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December 14 , 2012
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Top Story
AWEA CEO Denise Bode announces her resignation
Denise Bode, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association, announced today that she is resigning, effective January 1, to return to private practice as a tax attorney.
“There is now a strong, bipartisan team of Congressional champions for the wind industry, and the all-important extension of the Production Tax Credit (PTC),” Bode said. “When that is secured, all of my goals from the AWEA Board will have been accomplished. I am extremely proud to have led the AWEA staff as we worked together to get that job done, and, of course, grateful to the AWEA Board for the opportunity to serve this very promising industry.”
Tom Carnahan, chairman of the Board of Directors, said, “We are grateful to Denise for her countless contributions to the wind industry as the Association has undergone a successful transformation to a first-class bipartisan business trade association. She has been a critically important agent for change and growth at AWEA, and she will be sorely missed. We wish her continuing success."
“I will be working with AWEA’s Board to appoint a search committee to recruit a new leader for the organization who will work closely with AWEA’s excellent staff to build on Denise’s legacy,” Carnahan said. “In the meantime, Senior Vice President for Public Policy Rob Gramlich has agreed to serve as interim CEO through the transition period. Gramlich, a well-known electric industry expert, has been at the center of AWEA’s external relationships and internal strategic planning for over seven years, and will be able to keep AWEA’s initiatives moving forward without missing a beat. We thank him for his willingness to serve.”
Carnahan also said he was pleased that Bode has agreed to be available to the AWEA leadership for her additional guidance in the future.
Bode and AWEA made the announcement at a point when the wind industry is well-positioned for the PTC's extension. That allows her to move on to other pursuits—a move she had been contemplating for some time.
“I am excited to be returning to private practice,” said Bode. “With tax policy the dominant interest of my career and prospects for a real tax reform bill in the air, I can’t imagine a better time to make this move.”
During Bode's four-year tenure at AWEA, the Board charged her with reorganizing and upgrading the professional staff to build a team with strong accountability and professionalism; and with assuring that the wind industry had a seat at the policy table, for which she added advocacy campaign tools and expanded media relations. She worked with the Board to institute best practices for association governing bodies and procedures, and sponsored the creation of the Wind Energy Foundation to expand the industry's public educational outreach. With extension of the PTC, all of her goals for the organization will have been accomplished.
“I am also proud of the opportunity to have been part of the one of the largest growth periods in the wind industry's history—doubling capacity and increasing American manufacturing to now almost 70% made in America,” Bode said.
Bode took the helm at AWEA on Jan. 1, 2009. She previously led the American Clean Skies Foundation, and before that the Independent Petroleum Association of America. For ten years she served as an elected Corporation Commissioner of Oklahoma, and worked for six years on the staff of then-U.S. Sen. David Boren as his legal counsel, focusing on energy and taxation and staffing the Senate Finance Committee. Bode holds a J.D. from George Mason University School of Law and an L.L.M. (Taxation) from Georgetown University School of Law.
Gramlich joined AWEA in 2005 and oversees its federal, state, regulatory, and data and analysis teams. He previously worked as Economic Advisor to Pat Wood III, Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from 2001 until 2005. He holds a Masters in Public Policy from the University of California at Berkeley and a B.A. in Economics from Colby College.
“Rob Gramlich will provide the steady hand needed to represent the industry during this critical period,” said Bode. “I am confident that AWEA will continue to fulfill its mission of driving demand for wind energy in America.”
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Wind Integration
Southwest Power Pool achieves wind penetration record
Another regional grid operator has shattered a wind power penetration record.
At one point during the evening of Dec. 2, 30.2 percent of the Southwest Power Pool’s (SPP) power generation came from wind—a record for the grid operator and most likely a record for any grid operator in the nation. At that time, 5,900 MW of wind power capacity was pumping electrons onto the SPP system. Then on December 5, the utility hit another wind power megawatt record, at 6,296 MW. (The percentage penetration at that time did not surpass the 30.2 percent record.)
