Riverview Community Center, Ashe County April 5, 2007 Dennis Scanlin & Brent Summerville

1. Wind Energy Perspectives Riverview Community Center, Ashe County April 5, 2007 Dennis Scanlin & Brent Summerville Western North Carolina Renewable Energy Initiative

2. Our Wind Resource

3. Location and Percentage of High Quality Wind Resources in the US Class 6 (4.3%) Class 5 (6.3%) Class 4 & above 27.5%

4. North Carolina Wind Resources

5. 24 County Western NC Wind Map Acres of Windy Land in WNC Class >= 2 [small wind] 771,024 acres Class >= 4 [utility wind] 138,000 acres

6. Wind Resource Analysis by County (acres)Top 5 Counties in Western NC

7. County Wind Maps Windmaps for the 24 counties in WNC available at: www.wind.appstate.edu

9. What are we doing with all this wind?

10. Large range of scale

11. 10kW on NY Farm

12. Buffalo Mtn, TN

15. Wind Energy Cost Competitiveness ¢/kWh 12.8 14 Value of PTC 12 8.7 10 8.2 8 5.0 5.2 6 4.2 4.2 4 2 0 Gas Coal Hydro Nuclear Geothermal Wind with PTC Wind without PTC Source: BTM Consult Wind Energy is Reliable and Cost Effective Wind has become the least expensive and fastest growing source of electricity in the world -details at www.gwec.net

16. Possible Ashe County Project • Richard Calhoun has applied for a permit to install a 50 MW wind farm in Ashe County • This would be the first utility-scale project in the state • For more information, visit the NC Public Utilities Website at: http://www.ncuc.net/ • Docket #SP-167 Sub 1

17. Potential Impacts • Birds • Bats • Sound • Visual • Economic

18. How Much Mortality? • National estimates of mortality range from approximately 1.8 to 2.2 bird deaths per turbine per year or about 30,000 birds killed annually in the US (Erickson et al, 2001) • TVA 2000 -2003 study documented 7.7 birds/turbine/year. (TVA, 2002)

19. Bat Interactions with Wind Turbines • The Problem: • Florida Power & Light’s Backbone Mountain Wind Farm in West Virginia has had a high bat mortality estimated to be 40 bats/turbine/year. • TVA documented 21 – 64 bats/turbine/year • The Backbone Mountain Wind Farm consists of 44 turbines rated at 1.5MW positioned along a prominent Appalachian ridge line. • TVA has 18 turbines Photo from BCI

20. How Much Mortality? Compared to other forms of bird mortality: Tower kills 4-50 million Vehicle kills 60-80 million Window strikes 98-980 million Transmission line kills 10,000-174 million (Erickson et al, 2001) NC Tower Locations Towerkills.com (12/10/02)

21. Learn more about impact assessments on April 17th

22. Noise • 45 decibels at 350 meters (1000’) • Complaints are rare with newer turbines • Noise typically tracks ambient noise fairly closely • non-mechanical swishing noise • Refrigerator • Dips & hollows downwind: sound can travel further

23. Visual impacts diminish rapidly with distance Only visible about 5 miles Visual impacts can be accurately modeled with computers Visual Impacts

24. Turbines 1.5 miles away

25. Wind Turbines 3 miles in the Distance

26. 10 Turbines from 6 miles away

29. Land Value Impact • Renewable Energy Policy Project (REPP), examined 10, large (10+ MW) wind projects across the US, developed since 1998 looking at pre and post development land values. The REPP investigation could find no negative impact. • Study conducted for Kittitas County, Washington determined that no negative land value impact was found within the viewshed of the 13 projects examined. • Energy Center of Wisconsin conducted a detailed parcel by parcel analysis of land transactions within the viewsheds of the REPP sites and concluded that the impact was not systematically negative or positive. • ASU Energy Center looked at 15 projects east of the Mississippi River (eight in the Appalachian Region) that were at least 5MW in size. There was no statistical difference between the wind project counties and control counties on pre and post land values.

30. Sustainable Economic Development Each 100 MW of wind energy development in region will produce approximately: • $27 million in direct, indirect, & induced economic benefit to state during construction and $3 million each year during operation • $7.32 million paid in wages during construction and $1.35 million in wages each year during operation • 250 jobs during construction • 45 long term jobs • Property tax revenue: approximately $550,000/year in NC (low by national standards) • Land Lease Payments: $250,000 - $400,000/year (2-3% of gross revenue or $2500-4000/MW/year) • Approximately 350 million kWh every year, at a competitive price and without any air pollution or energy price increases. Enough to power 33,000 houses. Each MW of wind development costs approximately $1million dollars Each MW of wind will produce between 3 – 3.5 million kwh/year on a good wind site.

31. No emissions of any kind during operation No SOx, NOx, particulates or mercury No contributions to regional haze No greenhouse gases No water pollution or use No toxic wastes or health impacts Nuclear waste transport and storage unresolved Respiratory diseases of growing concern Positive Economic Impact Global climate change is a serious concern to every major political entity worldwide We have the resource, therefore We can be part of the solution Environmental Benefits of Wind Beech Mt. NC

32. Conclusions • Excellent wind resources in mountains and in coastal areas • Positive Impacts exceed Negative Impacts • Potential Negative Impacts can be identified, assessed and largely avoided before construction • Issue is not Wind Energy or nothing, but how we satisfy our needs in the most responsible way

33. Thanks • Brent Summerville • Dennis Scanlin • 828-262-7333 • wind@appstate.edu • wind.appstate.edu This presentation is available at wind.appstate.edu Click on REPORTS….CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS