department of Labor will be used to develop detailed information on the current and future potential of jobs in the state’s power and energy industry, and in particular jobs in the area of efficient and renewable energy, also known as “green jobs.”

The Energy Information Agency profile of Idaho identifies its vast hydropower resources — the sixth largest in the nation — as the source of nearly all the state’s renewable energy capacity. Wind and wood or wood waste accounted for less than 7 percent combined.

But researchers at the Idaho National Laboratory have identified 6,700 additional hydropower sites that could potentially produce another 2,100 megawatts of electricity. That would boost Idaho’s hydro capacity by another 22 percent.

Wind remains the most likely alternative resource for development. In 2004, the federal energy agency found no notable wind generation in Idaho. Idaho has 146 megawatts of wind power operating in Idaho according to the Idaho Strategic Energy Alliance Wind Task Force report.

Of that total, 64.5 megawatts, is being generated by the Wolverine Farm in southeastern Idaho”s Bingham County. Recent wind mapping indicates Idaho has about 18,000 megawatts of generation potential, the 13th highest in the United States. The southeastern part of the state has been identified as having several locations with nearby transmission lines that could support viable wind farms. Most developers require a wind classification of three or higher, and of the 75 sites in Idaho at that rating a third are in the southeast.

The natural hot springs in southeastern Idaho account for the Northwest’s first geothermal electric plant near Raft River. Operated by U.S. Geothermal Inc., it produces about 13 megawatts of electricity with a maximum capacity estimated at 110 megawatts.

Generating costs are relatively high, but technological improvements offer prospects of developing one or more of the other 24 geothermal sites in Idaho identified for the Governor‚s Geothermal Task Force in 2007.

Recently the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation announced plans for a 100-megawatt geothermal plant near Preston.

Biomass — wood products, cellulosic feedstock and byproducts from grain crops — is being evaluated throughout the state to include gases containing carbon from decomposing landfill material. But timber and grain are the focus.

Rocky Barker, Idaho Statesman – http://www.idahostatesman.com/business/story/981073.html

More on proposed Nuclear Plant near Payette November 20, 2009

For several years now, energy experts have been predicting a “nuclear renaissance” in this country.  But that’s not materializing very quickly.

In Idaho, an energy developer is now on his third proposed site for a new commercial nuclear power plant. Thursday, in Payette, Idaho, people traveled hours to express their feelings at an initial public hearing.

Opinions on the nuclear option were sharply divided.  Tom Banse reports from Payette County.

 

Proposed nuclear plant site is presently private ranchland.

Tom Banse:  “I’ve driven about an hour northwest of Boise.  The Oregon line is only about 12 miles further.  I’ve come to a remote private ranch.  There’s not a cow in sight, actually, or another human being. This is the location where a small Idaho small company headed by Don Gillispie proposes to build a large new nuclear power plant.  This is Gillispie’s third try — maybe the third time is the charm — to get a Northwest county to change the zoning to allow a nuke plant.”

Don Gillispie: “This is probably one of the better sites in the sense of no seismic activity, no volcanoes, and no ground motion and no faults.”

Gillispie started scouting locations in Idaho about the same time trend spotters popularized the phrase “nuclear renaissance.”

Since 2007, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has received applications for 26 new reactor units.  So far, none are from the Northwest, although Gillispie hopes to change that.

In Richland, Washington though, pro-nuclear writer and blogger Mike Fox says the “renaissance” faces formidable headwinds.

Michael Fox: “It’s very slow to get here.  There are a number of reasons for that.  One of them is the heavy burden that we have in the United States from taxation, litigation and regulation.”

Fox says those factors drive up costs.  The newly proposed nuke plant in Idaho carries an estimated price tag of nearly ten billion dollars to construct.  The developer has not yet lined up financing.

Michael Fox: “The CEO’s of utilities have to basically have to put the entire financial future of the utility at risk to take on this load.  It’s a lot.”

Fox is encouraged by national opinion polls that find growing public acceptance for nuclear energy.

A Gallup Poll earlier this year measured 59 percent in favor.  But doubters remain numerous and adamant, especially here in the Northwest.

Tim Kennedy: “I don’t want that stuff in my area.  Once it’s there, it’s there. I mean, Chernobyl, they still haven’t done anything with that.  I’ve seen on National Geographic where they’re still at it, I don’t know how many years since Chernobyl happened.”

Tim Kennedy was among about 250 people who filled Payette’s high school auditorium to sound off at a county zoning hearing.

Graphic of proposed plant location. Courtesy of AEHI, Inc.

Tona Henderson talked calmly about nuclear waste for a few minutes, but then couldn’t hold back her emotions.

Tona Henderson: “Do we really know enough about the problems this plant could cause if something went wrong?  Are you willing to stake your families’ lives on it?”

Other Northwest residents are more concerned about securing jobs, especially in a down economy.  As well, nuclear supporters argue the Northwest needs new sources of electricity that operate round-the-clock, unlike wind turbines and solar panels.

Angelina Garcia Devine believes Idaho would benefit from hosting a nuclear plant.

Angelina Garcia Devine: “The low cost, clean energy is going to attract industries to the Gem State, which creates jobs and therefore stimulates our economy even more.  It also helps with global warming, which is its own dilemma.”

Payette County’s Planning and Zoning commission listened to back-and-forth testimony until an hour before midnight.

The panel gave no indication of what it will eventually recommend to the county commission.

On the other side of Boise, the Elmore County zoning commission is taking its time with a separate application from the same company for another nuke plant.

Alternate Energy Holdings CEO Don Gillispie says he’s optimistic one of his plant sites will receive local approval by early next year.

Ultimately, a new reactor needs approval from federal regulators.

BY TOM BANSE, OPB News – http://news.opb.org/article/6255-much-discussed-nuclear-renaissance-slow-arrive/

Wind turbines disfavored along scenic corridor in Blaine Co. November 19, 2009

Though a final decision has yet to be made, the Blaine County Commission made it clear this week that it does not favor allowing wind energy facilities in the “scenic corridor,” the area visible from state Highway 75.

It’s the biggest issue the commission faces while continuing deliberations on a proposed ordinance regulating wind energy facilities. The meeting Tuesday at the Old County Courthouse in Hailey was the fifth public hearing on the issue and another, possibly the last, is set for Tuesday, Nov. 24, at 2 p.m.

While considering criteria for both freestanding and rooftop wind turbines, the commission showed a change in heart from its previous meeting on the ordinance.

At a meeting in August, the commissioners seemed amenable to the idea of allowing turbines in the scenic corridor, which runs north from Glendale Road in Bellevue, but reversed course this week, citing public opposition.

“If we’re going to allow wind turbines, we need to have them accepted by the community,” Commission Chairman Larry Schoen said. “We can’t create a negative attitude toward wind energy. It’s not just about creating electricity.”

At the meeting, the issue drew plenty of public comment, with those against arguing that wind turbines along the scenic corridor would impair the natural beauty as people drive through the valley.

“We have gone to lengths to preserve views with the hillside ordinance and with the Forest Service’s decision not to allow a cell tower on Galena [Summit],” Hailey resident Peter Lobb pointed out.

Those in favor said wind energy is becoming more accepted around the world and that people not only wouldn’t mind seeing the turbines, but would hail them as evidence that the community is taking progressive steps for energy conservation.

The commissioners also discussed criteria for turbines, including the maximum heights allowed on different sizes of properties.

Schoen proposed that turbines up to 40 feet should be allowed on properties of five acres or more without requiring a conditional-use permit. That would mean that property owners with large enough lots would be able to install a 40-foot, free-standing turbine or a rooftop turbine that doesn’t reach above the 40-foot mark without being required to go to the Planning and Zoning Commission for a public hearing.

Jon Duval, Idaho Mountain Express – http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005128852

Nuclear power opponent speaks out on Payette proposal November 19, 2009

Dr. Peter Rickards, Twin Falls, intends to drive to Payette County today to attend the Payette County Planning & Zoning Commission meeting where the board will consider a comprehensive plan amendment regarding a proposed nuclear power plant.

The meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. at the Payette High School auditorium, will be one of many Rickards, an opponent of nuclear power, has attended regarding power plant proposals by Alternate Energy Holdings, Inc., which submitted the comprehensive plan amendment application.

“I’ve been tracking them since they moved to Owyhee County and claimed to have found the perfect nuclear power site,” Rickards said, adding he has also gotten involved in similar meetings in Elmore County.

He said he is interested to hear what AEHI CEO Don Gillispie has to say now about the power plant proposal in Payette County.

Rickards said he has numerous concerns about nuclear power in general and AEHI specifically and asserts that Gillispie has not told the truth on a number of matters that have been brought up in other areas, including his background, the cost of producing nuclear power as compared with other resources such as wind or geothermal power and the safety of nuclear power.

“I’m the kind of guy who likes to double checks things,” Rickards said.

He said, beyond the large nuclear power plant accidents in the past, there have been smaller problems at other plants that could have turned into disasters, specifically naming a power plant, Davis-Besse, in Ohio where he said a small leak was detected and then deliberately ignored. The Davis-Besse plant has faced a number of challenges since construction began on the facility in 1970.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission reported the Davis-Besse plant encountered several of the most dangerous types of nuclear miscues since the late 1970s.

Rickards said voters in Idaho and Payette County should be concerned about any nuclear power plant proposal.

“There are modern problems, and there are containment problems, and this is a gamble that Idaho does not need to take,” Rickards said.

Rickards said he also questions whether any power that was created would be sold to Idaho first, or whether the state would have to outbid others such as California for first take.

Rickards said, it would be different if Payette County and Idaho had no other alternate energy sources to draw from and nuclear power was the only option, but, as it is, that is not the case, he said. And, should a meltdown occur, it could cause widespread damage.

“Basically nuclear power is the only energy source that can cause the permanent evacuation of a widespread region such as southern Idaho,” he said.

He encourages people to attend tonight’s meeting and get involved because he does not think Payette County should be put on the frontlines again, nor should local residents be asked to compromise their safety or families.

Payette County Commissioner Larry Church said, however, the comprehensive plan amendment is just the first step of any kind of change. He said the County Planning and Zoning Commission will make some kind of a recommendation to the county commissioners, and, if a comprehensive plan amendment is finally approved, a rezone and platting will have to take place. For now, however, a comprehensive plan amendment only considers the best use for the land based on the rules. He said, if it gets to the rezone and platting process, the nature of the request and any subsequent concerns would become a bigger factor in any decision.

“You factor in all the testimony that you get, for and against, and try to make the best decision you can, I guess,” Church said. “I mean that’s all you can do.”

JESSICA KELLER, ARGUS OBSERVER – http://www.argusobserver.com/articles/2009/11/19/news/doc4b0588066a35f229277495.txt

Blaine County continues to wrangle with wind ordinance November 18, 2009

The Blaine County Commission will hold at least one more meeting on an ordinance regulating allowable wind energy facilities within the county that would either be freestanding or set on rooftops.

The commission met yesterday at the Old County Courthouse to tackle one of the most controversial issues regarding wind energy facilities, namely whether or not wind turbines would be allowed within the “scenic corridor,” or visible from state Highway 75.

While the commissioners seemed amenable to this idea at their last meeting on this issue in August, they all spoke against having turbines in this area on Tuesday. This issue drew plenty of public comment, with those against arguing that wind turbines along the scenic corridor would negatively impact the natural beauty as people drive through the valley. Those in favor of having turbines there said that wind energy is becoming more accepted around the world and that people not only wouldn’t mind seeing the turbines, but would hail them as evidence that the community is taking progressive steps for energy conservation.

The commission is slated to continue deliberating on this issue on Tuesday, Nov. 24, at 2 p.m.

JON DUVAL, Idaho Mountain Express – http://www.mtexpress.com/vu_breaking_story.php?bid=8152

 

Second firm looks at Payette County for site of a new nuclear power plant November 18, 2009

The spokesman for a firm looking to build a nuclear power plant in Payette County said atomic energy is more cost effective than conventional sources.

Don Gillispie, 66, Eagle, one of seven owners of the firm Alternate Energy Holdings, Inc., said his company first began to look at Idaho as a viable place for a nuclear power plant several years ago.

Company officials reviewed Idaho and thought it was about the best, most logical place to go.

“We sat down and drew a map and put a 150-mile radius from Boise, and we went from there,” Gillispie said. “We started in Owyhee County, but the piece of land we were looking at didn’t work. We moved to Elmore County, but we were sort of forced out by some locals who don’t know much about nuclear energy and don’t want to, either. So, then Payette County.”

AEHI is not the first firm to review Payette County as a potential site for a nuclear power plant. Two years ago MidAmerican looked at Payette County as a possible site for a nuclear plant but later abandoned the concept.

Gillispie said, while very educated, MidAmerican lacked the experience in nuclear power energy.

“They hadn’t ever constructed a nuclear power plant before,” Gillispie said. “I am not saying they didn’t know what they were doing, but, they didn’t have the hands-on experience that AEHI has.”

Gillispie said the proposed plant could produce at least 5,000 jobs during its construction and about 1,000 jobs during operation. He said the tax intake, alone, will be beneficial to the county as a revenue, generating nearly $100 million in property taxes. Construction costs would be near $10 billion and will begin after land acquisition, hopefully in 2013. The plant has a 60-year life span and will essentially be more efficient and beneficial to the county than a solar or hydro-energy power plant, he said. Gillispie said the average salary for a nuclear power plant engineer is around $80,000.

Gillispie said the company currently operates eight plants in the Mid-west. He said the proposed plant is an advanced plant, and no others exist in the world like it. Gillispie said he enjoys being a good neighbor to local businesses, charities and the population in general. He said they donate their time, resources and thousands of dollars annually.

“We try to be good neighbors,” Gillispie said. “Part of this company is trying to give back to the people.”

The Payette County Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. Thursday regarding the proposed nuclear plant. If anyone would like to contact Gillispie or visit the Web site, Gillispie encourages questions, concerns and comments about the proposal. The Web site address is www.aehipower.com and the email is info@aehipower.com.

“It’s been a fun ride. Sometimes it gets interesting and difficult at the meetings,” Gillispie said. “I get called names and things get said that baffle me, but I am looking forward to answering questions and concerns.”

Treasure Valley company relies on solar power to charge electronic devices in automobiles November 16, 2009

A Treasure Valley company has come up with a way to charge electronic devices in an automobile without draining the battery or requiring the vehicle run on idle for long periods of time.

Treasure Valley Solar in Boise has put together an integrated system that uses the power of the sun to charge electronic devices such as computers, cell phones, and PDA’s without turning on the vehicle’s engine.

The equipment could meet the needs of companies with fleets of vehicles that are out in the field or even construction companies looking for ways to charge their power tools, say company officials.

The cost: $1,200 to $1,500.

Bill Robert, Idaho Statesman – http://www.idahostatesman.com/business/story/975253.html

Blaine County to discuss wind energy ordinance Tuesday November 16, 2009

The Blaine County Commission will consider an amendment to an existing ordinance regulating wind energy facilities at a regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 17.

The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. at the Old County Courthouse, but the wind energy discussion isn’t slated to take place until 1:30 p.m.

The commission previously discussed this issue in August, attempting to set criteria for the size of wind turbines. The allowable height would vary by the size of the property.  At that meeting, some members of the public expressed concern that wind turbines allowed in the scenic corridor along state Highway 75 north of Hailey would be visually intrusive.

Also on the agenda for tomorrow’s meeting is a consideration of an appeal by the Croy Canyon Ranch Foundation of a condition attached to the county’s approval of the Continuing Care Retirement Community planned for development west of Hailey on Croy Creek Road. The condition being appealed states that the foundation must secure the ability to connect to Hailey’s sewer system, or set up an acceptable alternative for waste water disposal, prior to submitting for a building permit.

This meeting is open to the public and comment is welcome.

JON DUVAL, Idaho Mountain Express – http://www.mtexpress.com/vu_breaking_story.php?bid=8134

Whitman County commissioners unanimously pass commercial wind-turbine ordinance November 16, 2009

After almost two years of deliberation, Whitman County commissioners unanimously approved a modified wind energy facilities ordinance Monday morning.

Some last-minute changes were brought forward by Commissioner Greg Partch, including a stipulation that a tower must be located four times its height away from any occupied dwelling instead of the proposed setback distance of five times a turbine’s height.

Commissioners also changed the recommended setback distance from property lines and unoccupied buildings to the height of the turbine plus 100 feet.

“I know not everybody’s happy,” Commissioner Michael Largent said, “but that’s the way this process works.”

Partch said the ordinance serves as a base-level document for the construction of turbines. The county’s Board of Adjustment can impose more restrictions on specific turbine projects as needed.

The construction of wind-energy turbines on county properties is somewhat contested. Two lawsuits have been filed against Whitman County, one from Carolyn Kiesz of Thornton and the other from Roger Whitten of Oakesdale. The suits contest County Planner Alan Thomson’s determination that the construction of towers will not be markedly detrimental to the environment.

It’s unclear what effect the new ordinance could have on the lawsuits.

DNews.com – http://www.dnews.com/breaking-news/1344/

Electric vehicles, infrastructure power 2009 Beyond Oil conference November 13, 2009

Shiny new electric vehicles, emitting only low-whirring sounds, glistened as they darted among the few sun breaks in Seattle outside a Cascadia Center conference titled Beyond Oil: The Sustainable Communities Initiative.

Charge Northwest displayed its ChargePoint charging technology, which is offered for plug-in electric vehicles in the Pacific Northwest.

The all-electric Ford Focus made its debut at the late-October event, co-sponsored by Idaho National Laboratory. Ford’s Focus added to a charged atmosphere around the Department of Energy’s $100 million grant for a 36-month transportation study in five states. The Pacific Northwest is jointly pursuing a vision of electrified transportation in the I-5 corridor from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Eugene, Ore., as part of the study.

More than 300 attendees convened on the Microsoft Redmond campus near Seattle to hear from more than 50 experts about innovative transportation strategies, e-car technologies, infrastructure challenges and the vulnerability of the nation’s reliance on oil. One presenter argued for vehicles capable of operating on a full spectrum of alternative fuels that includes electricity.

INL is a strong partner in helping the region pursue the electrified transportation vision by managing e-vehicle demonstrations, collecting data to adjust strategies for transportation systems, and devising new clean energy systems appropriate for the Pacific Northwest.

Most recently, INL joined eTec’s electric vehicle infrastructure demonstration project with the Nissan automotive company and regional partners. The project will analyze performance and infrastructure data for 1,000 Nissan “LEAF” zero-emission vehicles.

The forum built on previous planning sessions and joined with the Clean Cities Conference. Its goal was to learn from regional governments and organizations about activities to realize the vision of electrified transportation systems, new clean energy systems and new infrastructures for improving communities. As part of DOE’s larger study, Puget Sound’s Clean Cities received a $15 million grant for its petroleum reduction project to create a regional sustainable market for renewable alternative fuel and advanced vehicle technologies.

INL gets senatorial endorsement
Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah addressed the forum via recorded video message and opened his remarks by saying how pleased he was to see INL as a major sponsor.

“I am sure that you all are aware of the old phrase, ‘Hi, I’m with the government, and I am here to help,’” he said. “Well, if you hear someone from the Idaho National Lab say that, you can believe it because they mean it. And, they can really help.”

INL joined Ford Motor Company, Microsoft, the University of Washington, Puget Sound Clean Air Agency and the Cascadia Center in sponsoring the forum.

Sen. Orrin Hatch recognized INL’s efforts during a message televised at the Cascadia conference.

INL speakers opened and closed the conference. INL Deputy Lab Director David Hill joined representatives from Microsoft, Ford and the National Transportation Policy Project to welcome participants.

“The Pacific Northwest is a tremendous place to focus on electric vehicle integration where there are grand transportation challenges and a strong advocacy for change,” Hill said.

J.W. “Bill” Rogers Jr., INL’s associate laboratory director for Energy and Environment, closed the conference with a presentation that connected the need to develop clean energy systems with transportation advances such as both electric and plug-in electric vehicles. He also detailed INL’s groundbreaking research in hybridizing clean energy systems, as well as the potential contributions by both light-water and high-temperature gas nuclear reactors.

“Over the past few years, INL has built partnerships in the Pacific Northwest to support its DOE customer and continues today to serve as a key regional asset in providing clean energy solutions,” said Mike Hagood, INL’s program development manager. “Our growing relationships in the area will provide INL an opportunity to identify and address key research challenges associated with advanced transportation integration and their connection with clean energy sources.”

The combined forum offered more than 20 sessions about the challenges in electric vehicle technologies, infrastructure and marketplace competition.

Anne Korin of Set America Free advocated ending oil’s monopoly in the transportation sector by replacing the nation’s transportation fleet with flex fuel vehicles so the marketplace can determine which feedstock, fuel generation processes and fuels are most competitive. Korin cited the volatile impact exerted on global economies by OPEC’s 1973 oil embargo and high oil prices during 2008. She added that there is an excellent business case for vehicles operating on electricity and flex fuels made from a combination of gasoline and a variety of alcohols (ethanol, methanol and butanol made from renewable energy sources).

Tim Murphy, INL’s Energy Storage and Transportation Systems manager, described INL’s ongoing plug-in hybrid electric vehicle and electric vehicle infrastructure demonstrations across America. He explained how INL’s Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity and Vehicle Data Management System are used to collect and analyze vehicle, battery and infrastructure data critical to the successful implementation of the eTec-Nissan-INL electric demonstration in the region.

Proposed Smart Mobility Hub at Freighthouse Square in Tacoma, WA – integrating information technology and sustainable transportation and smart growth principles.

“We are growing our relationships in the West and Pacific Northwest,” he said, “where we have found exceptionally receptive and proactive partners for researching e-vehicle technologies.”

In addition to the new electric Ford Focus, Cascadia hosted displays of Tesla’s electric roadster, Ford’s Hybrid Plug In SUV and Ranger EV truck, Toyota’s Prius, Rapid Electric Vehicles (REV), and Véhicule Électrique. Other alternative vehicles included Western Washington University’s biomethane compressed natural gas-powered vehicle and several propane-propelled vehicles.

Infrastructure demonstrations included charging station technologies from Plug In America, Charge Northwest, as well as vehicles and support technologies from Pacific EV, Evergreen Fleets, MC Electric Vehicles and more.

INL presented a large graphic display on transportation and clean energy systems, which detailed the Pacific Northwest vehicle testing programs, DOE/INL’s Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity and INL’s Hybrid Energy System concept with a proposed testing laboratory to research various combinations of energy systems.

by Keith Arterburn, INL Communications & Governmental Affairs – https://inlportal.inl.gov/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=1269&mode=2&featurestory=DA_526613

Update on Idaho Power’s Smart Grid plans November 11, 2009

Imagine you could log on to the Internet to find out how much power you used this week.

If you have one of Idaho Power’s new smart meters, you already can.

And what if you could pay less to wash your dishes or dry your clothes by simply doing them at a different time of day?

If you live in Emmett, you already can. The Public Utilities Commission pushed Idaho Power to install the new meters there in 2004 and since 2005 the company has offered three different rates there for different times of the day and the week to help people reduce their own bills and the utilities’ demand for power at peak times.

These are the first steps Idaho Power has taken to move it toward the potential savings and efficiency offered by so-called “smart grid” technology. Thanks to a $47 million stimulus grant from the Obama administration’s Department of Energy, all of Idaho Power’s customers will have similar tools for reducing their power bills by 2012.

“This is giving you as a customer more control over your rate,” said Theresa Drake, Idaho Power’s manager for customer relations and energy efficiency.

Idaho Power will get new tools to make its larger distribution system more reliable and better able to integrate alternative energy sources like wind and solar power. The company also will get more sophisticated tools to examine customer demand so it can offer new programs to improve energy efficiency and reduce the need to build new power plants.

Rapid population growth in Idaho and eastern Oregon has made Idaho Power outgrow its hydroelectric power generation system that gave residents the cheapest power in the nation. Concerns over climate change have removed possible new coal plants from the table, and all other generation sources cost more than its hydroelectric base.

So experts – from both environmental and industry camps – agree that improving energy efficiency is the cheapest way to keep the utility’s rates down. The same is true for individual customers.

“It’s all about sending signals to the customers,” said Ken Miller, an energy efficiency expert for the Snake River Alliance. “If I use my washing machine at six at night, it’s going to cost more.”

Earlier this year, Idaho Power instituted a three-tiered rating structure that charges people who use the most power – more than 2,001 kilowatt hours per month – the highest rate. That hits people who have to air condition a large house and people who use electricity to heat their homes in the winter.

A family who used 2,001 kilowatt hours a month in 2006 would have had a $109 electric bill. Today that bill would be $163.

(An average home uses about 1,000 kilowatt hours a month.)

Idaho Power already offers a variety of programs to help people reduce their bills. The air conditioner Cool Credit Program pays customers to allow Idaho Power to turn off their air conditioners briefly at peak periods. Farmers get money to turn off their irrigation pumps at critical times.

And they offer a program to help people insulate and make their homes more energy efficient. Compact fluorescent light bulbs are discounted in stores due to a subsidy from Idaho Power.

But many of these programs are underused, Drake said, including one program that offers to install compact fluorescent bulbs in manufactured homes along with free help with insulation and other efficiency measures.

The smart-grid grant will move the program along as much as five years sooner than would have happened otherwise. So far, 120,000 smart meters have been installed, all paid for by Idaho Power and eventually its customers.

The federal grant also will pay for a pilot program in Pocatello that will install a new system to limit blackouts to 500 customers, where today 5,000 might be affected.

Another program will reduce large-scale blackouts.

Eventually, the communications features of the smart meters and the smart-grid system will connect with many of our household appliances to shave off even more power use.

As technology evolves, the smart grid will allow people to store and sell power in their electric car batteries or personal solar and wind generators.

With rates continuing to rise, power users will have to become more informed consumers, said David Angell, manager of delivery planning at Idaho Power, and the smart grid will help them.

“It used to be the rate structure insulated people from the true cost of energy,” He said. “Not anymore.”

ROCKY BARKER, Idaho Statesman – http://www.idahostatesman.com/business/story/967327.html

Biomass meeting draws a crowd in Wallace, ID November 11, 2009

With oil supplies dwindling, carbon footprints expanding and ice caps shrinking, countries around the globe are seeking cleaner, more renewable energy sources.Here in the United States, growing environmental concerns are a hot topic in Washington, D.C. — where “going green” has become a ubiquitous political catch-phrase. Locally, the welfare of Panhandle ecosystems is a top priority for the Forest Service, Idaho Fish and Game, IDEQ, area firefighting districts and other groups.

Keeping with the worldwide environmental trend, authorities from various organizations gathered at the Wallace Inn Thursday and Friday for the Forest Restoration and Biomass Roundtable. Attendees filled a large conference room, listening quietly as Shoshone County Commissioners Vince Rinaldi, Jon Cantamessa and Vern Hanson began the proceedings.

The commissioners touched on a primary goal of the roundtable: To discuss the potential for building a biomass facility somewhere in the county.

“Our basis of operation is the health, safety and welfare of our population,” Rinaldi explained. “We have a project in mind; we are very concerned with our WUI (Wildland Urban Interface) in Shoshone County. You need to listen to the people we’ve assembled. We really believe they have something to say.”

The proposed facility would utilize biomass as a primary fuel, churning out roughly 6-20 megawatts of electricity. A combination of organic forest materials like slash, small treetops, brush and grasses, biomass is a fuel that burns quite cleanly, is almost entirely renewable and can be obtained in large quantities. A plant in Shoshone County would reduce autumn smoke from burning slash piles, and, by eliminating large quantities of combustible biomass, would also reduce the risk of a 1910-type fire disaster.

From environmental and engineering standpoints, biomass facilities make a lot of sense. But before a plant is constructed, various cause-and-effect relationships must be considered, including the economic and ecological impact of such a facility. And of course, as with any large-scale project, cost is a deciding factor.

