Overview of PRP Web site About PRP Partnership administration PRP supporters Voluntary Sustainable Energy Charter Webcast presentation library National Renewable Energy Laboratory—Series Seminar Archives

News at a Glance

• Second edition of in-house wind O&M guidebook now available
• Nominate the Wind Cooperative of the Year for 2011 – Feb. 13, 2012
• Register now for tribal transmission and clean energy forum – Feb. 7-8
• Presentations available from Jan.25 Green Power Program webinar
• Free tribal webinar series focuses on energy self-sufficiency
• Annual Interconnection Workshop focuses on integrating wind, solar – Feb. 22-24 Update!
• Presentation introduces Colorado's Renewable Energy Development Team
• Download presentation from geothermal webinar series
• State program guides focus on policy, finance

Second edition of in-house wind O&M guidebook now available

To support power providers who are exploring alternative way to add wind generation to their portfolios, DOE's Wind Program has updated Establishing an In-House Wind Maintenance Program (2 MB pdf).

Since the guidebook was first published in 2008, more utilities have taken the path of setting up in-house O&M programs. The latest edition reflects their experiences, as well as advances in technology and other changes in the wind industry.

Cosponsors of the publication include Western Area Power Administration, Utility Wind Integration Group, American Wind Energy Association, American Public Power Association, National Rural Electric Association and Wind Powering America.

Nominate the Wind Cooperative of the Year for 2011

Deadline: Feb. 13, 2012

The 2011 Wind Cooperative of the Year Award will honor one electric cooperative for its leadership in wind power. All electric cooperatives that are members of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) are eligible to apply. Cooperatives can nominate themselves or other systems, and there is no cost to enter. The Wind Cooperative of the Year Award is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Powering America initiative in partnership with the NRECA. 

Entries will be judged in four areas:

• Corporate leadership
• Innovative marketing
• Benefits to customers
• Project creativity.

Fill out the nomination form, and return it by COB Feb. 13, 2012, to:

Randy Manion
Western Area Power Administration
P.O. Box 281213
Lakewood, CO 80228-8213
720-962-7271

Register now for tribal transmission and clean energy forum

Feb. 7-8, 2012
Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel
Denver, Colo.

The Department of Energy’s Office of  Indian Energy Policy and Programs and the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability are sponsoring the second Tribal Leader Forum, Exploring the Business Link Opportunity: Transmission & Clean Energy Development in the West.  This  two-day forum is designed for tribal leaders to meet with one another, energy industry executives and Federal officials to promote education and information sharing about transmission and clean energy development in Indian Country.

There is no cost to attend the forum, but registration is required.  Attendance is limited to 130 people.  To register, send your name, contact information and e-mail address to the Office of Indian Energy by Feb. 1, 2012.  As soon as your registration is confirmed, you will receive a confirmation notice.

Presentations available from Jan. 25 Green Power Program webinar

You can now download the presentations and recorded audio from the Jan. 25 webinar, Overview of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Program. This webinar is the third in a free series being presented by the DOE Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs, the DOE Tribal Energy Program, Environmental Protection Agency and Western Area Power Administration.

Presentations from the previous Tribal Energy Program webinars can also be found in the Webcast Library. See below for upcoming events.

Free tribal webinar series focuses on energy self-sufficiency

Join Western, the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs, DOE’s Tribal Energy Program for a free webinar series to promote tribal energy sufficiency and foster economic development and employment on tribal lands through renewable energy and energy-efficiency technologies. Upcoming webinars will cover::

Feb. 29 – Unwinding Transmission Policies
Learn what transmission policy is, how it is established and who enforces it. Discussions will cover today's policy issues, such as Order 1000 (Transmission Planning and Cost Allocation), and their potential impact on transmission resources. Register now.

March 28 – Understanding the Interconnection and Transmission Service Queues
Western Area Power Administration has more than 16,000 megawatts of proposed renewable resources in its collective Large Generator Interconnection Queues, representing more than 79 requests. Learn about the procedure for interconnection, how to request transmission service and what tribes can do to gain access to the transmission system. Register now.

May 30 – Today’s Energy Supply – Yesterday’s Grid
Join an informative discussion on how utilities’ generation portfolios are changing—often faster than the grid infrastructure that supports it. Learn how grid operators are integrating new generation and demand (load) response technologies into a system that was not designed for these tasks.  Presentations will include transmission studies from the Western Grid Group and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Register now.

July 25 – Grid Reliability – Impacts to Tribal Renewable Projects
In 2008, NERC Reliability Standards Compliance became mandatory, with fines for non-compliance. This has raised the importance of compliance programs throughout the electric industry. This webinar provides an overview of the purpose and organization of a compliance program, and how tribal renewable projects can be impacted by reliability requirements. Register now.

Sept. 26 – DOE Office of Indian Energy’s START Program Status Updates
Get your update on the DOE Office of Indian Energy’s Strategic Technical Assistance Response Team (START) and the range of projects that were selected in 2012.  START and Alaska START aim to advance clean energy generation in Indian Country by providing Native American tribes and Alaska Native governments with strategic technical assistance. Register now.

Presentations from past webinars are posted in the Webcast Library and will be updated as they become available.

Annual Interconnection Workshop focuses on integrating wind, solar

Feb. 22-24
Electric Power Training Center
Golden, Colo.

Western Area Power Administration, the Utility Wind Integration Group (UWIG), American Public Power Association (APPA) and DOE's Wind and Water Power, Solar Energy Technologies and Tribal Energy programs are teaming up to present the sixth Distributed Wind/Solar Interconnection Workshop.

The workshop, taking place at Western's Electric Power Training Center in Golden, Colo., provides a comprehensive overview of wind and solar integration studies. Expert speakers will use case studies to answer your questions about interconnecting wind and solar plants and other distributed generation applications to electric distribution systems. Participants will get an introduction to UWIG's Internet-based tools for assessing a distributed wind project's impact on the local distribution system.

Registration is $300 for onsite attendance, or $99 for the four online sessions:

• Distributed Wind and Solar Integration Experience – Tom Wind, Wind Utility Consulting (invited); and Phil Barker, Nova Energy Specialists (invited)
  
  
• Standards and Interconnection Requirements – Tom McDermott, UWIG
  Lab Exercises: UWIG Screening Tool
  
  
• Application of the UWIG Feeder Simulator – Tom McDermott, UWIG
  Lab Exercises: Multi-Speak Import, Voltage Control, Over-current Protection
  
  
• Eastern Renewable Grid Interconnection Study Update – Kara Clark, NREL

Onsite attendance is limited to the first 35 registrants.

UWIG's scholarship program is offering a limited number of spaces for this workshop are available for university and college students to attend at no charge. For more information contact:

Sandy Smith
Utility Wind Integration Group
Phone: 865-218-4600, ext. 6141
Fax: 865-218-8999

The Public Renewables Partnership, led by Western and funded through the U.S. DOE Wind and Water Power Technologies Program, will offer thirty $300 scholarships to employees of electric cooperatives and public power utilities to attend UWIG meetings, including this event. The scholarship can be used to help defray travel expenses or registration fees. The applicant’s employer must be a member of National Rural Electric Association or APPA and there is no limit on the number of scholarships per utility.

Update: Western is also offering $300 registration scholarships to Tribal representatives interested in attending the event. They are available on a first come, first served, basis.

To apply for either the utility or tribal scholarship, please contact Randy Manion at 720-962-7423.

Presentation introduces Colorado's Renewable Energy Development Team

A Nov. 17 webinar put the spotlight on a new agency to help jumpstart stalled renewable energy projects in Colorado. The Renewable Energy Development Team (REDT), a program from the Colorado Governor's Energy Office, offers up to 120 hours of free technical assistance to connect with potential investors or reach the project developer review stage. Download the presentation (includes wmv audio file) to learn more.

Download presentation from geothermal webinar series

If you missed the webinar presented Nov. 16 by DOE’s Geothermal Technologies Program (GTP) and Western Area Power Administration are presenting a webinar series that builds on the technical research base DOE has developed over the last two decades. This technical base provides information and understanding needed to create new and more efficient and reliable technologies that will enable the U.S. geothermal industry to compete for baseload electricity generation.

If you weren't able to participate, y ou can download the PowerPoint slides from past webinars:

• Geothermal Power Plant Operation and Maintenance — Dec. 14. New!
• Exploration and Geothermal Power Development — Nov. 16

State program guides focus on policy, finance

Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) has created two new state program guides—one focused on policy and the other on finance—for distributed and community wind projects. The guides were created as part of CESA’s States Advancing Wind Project.

• Supporting On‑Site Distributed Wind Generation Projects, by Charles Kubert and Mark Sinclair, Clean Energy States Alliance – This wind energy program guide is for state clean energy fund managers and policymakers who support the installation of on‑site, behind‑the‑meter wind turbines at private businesses and municipal and other public facilities. It lays out the many policy actions states can take to encourage the development of these projects. Among these are: project feasibility assessment support, grant and other incentive programs, interconnection and net metering policies and model zoning ordinances. The guide also provides case studies of the leading state clean energy funds providing support to this market. May 2010.
  
  
• State‑Based Financing Tools to Support Distributed and Community Wind Projects, by Charles Kubert and Mark Sinclair, Clean Energy States Alliance – This wind energy program guide was created to help state clean energy fund managers and policymakers examine the various ways states can provide financial support for distributed wind projects. The options available to states range from rebates and loans to bridge financing and renewable portfolio standards. Each should be evaluated in light of the availability of tax and other incentives available at the Federal level. The report also looks at third‑party financing, which is increasingly being used by private and public entities to develop projects in tight financial times. May 2010.

The guides and presentations from the associated webinars on each topic are available online.