That’s why the commissioners invited several panels of foresters, biologists and engineers, all with wide-ranging knowledge in many different fields of study. The first topic was the ecological conditions of Shoshone County, with presentations by Carol Randal and Von Helmuth of the Forest Service, county fire risk expert Henry Nipp and IDFG personnel Jim Hayden and Ryan Hardy.

Randal went over the makeup of area forests — what kind of trees are growing where, what size logs, the prevalence of diseases, etc. Nipp discussed fire remediation and mitigation tactics within Shoshone County’s WUI, while Hayden and Hardy spoke of the game and fish that call the county home.

The second panel began with Randy Swick, district ranger for the Coeur d’ Alene ranger district, who noted that just one pile of slash could cover one household’s entire electric bill for one month. He added that biomass can be found in many places throughout Shoshone County; rehabilitation stands, 1910 fire areas and logging sites were three examples given. Swick also highlighted the Coordinated Resource Operating Protocol (CROP), which will be utilized by the Forest Service to ascertain just how much biomass is available.

Bob Helmer, of the Idaho Department of Lands, discussed the potential biomass availability on state lands — saying the challenge will be collecting material that supports energy markets but does not penalize existing industries. Next up was Mike James from McKinstry Essential, whose company has been contracted with Shoshone County to conduct a feasibility study for the facility. He delved into the option of utilizing municipal solid waste as a biomass feeder (which, he said, would be much better than the current solution of piling waste in a landfill).

Entering the afternoon session, Chad Davis of Sustainable Northwest presented the economic benefits of wood-to-energy technology, while Dr. Harriet Ammann (Amman Toxicology Consulting, LLC) and Wayne Kraft (Washington Department of Ecology) spoke on emissions technology, regulations and options.

The workshop adjourned following an overview from Rinaldi and James; it recommenced Friday morning at 8:30 a.m., focused on moving forward with the potential project. A committee called the Core Planning Group was organized.

“[The group’s] primary function was just to bring some structure to this project,” Cantamessa said. “We thought that the session was very successful from what we were hoping for when we organized it.”

Rinaldi commented on the general mood of the roundtable, which drew in more attendees than the commissioners had been expecting.

“The thought was: This makes sense, we hope it works,” he said. “From the economic development standpoint, that part of it is a no-brainer.”

Considering the roundtable altogether, every facet of the two-day meeting was a small part of the big picture. A biomass facility would make Shoshone County “greener” and open the door for sustainable energy. It would create new jobs (both during construction and after), eliminate fire-prone logging slash and ostensibly provide a better solution for municipal solid waste. And it would also affect the ecology of the region, hopefully improving the health of the county’s forests.

But a facility is still a long way off, and a lot of mapping, plotting and planning needs to take place before the blueprints are drawn up. The commissioners said more meetings will be scheduled as the project takes shape; stay tuned for new developments.

NICK ROTUNNO, Shoshone News Press – http://www.shoshonenewspress.com/articles/2009/11/10/breaking_news/doc4af9a24b2f9fa609211864.txt

Southern Idaho Solid Waste planing a methane-fueled plant November 11, 2009

That bag of trash you’re about to toss could soon power someone’s home.

Southern Idaho Solid Waste is looking to build a methane-fueled generator at Milner Butte Landfill, which was established in the early 1990s in southern Cassia County and houses trash tossed by residents of seven south-central Idaho counties.

A methane-gas collection system came online in September and is currently feeding data to Josh Bartlome, the environmental specialist conducting the system’s initial testing. The landfill’s methane gas currently flows at between 315 and 330 standard cubic feet per minute, more than enough to support a generator in the future, Bartlome said.

The landfill’s new system is largely the result of federal regulations, Bartlome said. First, it had to be lined. Then other rules had to be met, including a collection and control system for the methane gas once the site met certain criteria.

Southern Idaho Solid Waste planned ahead, installing horizontal gas wells at the site over time.

“As we’ve been growing, we’ve been building at the same time,” Bartlome said.

When an emissions test last year found that the site would soon require the collection system, officials were prepared. Workers started to hook everything together in May, and the gas started flowing in September.

Right now, that gas is being burned off with a flare, something that does generate greenhouse-gas credits, Bartlome said. He reviews data every day from all aspects of the setup to make sure everything’s working as it should.

Milner Butte would become only the second landfill in Idaho to generate power from methane gas and sell it back to a utility. The only landfill that currently has such a sales agreement is the one run by Ada County, said Gene Fadness, spokesman for the Idaho Public Utilities Commission.

There, county officials partnered with a private company four years ago to set up generators now supplying 3.2 megawatts to Idaho Power Co. – enough to power 2,400 homes. The company supplied and owns the generators and buys the gas from the county, paying about $225,000 a year, said Ted Hutchinson, Ada County’s landfill manager. The arrangement works well enough that the county is currently drilling more gas wells that the company might then expand to include.

Milner Butte operators haven’t decided yet what to do with anything they generate, Bartlome said – sell it, provide it to member counties or something else altogether. But things certainly look promising.

“If everything stays as it is, we’re going to be ahead of schedule,” Bartlome said.

Nate Poppino, Magic Valley Times-News – http://www.magicvalley.com/news/local/article_0d72324c-cdc2-11de-87fb-001cc4c03286.html

small-Scale in town Wind turbine proposed in Sun Valley area November 11, 2009

In the last few years, the city of Hailey has been a leader in “green” planning in the Wood River Valley, fast-tracking environmentally sound home designs through the city’s building process and taking steps to save energy at city offices.

Now, the Hailey Planning Department hopes to amend ordinances to facilitate small-scale wind and solar-powered electrical generation.

The city’s first permit for a free-standing wind turbine will likely go to Power Engineers on Glenbrook Drive.

The engineering firm’s representatives, Steve Deal and Carl Strope, presented plans for a free-standing, 30-foot-tall wind turbine at a City Council meeting Monday. They also provided the council with some free engineering advice as it considers ordinance changes that could soon allow for small, home-based wind turbines across the town.

“I am excited about this,” said Councilwoman Carol Brown after planner Mariel Platt presented the proposed ordinance changes, including photographs of several different types of wind turbines.

Platt said Hailey’s average wind speeds range up to 14 mph across the town. She said a home turbine in areas where winds average 6-12 mph could cover one-fifth to one-third of average household electrical needs.

“There is a big difference in wind speeds between the bike path area and Della View,” Platt said.

The proposed ordinance changes could allow for 20 decibels of noise, “equal to the sound of a whisper at the property line,” Platt said.

The council instructed Platt to continue researching household turbines after Deal and Strope warned against loud vibration noises in houses with rooftop mounted turbines.

“It would be difficult to live with,” Deal said.

Deal said the decision to erect a wind turbine at Power Engineers stemmed in part from numerous requests from potential clients to develop wind power. He said the turbine would be a “test case” for the engineering firm.

“We are going to collect data and see what they are all about,” he said. “Our intention is not to put Idaho Power out of business.”

The council expressed unanimous support for allowing wind turbines as a conditional use in the Business, SCI-Industrial, Light Industrial and Airport zones only, and expressed specific support for the Power Engineers turbine.

The council will continue discussion of siting, wind corridor access and other issues related to the proposed changes at a meeting Nov. 23 at 5:30 p.m. in Hailey City Hall.

“There is a big difference in wind speeds between the bike path area and Della View,” Platt said.

The proposed ordinance changes could allow for 20 decibels of noise, “equal to the sound of a whisper at the property line,” Platt said.

The council instructed Platt to continue researching household turbines after Deal and Strope warned against loud vibration noises in houses with rooftop mounted turbines.

“It would be difficult to live with,” Deal said.

Deal said the decision to erect a wind turbine at Power Engineers stemmed in part from numerous requests from potential clients to develop wind power. He said the turbine would be a “test case” for the engineering firm.

“We are going to collect data and see what they are all about,” he said. “Our intention is not to put Idaho Power out of business.”

The council expressed unanimous support for allowing wind turbines as a conditional use in the Business, SCI-Industrial, Light Industrial and Airport zones only, and expressed specific support for the Power Engineers turbine.

The council will continue discussion of siting, wind corridor access and other issues related to the proposed changes at a meeting Nov. 23 at 5:30 p.m. in Hailey City Hall.

“There is a big difference in wind speeds between the bike path area and Della View,” Platt said.

The proposed ordinance changes could allow for 20 decibels of noise, “equal to the sound of a whisper at the property line,” Platt said.

The council instructed Platt to continue researching household turbines after Deal and Strope warned against loud vibration noises in houses with rooftop mounted turbines.

“It would be difficult to live with,” Deal said.

Deal said the decision to erect a wind turbine at Power Engineers stemmed in part from numerous requests from potential clients to develop wind power. He said the turbine would be a “test case” for the engineering firm.

“We are going to collect data and see what they are all about,” he said. “Our intention is not to put Idaho Power out of business.”

The council expressed unanimous support for allowing wind turbines as a conditional use in the Business, SCI-Industrial, Light Industrial and Airport zones only, and expressed specific support for the Power Engineers turbine.

The council will continue discussion of siting, wind corridor access and other issues related to the proposed changes at a meeting Nov. 23 at 5:30 p.m. in Hailey City Hall.

TONY EVANS, Idaho Mountain Express – http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005128730

Geologists plan S. Idaho geothermal test drilling November 9, 2009

Geologists plan to drill a pair of mile-deep holes in southern Idaho in a hunt for geothermal fields that could be tapped to produce energy.

The $4.6 million project being led by Utah State University is spread over two years and is being paid for with federal stimulus money.

John Shervais, a professor and head of Utah State’s Department of Geology, said the work will provide valuable student opportunities, boost the economy and help advance geothermal technologies.

“We know it’s going to be hot, but nobody’s ever drilled that deep in these areas,” Shervais told The Times-News.

Also taking part in the project are Boise State University, the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Alberta, and the International Continental Drilling Program based in Potsdam, Germany.

The holes will be drilled through volcanic plains in Lincoln County starting in the spring or early summer. The drilling should also give researchers a better understanding of the Snake River Plain geology.

One hole is planned over a thick portion of the plain, while a second is on the edge. Researchers are hoping to find out whether the two locations have similar levels of heat and ability to produce power.

The drilling sites are on public land.

Shervais said the results of the drilling could help private companies decide whether they want to develop geothermal energy in the region.

“There’s plenty of public and private land near both sites that could be available for putting in a power plant, should we prove the resource is sufficient,” Shervais said.

Also getting federal stimulus money for geothermal projects is the Blaine County School District. It will receive $4 million to retrofit schools in Hailey, Carey and Bellevue in central Idaho with geothermal systems.

Boise State University is receiving $1.55 million to digitize and upload geologic data into a national system.

Associated Press – http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/1028671.html

NW energy efficiency better in 2008, council says October 31, 2009

Improved energy efficiency reduced power demand by an amount equal to about 148,000 homes across the Northwest last year.

The Northwest Power and Conservation Council said regional energy savings in 2008 were the best for any year since recordkeeping began 30 years ago.

The Portland-based council said that 2008 efficiency improvements conserved a total of 234 average megawatts of electricity – or the output of an average-size natural gas-fired power plant.

Nearly two-thirds of the energy savings was in homes, mostly from switching to compact fluorescent lights. Commercial buildings had the second-largest efficiency gains.

The council is an agency of the states of Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Washington created by Congress with the Northwest Power Act of 1980.

Associated Press – http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=11421001

Solar company bypasses Nampa, picks Denver for plant October 27, 2009

Nampa was one of two finalists for the manufacturing plant planned by German solar manufacturing firm SMA Solar Technology AG.

“We are disappointed,” said Paul Hiller, executive director of the Boise Valley Economic Partnership, a unit of the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce. “But the Boise Valley was in the running until the last minute, and the decision for SMA was a very difficult one.”

SMA selected Denver because of its proximity to suppliers who provide the materials used in the manufacture of solar inverters, Hiller said Monday. Solar inverters change direct current from photovoltaic arrays into alternating current.

Officials said previously that the plant eventually could employ 1,200 people.

The Treasure Valley competed well by having an abundant, skilled workforce, low electric power costs, available real estate, a business-friendly environment and a favorable quality of life, he said.

The company considered a 200,000-square-foot building owned by Micron Technology that used to house MPC Computers.

Idaho Statesman – http://www.idahostatesman.com/micron/story/950296.html

Eastern Idaho county approves new wind power ordinance October 27, 2009

The Power County Commission has approved an ordinance that helps clear the way for wind power developers.

The new ordinance requires that each turbine be issued a building permit and a single use permit is required for the entire project. The Idaho State Journal reports the new ordinance comes in response to a pair of wind power projects being considered for the rural Eastern Idaho county.

One company, Ridgeline Energy, has applied for permits to build a 66-turbine wind farm across 900 acres of land between American Falls and Rockland.

Associated Press – http://www.capitalpress.com/newest/AP-ID-wind-farm-102709

Idaho awarded $49M in Smart Grid Stimulus Funds October 27, 2009

Boise – Idaho Power Company
Modernize the electric transmission and distribution infrastructure, including deploying a smart meter network for all 475,000 customers throughout the service area and implementing an outage management system and irrigation load control program that will reduce peak and overall energy use and improve system reliability. Will also benefit customers in OR. $47,000,000

Boise – M2M Communications
Install smart grid-compatible irrigation load control systems in California’s central valley agricultural area in order to reduce peak electric demand in the state. $2,171,710

Solar, wind on the rise in Idaho October 18, 2009

Local interest in tapping wind or solar energy to power homes has not waned during the recession, local installers and Idaho Power officials say.

Small wind turbines — those suitable for homes or small businesses —  in particular as a business has picked up significantly the past year as prices for these smaller units have dropped, according to Idaho Power renewable energy specialist Scott Gates. A year ago, five wind turbines were connected to Idaho Power’s grid, but that number has since ballooned to about 30. With federal incentives, the cost of smaller wind or solar systems has dropped to about $10,000 — a magic number for many consumers —  Gates, said.

Overall, the price of a typical residential wind or solar system has been cut in half in the past year, Gates added. He attributes the sharp decline in prices primarily to technological advances and growing competition in the world’s expanding solar manufacturing industry.

Idaho Power currently has about 130 net metered customers tapping solar power in its jurisdiction, which stretches from eastern Idaho across southern Idaho. That is up from just a handful of residential solar systems reported five years ago.

Despite growing interest, Butch Gilliland, owner of Norfleet Developments, a Caldwell company that specializes in green building and energy efficiency, said it is still premature for most people to invest in home solar or wind systems. It can cost as much as $100,000 to install a system that would cover all the power needs for a 1,200-square-foot home, he said.

“Solar is just not ready yet,” Gilliland said. “There  are better ways if people are interested in saving money. The best thing to do right now is to get your house energy efficient.”

Solar installers keep busy

Dave Brueggemann, solar installer and president of Solar Cascade in Boise, said he got more work in the first six weeks of 2009 than he did in all of the previous year after Congress passed a 30 percent rebate incentive for renewable energy systems.

Still, Brueggemann and other local installers say these systems have not gained as much traction as they have in neighboring states that offer aggressive incentives at the state level.

“Our industry has grown a lot here, but nothing like the places that have rebates” like Washington and Oregon, Brueggemann said. “And yes, we have some of the cheapest power in the nation in Idaho, but I think we’re on the tail end of inexpensive power.”

Idaho Power renewable energy specialist Scott Gates also attributes the lack of a state mandate encouraging the utility to diversify its energy sources among consumers as the primary reason Idaho lags behind some of its neighbors.

“I don’t see much opposition within the company, it’s just a matter of how do we do it, how do we get this done,” Gates said. “But I have been surprised by the growth for solar and wind in a state that really has no incentives for it and also has some of the cheapest power in the nation.”

Finding the money to pay for installation has proven a challenge for many people interested in solar or wind, installers like Jeff Burns, owner of Renewable Energy Resources in Boise, said.

“We have been affected in the sense that people virtually cannot get financing and lots of deals go out the door because people can’t get a line of credit,” Burns said. “But the true believers are still out there.”

State officials look beyond hydro

Paul Kjellander, director of Idaho’s Office of Energy Resources, said the state’s overwhelming dependence on  hydroelectric power is nearing the end of the line.

The cost of power in Idaho remains among the lowest in the country today, though Idaho lags behind neighboring states in tapping alternatives like wind and solar.

Nampa Sen. Curt McKenzie, co-chairman of the state’s interim energy commission, said the  commission is considering legislation at the state level to offer  incentives for utilities like Idaho Power to further diversify their energy portfolio. But he does not foresee any direct incentives to be introduced at the state level for consumers.

“I don’t anticipate we’ll have any kind of tax reduction incentives in this session just because of the way the budget it is — it’s not a year when you’re going to see a reduction in the tax base. But there are different ways we can encourage that, especially from the utility side. If utilities can have rate recovery for capital investments and different programs for things like implementing a smart grid, it can have a pretty dramatic effect on residential consumption, and that we can do without cutting the tax base.”

Kjellander said hydro will likely maintain its dominance in powering utilities like Idaho Power for at least the next 10 to 15 years. But with little to no future expansion plans for hydro, Idaho Power’s most recent acquisitions have been in natural gas and wind turbines, he said.

Jesse Nance. Idaho Press Tribune - http://www.idahopress.com/news/?id=26939

Idaho Power to buy wind power from Boise firm October 18, 2009

The Idaho Public Utilities Commission has approved three energy sales agreements between the company and a wind developer that will build three wind farms in the Hagerman area.

The sales agreements are with Exergy Development Group of Idaho, which plans to build all three projects under the provisions of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978. The act requires electric utilities to offer to buy power produced by qualifying small-power producers or co-generators.

The three projects – Camp Reed (22.5 megawatts), Payne’s Ferry (21 MW) and Yahoo Creek (21 MW) – are scheduled to begin operating Sept. 30, 2010.

For more information about the agreement, visit www.puc.idaho.gov.

Idaho Statesman – http://www.idahostatesman.com/business/story/937902.html

BLM asks for more public comment on China Mountain Wind Farm October 18, 2009

Federal biologists are still researching what effects a 185-turbine wind farm would have on the desert southwest of Rogerson.

But the U.S. Bureau of Land Management is now asking for more public comment on the proposal, this time on a modification to the resource management plan that governs whether the agency can even consider allowing a wind farm in its Jarbidge Field Office.

The China Mountain project would place turbines generating up to 425 megawatts in parts of a largely federal, 30,700-acre area.

The BLM is nearing the end of a two-year environmental study on the project, with draft results expected early next year, and had expected to address the issue with the 20-year-old Jarbidge management plan during a comprehensive revision of it that started in 2006. But the agency needed more time than expected to gather and assess public feedback, said state BLM spokeswoman Heather Feeney, and the revision fell behind schedule.

To keep the China Mountain study on track, officials decided to pursue a smaller amendment. Thursday’s notice launched a 30-day comment period, and the input will help determine what issues the BLM examines in the analysis documents for both the study and the plan amendment.

The change wouldn’t approve the wind farm, but rather give the BLM the ability to consider putting it on federal land, Feeney said. The amendment language restricts any wind power to just the China Mountain site; no other wind farms are currently proposed in the Jarbidge Field Office, she said.

The agency has already completed a separate general analysis for wind projects bureau-wide, Feeney said. But it can’t be used in this case because recent wildfires – notably 2007′s Murphy Complex Fire – have already complicated natural-resource issues in the area.

The analysis completed for the smaller amendment would also be used for the management plan’s broad revisions, keeping both actions consistent.

Magic Valley Times - http://www.magicvalley.com/news/local/article_d7cda27a-a655-5df3-918c-d14c40caf9a4.html

INL’s Center for Advanced Energy Studies tests new wind energy system October 18, 2009

Blackhawk helicopters accomplish our nation’s missions every day. Now, Idaho National Laboratory’s Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES) is supporting a new kind of Blackhawk to develop energy solutions.

Researchers from the Blackhawk Project LLC are testing and monitoring a new Blackhawk Tilt Rotor (TR-10) Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) recently installed at CAES. This wind system, developed by Blackhawk, represents what could be a significant evolution in wind energy technology.

“One of the reasons we chose Blackhawk is that it invites involvement from students and faculty,” said Raymond Grosshans, program coordinator at CAES. “And it supports economic development in Idaho.”

Blackhawk’s unique design distinguishes it from traditional wind energy systems. The most obvious distinction is that its helicopter-like wings, known as airfoils, rotate parallel to the ground, unlike most commercial turbines.

The airfoils attach to a patent-pending tilt rotor in the center of the turbine. The slanted rotor allows the turbine to self-start without any external devices. This passive-control system offers power generation without the noise, clutching, electronics, tower heights or heavy blades often associated with common wind machines.

The TR-10 is part of The Blackhawk Project’s prototype series and produces around 1.5 kilowatts of power — enough electricity to supplement a home, power a workshop or drive other small applications.

The power generated from the system will feed directly into CAES, but supplying the building with extra electricity is not why the center agreed to test the Blackhawk.

“CAES’ main focus is to create opportunities for research collaborations between Idaho National Laboratory researchers, the  Idaho research universities and the private sector,” Grosshans said.

Students and researchers at CAES will be monitoring the turbine’s performance, acoustic profile, strength, safety and durability.

A student crew chief will oversee maintenance of the turbine, which, Blackhawk says, is more durable than traditional windmills because it has fewer electronic gadgets and parts. Plus, the long arms of the turbine create such a high degree of torque that the unit is able to produce more power with fewer revolutions per minute (RPMs), which reduces wear and tear. When the turbine does need repairs or maintenance, locking magnets hold the rotor in place and prevent accidental spinning, creating a built-in safety feature.

Students also will be responsible for developing operation and procedure manuals for the turbine and helping write grants for the company.

“Collaboration with our company is a natural fit,” said Dawn Cardwell, Blackhawk’s project manager. “The data-collection capabilities and access to universities and researchers is something we don’t have.”

The project also provides learning opportunities for high school students.

A Web cam streams video to high schools all over the country, and telemetry gives students of all levels easy access to real-time data from CAES’ grid-type system.

“Students, faculty and researchers can use it for instrumentation, developing modeling tools and to support ongoing classroom activities,” said Grosshans.

Developers have found that the VAWT can produce electricity in winds as light as 7 mph. Propeller-type wind mills typically require speeds of 12 to 15 mph.

Pushrods and elastomeric bands, which Grosshans describes as “high-tech rubber bands,” are attached to the airfoils and help protect the turbine from storm damage. These rods adjust to the wind and allow the rotor to tilt without overworking the turbine. These features have allowed the turbine to successfully function in wind speeds as high as 101 mph.

Blackhawk hopes the data tracked at CAES will narrow the commercialization gap for its system, which the company bills as a low-cost, low-maintenance alternative to horizontal-axis residential turbines currently on the market.

The entire turbine fits in the back of a pickup and takes about three hours to install. With a mere 10-foot diameter, the TR-10 is set to enter the small-turbine industry targeting farms, shops and homes in rural and semirural areas.

“We can be the market leader for bang-for-the-buck,” said Bruce Boatner, Blackhawk’s lead engineer.

Ryan Weeks, INL – https://inlportal.inl.gov/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=1269&mode=2&featurestory=DA_521418

Idaho Green Expo Presentations Now Available Online October 5, 2009

The Idaho Green Expo has posted videos of a number of speakers and panel presentations made during the July 18-19 event. This was the second annual Idaho Green Expo, which is organized by GreenWorks Idaho (www.idahogreenexpo.org) and like the first was heavily attended and had a strong emphasis on renewable energy and energy efficiency products and technologies.

Included in the videos of the 2009 Expo Speakers and Panels are: A Mayor’s Panel: Implementing the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement in Idaho; David Wann: “Simple Prosperity in the New Economy”; Idaho Energy Forum; Judy Wicks: “Local Living Economies – Green, Fair and Fun”; Scott Schleibe: “The Fate of Polar Bears in a Changing Environment”; and Jim Evanoff: “Greening Our National Parks – Yellowstone: A Success Story!”

To learn more about the Idaho Green Expo and to check out the videos of the presentations, visit www.idahogreenexpo.org

By Ken Miller, Snake River Alliance – http://www.sunvalleyonline.com/news/article.asp?ID_Article=7506

U.S. Geothermal Begins Exploration at Neal Hot Springs October 5, 2009

Boise-based U.S. Geothermal said this week it has begun development drilling at the Neal Hot Springs Geothermal Project in eastern Oregon at a 10-square-mile site about 90 miles northwest of Boise. The company hopes the project will produce about 26MW of power once developed. U.S. Geothermal is already selling more than 10MW of geothermal power from its Raft River site near Malta to Idaho Power, and plans to sell a similar amount from Raft River to Eugene Water and Electric Board in Oregon. Raft River is the first commercial-scale geothermal generation project in the Northwest.

At Neal Hot Springs, U.S. Geothermal said the first well is currently drilled to about 300 feet on the way to a total depth of about 2,800 feet. A total of three large-diameter wells are planned in the current project, the company said.

“Further definition of the Neal Hot Springs geothermal resource is a significant part of our company’s growth plan,” U.S. Geothermal President and CEO Daniel Kunz said in a news release. “These drilling programs are expected to maintain our current project development schedule and help define a geothermal reservoir needed to construct a power plant that will deliver 22 megawatts of electricity.” In Idaho, a megawatt is roughly enough power to supply about 700-800 homes or more, depending on the season.

By Ken Miller, Snake River Alliance, (Sun Valley Online) – http://www.sunvalleyonline.com/news/article.asp?ID_Article=7506

Solar company looks at Nampa for new plant September 19, 2009

A German solar power company is expected to decide within weeks whether to bring 700 jobs to Nampa.

Nampa is one of two finalists being considered for the solar manufacturing plant, said Boise Valley Economic Partnership Executive Director Paul Hiller. The company is looking at the 200,000-square-foot building that used to house MPC Computers for a plant that could grow employment up to 1,200.

The unnamed company isn’t the only solar company interested in Nampa. A domestic solar panel manufacturer also is evaluating whether to build its own plant in the area, Hiller said.

“We’re in the final two with the German company and in the final four with the other project,” Hiller said.

Idaho Power has enough generating capacity to meet the needs of both companies, Hiller said.

“Power is an advantage, because rates are fairly low here,” he said.

Representatives from a number of solar companies have been in the Treasure Valley this summer, and business leaders are optimistic that at least one might come here.

Micron Technology owns the MPC building and is considering going into the business of manufacturing solar panels itself. The technology is similar to the microchip manufacturing process Micron has used in its Treasure Valley facilities.

The German company would not say what other state or community is in the running.

“They were hoping to make a decision by now,” Hiller said. ” I think they’d like to move as quick as possible.”

Rocky Barker, Idaho Statesman - http://www.idahostatesman.com/business/story/905099.html

Idaho man gets federal money to develop his idea of putting solar panels in highways September 12, 2009

North Idaho electrical engineer Scott Brusaw of Sagle says every mile of four-lane highway built with his new Solar Roadways panels would produce enough electricity to power 500 homes. If he rebuilt the entire 47,000-mile interstate system, he figures he could meet the nation’s power demands and more.

A pipe dream? The U.S. Department of Transportation doesn’t think so.

It awarded Brusaw a $100,000 grant to conceptualize his solar road panel by February. But Brusaw plans to build a working model that not only produces electricity but also includes a heating element to melt snow and ice and a plumbing system to carry the water away.

“We’re designing it now and preparing to order parts,” Brusaw said.

The panels won’t be cheap. Each 12-by-12-foot square would cost an estimated $6,900.

Brusaw estimates it will take 5 billion panels to cover every interstate in the country.

The cost to build and repave highways varies widely, but for some perspective, when then-Gov. Dirk Kempthorne proposed his Connecting Idaho plan in 2005, the estimated $1.6 billion was to build 258 miles of roads – which averages something like $6 million a mile.

With Brusaw’s estimate, it would cost around $3 million to run a mile of his solar panels end-to-end.

The technology won’t help Gov. Butch Otter reduce the state’s $240 million annual shortfall for highway maintenance.

But Brusaw’s solar road could happen sooner than you think.

“I don’t see anything here that gets over the economics, but maybe since it costs so much to build a highway anyway, maybe he’s got something,” said John Gardner, a Boise State University professor and energy expert.

Brusaw thinks the first money will be in parking lots.

They’ll be the place to test out the technology: There won’t be overloaded 18-wheelers driving over his structurally reinforced panels. And the automobiles will be traveling a lot more slowly.

He knows the interest is there. A local story about his idea was misinterpreted when a Delaware paper picked it up and made it sound as though the panels already existed.

“We started getting calls from doctor’s offices, condominium owners and other businesses with parking lots that wanted to go off the grid,” Brusaw said.

Eventually Brusaw will have to show that his solar road could withstand fuel spills and the elements, Gardner said. Repair costs also have to be taken into account – along with the sun itself.

“The sun isn’t always shining and often it isn’t shining anywhere in the country,” Gardner said.

Brusaw already has a company interested, but he’s not ready to say who. What he wants, though, is to test it in northern Idaho, where 130 inches of snow fell a couple of years ago.

“We know we can make it work in the desert in Arizona,” he said. “If it will work here it will work anywhere.”

Brusaw said he had long thought about an electric road.

But it was his wife, Julie, who came up with the idea of building it out of solar panels while the two were talking about the threat of global warming.

ROCKY BARKER, Idaho Statesman - http://www.idahostatesman.com/102/story/895850.html

NW power panel: Save juice, build fewer plants September 3, 2009

A committee that guides the Bonneville Power Administration has called for buying more compact fluorescent light bulbs and building fewer carbon-emitting power plants in the Pacific Northwest.

The panel said energy efficiency in homes, businesses and factories could offset most of the demand for increased power supplies in the four-state region for two decades.

The plan submitted Thursday by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council said natural gas plants and wind energy could take care of the rest of the demand, and it did not envision new coal-fired plants.

The council said demand is expected to rise at a rate of 1.2 percent a year for the two decades beginning next year.

It said it had identified enough potential in efficient use of power to account for 85 percent of that increased demand.

An aggressive plan for efficiency is the “most cost-effective and least-risky resource available,” the council said in a statement.

“The average cost of the efficiency is half the cost of new power plants,” it said.

The council of eight members from Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington sets policy for the federal Bonneville Power Administration.

Using hydropower and a nuclear plant, the BPA is the region’s largest supplier of electricity, and its executives are required to act consistently with the council’s 20-year plans.

The plans aren’t binding on investor-owned utilities, but “I think you will find that they look at it as a bit of a blueprint,” said Bill Booth of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, chairman of the council.

Conservation groups said the council had exercised leadership in setting high goals for energy efficiency but fallen short of what it could have done: outline a plan to wean the region off coal-fired electricity.

Associated Press – http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/959662.html

Two Wind Turbine Public Hearings in Bonneville County, Idaho August 26, 2009

Bonneville Planning and Zoning held a public meeting Wednesday to hear comments about two proposed wind turbine farms.

The first proposal would expand the current Ridgeline farm by 20 turbines.

Ridgeline already has a permit which allows them to build north of the current wind farm in the foothills near Bone starting in 2010.

The new permit would and add an additional 20 more turbines north of that project towards Lincoln Road.

Randy Gardner with Ridgeline Energy says the new turbines will only be a small footprint and current uses will still be allowed.

He said, “Currently the land up there is used for CRP, dry land crops, there’s some grain, some hay, some grazing up there. None of those activities will be affected by putting in wind turbines. Just as the wind farm that was built back in 2005 didn’t eliminate those type of activities. This will be the same.”

The second meeting was for a proposed 13 turbine farm on the Ucon Butte northeast of Idaho Falls.

Local News8 – http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=10995329&nav=menu554_2

Idaho Power seeks OK on wind power August 26, 2009

The utility is asking the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to approve a sales agreement with two wind projects in the Hagerman area that, when combined, will have a capacity of 35.7 megawatts.

The owner of the projects, Iowa-based John Deere Renewables, wants to eventually combine the two projects into one when the second one becomes operable.

The Cassia Gulch Wind Park, about four miles west of Idaho Power’s lower Malad substation, is already operating. A 16.8-megawatt project, Tuana Springs, will be built next to Cassia Gulch and is expected to be operating by June 30, 2010.

The commission is taking comments through Sept. 23 on the proposal.

Idaho Statesman – http://www.idahostatesman.com/business/story/878564.html

Two new energy-Based degree programs launched at Idaho State August 23, 2009

Two new degree programs at Idaho State University are meant to help train students to work in the burgeoning energy sector.

The programs were developed with help from the Idaho National Laboratory, the 60-year-old energy research facility in the Idaho desert where nuclear power was pioneered.

INL and ISU say one program will prepare mechanical engineers for the nuclear, coal, gas and renewable industries, while a second wind engineering program will immerse students in regulations that govern construction and maintenance of wind turbines.

The programs are part of ISU’s Energy Systems Technology and Education Center, created in 2007 with grants from the U.S. Department of Labor and the National Science Foundation to address growing needs in the U.S. energy sector.

Richard Holman, deputy director of the ISU center, says the program “offers a distinctive element of hands-on training you can’t get anywhere else.”

The Oregonian – http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/08/two_new_energybased_degree_pro.html

Struggling Idaho solar supplier gets trade zone status August 18, 2009

Hoku Scientific Inc., a money-losing supplier of silicon for solar panels with an unfinished plant in southwestern Idaho, won’t have to pay duties on foreign raw materials it eventually plans to send back overseas.

The Hawaiian-based company, which aims to manufacture and sell polysilicon for the solar market at its Pocatello plant, said this favorable ruling by the U.S. Department of Commerce will reduce its costs and help keep it afloat as it scrambles to prop up finances.

Construction at Hoku’s Pocatello plant came to nearly a standstill earlier this year because the company still needs to come up with more than $100 million of its total $390 million cost at a time when funding sources have dried up, CEO Dustin Shindo has said. The company is considering unloading the materials unit that’s building the Idaho facility and has hired Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. to lure potential buyers.

“This ruling helps ensure that our facility will remain globally competitive over time,” Shindo said in a statement.

A duty is a tax on certain products purchased abroad.

Hoku posted a $3 million loss for the fiscal year that ended in March and said two weeks ago it lost nearly $1 million in the three months ended June 30. More than 80 percent of its annual production of polysilicon from Idaho would be exported to China.

Idaho economic development promoters are banking on the Pocatello facility to provide 200 alternative-energy jobs for the region at a time of rising state unemployment.

They’re optimistic this decision granting the Pocatello plant so-called “foreign trade zone status” makes its eventual completion more likely.

“Hoku’s Pocatello plant will not only be a net exporter to China, but thanks to the Commerce Department’s ruling, it will have the ability to compete internationally on a level playing field,” said Gynii Gilliam, who heads the Bannock Development Corp. in Pocatello. “This outcome is not only good for Idaho’s emerging clean energy manufacturing base, but it is good for the U.S. renewable energy industry in general.”

Though many construction workers have been idled at the Pocatello plant, Hoku insists work isn’t completely halted.

For instance, some contractors remain on site so work can start quickly, should financing materialize. Hoku has also said it will continue training its first group of plant operators, hired this June.

The Olymmpian – http://www.theolympian.com/northwest/story/943075.html

Idaho Energy Offers Many Prospects (Part I) May 9, 2009

A selling point of President Barack Obama’s historic campaign for the presidency was converting the national energy system from one reliant on fossil fuels to one that uses renewable resources, which he said would also create jobs.

Since Idaho does not produce fossil fuels, it is in a unique position to look to other sources. In 2005, 48 percent of Idaho’s electricity came from hydro-electric dams throughout the Northwest. It also has the second lowest electricity costs in the country.

Still, Idaho suffers from an energy deficit. Demand for electricity is growing faster than Idaho’s supply. Forty- five percent of Idaho’s energy was imported from out of state in 2003.

Some Idaho researchers are on the leading edge of alternative energy development. These technologies may provide the energy and economy that will fuel Idaho’s future.

From the forests

Jay O’Laughlin, a University of Idaho professor and chair of the Forestry Task Force of the Idaho Strategic Energy Alliance, proposes using waste wood from forests and sawmills to fuel boilers. These would provide steam heating to buildings and residences in Idaho’s communities. This potential energy source has been utilized in Idaho for decades.

Modern steam heating, such as the UI’s Steam Plant, can be used in a closed system with little water loss. It can also utilize reverse processes to cool buildings.

“I don’t call it wood waste,” he said. “What we have is a resource.”

O’Laughlin said burning wood as a source of energy will thin forests, helping to prevent forest fires, create a renewable energy source and create more jobs in the lumber industry.

“The best way to create new resources is to use what we have more efficiently,” he said. “This is the future — taking things we consider waste and using it for energy.”

Burning wood in a controlled manner would also reduce greenhouse gas emissions, he said. Fewer pollutants are released when burned in a high temperature environment such as a boiler, he said.

“I call it ‘wood bio-energy,’” he said.

Although burning wood produces carbon dioxide, considered a greenhouse gas, O’Laughlin said it is part of a natural cycle that occurs when wood decays on the forest floor or was burned in a wildfire. In contrast, fossil fuels take carbon out of the earth and release it into the atmosphere, a process known as carbon sequestration.

“Carbon emissions are biogenic rather than entropic,” he said. “It’s part of the natural carbon cycle.”

The problem with a secondary product such as waste wood as an energy source is its dependency on the market whims of the primary commodity. Since the collapse of the housing market, demand for lumber has decreased, causing many lumber mills to close down or reduce operations.

“Lumber production is half what it was two years ago,” he said. “That’s a big hit.” Still, O’Laughlin expects the lumber industry in North Idaho to bounce back. “Wood is such a versatile material,” he said. “There will always be a need for it.”

O’Laughlin points out that although the industry is in a lull, that does not necessarily apply to the resource. “The trees are still out there and still growing,” he said. “The resource is still there.”

O’Laughlin said wood-fired boilers can also be used to create steam, which generates electricity, but using the steam for heat is more efficient. A hybrid system which uses both is optimal, he said.

Wood fuel will gain an economic advantage over coal if a tax is placed on carbon emissions, he said.

Coal power plants could combine wood to the coal they burn to reduce emissions and costs, O’Laughlin said. Up to 15 percent wood can be burned without any modifications to existing coal plants.

One of the challenges of collecting waste wood from the forest is the bulk and difficulty of transport, because most the mass of wood is air and water. O’Laughlin said one solution is to chip the wood or turn it into pellets for transport.

Wood can even be chemically broken down into bio-diesel, a process used by Russia during World War II. However, the process is not very efficient or economical, he said.

ISEA receives no state funding for expenses or wages. O’Laughlin said members pay their own expenses.

“We do it because we think it’s important,” he said.

From the sky

Turbine wind farms produce renewable electricity, which could be the next cash crop for Idaho, said Boise State University researcher Todd Haynes.

“Every kilowatt hour of electricity that we import, we’re sending money out of the state,” he said. “Every time we put up a wind farm, we’re keeping dollars at home.”

The U.S. Department of Energy Web site stated that wind power is the cleanest and most economical source of renewable energy. Idaho ranks 13th in the nation for wind power potential — as much as Washington and Oregon combined, Haynes said.

“A problem in Idaho is that we don’t live up to our potential,” he said, citing the need for development of wind farms and transmission infrastructure.

Haynes proposes developing wind farms to not only provide energy for use inside the state, but for export to neighboring states during times of high production.

“We should be taking advantage of wind when we have it,” he said. “Demand is growing rapidly in other states. They pay much more than Idaho … a lot of that is driven by policy.”

Due to government policies and taxes against non-renewable energy, some states in the Northwest pay more for renewable electricity. Exporting wind power has the potential to bring in economic revenue, he said.

“(Idaho residents) don’t sell potatoes to each other,” he said. “They sell them to other states.”

Even if Idaho doesn’t produce wind electricity, it can still benefit from the manufacturing and service of wind turbines and equipment, Haynes said.

Europe-based Nordic Wind Power Ltd. recently selected Pocatello as the location for its North America wind turbine manufacturing plant. Also, CPM Precision Machine Inc., stationed in Boise, manufactures the Blackhawk Vertical Axis Wind Turbine for individual home use.

Haynes said this type of manufacturing will create jobs for Idaho citizens.

Idaho’s location near fast growing wind energy states in the nation make it ideal for the production of wind generators, Haynes said.

Maintaining wind turbines and infrastructure can also provide jobs for Idaho graduates. Idaho State University is considering developing a wind technologies degree programs, Haynes said.

The main drawback of wind power is its intermittency due to the unpredictable nature of wind. This creates problems for power grid operators, because power grids cannot store electricity, they can only transmit it from a provider to a user.

Haynes compares operating a power grid to walking a tightrope — with electricity being produced on one side and electricity consumed on the other. He said with traditional generators, such as coal power plants, grid operators are able to keep at least one side of the equation stable and predictable. With wind energy, this is not possible.

To offset this, Haynes is developing processes to store wind energy and better forecast the behavior of winds.

To store wind energy, Haynes is looking to a method that involves using a wind turbine to compress air, which can be released later to turn a turbine a produce electricity. The problem with this technique is it traditionally uses underground caverns as a place to store the compressed air. This makes it location specific, and when compressed air is released, it comes out at a colder temperature, which hinders the efficiency of the generator. To offset this, natural gas is often burned to warm the generator.

Hayne’s model moves the storage of compressed air to above-ground tanks and uses the compressed air to push water through a turbine to prevent cooling.

“We can improve it by not making it site specific, and not using natural gas,” he said. “We think it is a practical solution.”

Other methods of wind-energy storage are also being looked at by researchers, such as fly wheels and batteries, he said.

“In every case, there’s a cost,” he said, citing monetary and energy costs. “Everybody is trying to see if they can come up with the best way to store wind power.”

Even with effective forecasting and storage of wind power, Haynes acknowledges that Idaho cannot be powered by wind generators alone, but as a supplemental power source that can stimulate the state’s economy.

“Wind power is the most competitive on an economic scale,” he said.

Reid Wright, Argonaut – http://www.uiargonaut.com/content/view/8078/48/

Wind Farm Drama Continues in Bingham County, Idaho March 26, 2009

Opposition continues over the prospect of a wind farm project in Bingham County.

Permission was granted to opponents of the Goshen South Wind Power Project in Wolverine Canyon to conduct discovery and present additional evidence at a later date.  Permission was granted by Magistrate Judge Richard St. Clair Thursday at the Bingham County Courthouse.

The hearing saw arguments on motions filed by the Natural Guardian Limited Partnership, along with Stan and Linn Hawkins, Louise and Susan Morales and Lavar and Jeanette Grover.

Together, they believe the permission to put up a wind farm was granted by the county based on an older ordinance that had since been changed.

Another argument by the opposition is that there needs to be adequate postings on the land if it is to be developed into a wind farm.

The discovery process will continue through the next three months.

Both sides will then bring everything back to court for more argument on July 28^th.

By Aman Chabra, Local News 8 – http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=10080012&nav=menu554_2_10

Hearing Scheduled for Proposed Wolverine Canyon Farm in Idaho March 25, 2009

Attorneys representing Ridgeline Energy and groups opposed to the wind farm project in Wolverine Canyon in Bingham county will be in court Thursday afternoon.

The purpose of the hearing is to hear arguments in regards to a motion for the court to extend its discovery period before allowing the project to move forward.

The motion was filed in November of last year by attorneys representing groups opposed to the proposed 150 turbine wind farm in Bingham County.

The project was originally approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission after months of heated debate. But that decision is being appealed.

This motion was filed to give opponents of the project extra time to look into two areas of concern, one being a potential conflict of interest with a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission. The other, that the public wasn’t given proper notice of hearings.

Both are issues opponents of the wind farm say need to be addressed.

Frank VanderSloot: “They either erred in judgement or they erred intentionally. Either way it should be unwound, but I think if something really crazy’s going on the public deserves to know that, too. We’re hoping the judge will allow discovery. That’s what we hope.”

Attorneys for Ridgeline say the Planning and Zoning Commission followed all the proper protocols and they hope to see this issue resolved soon.

Bill Kotowski, KPVI - http://www.kpvi.com/Global/story.asp?S=10072286&nav=menu546_1

Update: Construction of 4 NW biomass plants may begin in 2010 March 19, 2009

Power plants that would burn mostly wood waste fit into the Northwest’s energy portfolio because they would complement another emerging energy source, wind power, an Energy Northwest representative says.

The 50-megawatt, wood-burning power plants would generate electricity at maximum power about 90 percent of the time, said Jack Baker, vice president of Energy Northwest’s energy and business services. In comparison, Baker said wind turbines average about 30 percent of their rated capacity.

The plants would burn wood waste — fallen trees, stripped limbs left over by timber companies, beetle-killed wood, smaller trees cut down by logging companies but not hauled away and even some construction materials. The heat produced would then power a steam turbine, creating electricity.

Each plant should create enough power for about 40,000 homes. It would first be marketed to Energy Northwest’s utility members, which include the Benton and Franklin PUDs and the city of Richland.

Baker said it would be considered renewable energy. “It makes the forest a lot healthier and reduces fire hazards,” he said.

The power plants would be close to carbon-neutral, Baker said, because most of the carbon dioxide emissions would be absorbed by surrounding trees.

It would cost about $100 to $140 to produce a megawatt-hour of electricity, he said. Energy Northwest CEO Vic Parrish said that without tax incentives, wind power costs about $90 per megawatt-hour.

“It’s totally comparable to a wind resource,” he said Monday.

Energy Northwest has partnered with ADAGE, a joint venture between AREVA and Duke Energy, to build several biomass-burning plants in the Northwest.

Baker said the company is planning to build five, but that number may change, depending on economic conditions and fuel availability.

Baker said sites are being considered in Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

Once a location is found and permits are in hand, he hopes construction can begin in 2010 and the first plant online by late 2012 or early 2013.

Jani Gilbert, communications director for Eastern Washington with the state Department of Ecology, said a biomass-burning plant likely would need air and water quality permits, some of them before construction could begin.

The permitting process could last three to six months, she said, unless an EIS is needed, then it could take years.

Each plant would create about 400 construction jobs and about 100 permanent positions, 75 of which would be dedicated to gathering fuel, while 25 people would operate the plant. Between 80 and 100 truckloads of fuel would be needed daily and would be gathered within a 50-mile radius of each plant.

By Drew Foster, Tri-City Herald - http://www.tri-cityherald.com/kennewick_pasco_richland/story/514732.html
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For more information on Energy Northwest’s proposed biomass plants click the following NW Renewable News links below:

http://nwrenewablenews.wordpress.com/2009/02/20/agreement-could-bring-biomass-power-plants-to-4-nw-states/

http://nwrenewablenews.wordpress.com/2009/02/27/energy-company-looks-for-biomass-location-in-idaho/