Appropriately, the Dec. 2 news coming out of the region was referenced a few days later in a session at AWEA’s Regional Wind Energy Summit – Southwest, which took place Dec. 5-6 in Houston.
SPP is slated to have 7,780 MW of total wind capacity on its system by the end of the year.
SPP is not the only grid operator to make news during the last month concerning wind power penetration. The Friday after Thanksgiving, output from wind turbines on the Midwest Independent System Operator (MISO) system surpassed 10,000 MW and comprised more than a quarter of the ISO’s total power generation at the time. (To provide some perspective on that milestone, in 2006 the U.S. crossed the 10,000 MW milestone for total installed wind power capacity across the entire country.) In reporting on the record, MISO took the occasion to highlight wind’s cost-saving power. Just a few days ago, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) achieved wind penetration of 27.63 percent of the power being generated coming from wind and also hit 26 percent recently.
As for a utility power system, Exel Energy’s Colorado system holds the record, reaching a head-turning 56 percent at one point earlier this year.
Such numbers are further concrete evidence of what countless studies have found: large amounts of wind power can be reliably integrated onto the grid.
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Supply Chain
Alliant sells RMT to Infrastructure Energy Alternatives
Alliant Energy Corp. recently entered into a definitive agreement to sell renewable energy construction and services subsidiary RMT, Inc. (RMT), to Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives, LLC (IEA), parent of fellow renewable energy construction company White Construction.
Upon the deal’s consummation, RMT will join White Construction as a subsidiary of IEA under its renewable energy group. RMT’s headquarters will remain in Madison, Wis. IEA is a provider of engineering, procurement and construction services to a variety of markets including renewable energy and fossil generation across North America. The acquisition is expected to close in January 2013.
"This transaction strategically strengthens our customer base and the services we provide in the renewable energy market," said Paul Daily, CEO of IEA. “We will leverage RMT’s industry leading engineering and project development group across all IEA companies and its long history of safely providing the highest quality construction of utility-scale clean energy generating facilities and high-voltage transmission lines in 26 states positions IEA for continued growth in North American renewable energy and infrastructure services markets.”
“We announced our intent earlier this year to sell the RMT business because our belief was that RMT would be best served by an owner whose operations were better aligned with RMT’s engineering and construction business,” said Patricia Kampling, Alliant Energy chairman, president and CEO. “We are pleased that we found a partner in IEA that offers a good fit for RMT and can move the business forward successfully.”
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Project News
MidAmerican's Bishop Hill 2 in Illinois complete
MidAmerican Wind this week announced completion of its 81 MW Bishop Hill 2 wind project in Henry County, Ill.
The project, located 40 miles northwest of Peoria, features 50 GE 1.62 MW wind turbines.
“The Bishop Hill 2 wind project demonstrates MidAmerican Wind’s commitment to renewable energy and environmental respect,” said Tom Budler, president of MidAmerican Wind, a subsidiary of MidAmerican Renewables. “Construction of the Bishop Hill 2 wind project began nearly one year ago. We’re pleased to announce that we met all our goals for building the project and it is now generating renewable energy for the region.”
The project has a 20-year power purchase agreement with Ameren Illinois.
MidAmerican Renewables is as subsidiary of MidAmerican Energy Holdings.
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Project News
Pattern's Spring Valley wind farm garners Power-Gen's Wind Project of the Year Award
Pattern Energy Group’s Spring Valley Wind facility—Nevada’s first wind project and the first to be located on public land—received the Wind Project of the Year Award by POWER-GEN International.
The award was announced Monday night at POWER-GEN International’s Projects of the Year awards gala in Orlando. The 151.8-MW Spring Valley Wind project consists of 66 Siemens 2.3 MW wind turbines, which can bring clean and affordable power to more than 45,000 Nevada homes. Mortenson Construction was the prime construction contractor on the project.
Fittingly for an award-winning wind farm, the project epitomized wind power’s ability to generate economic activity and revenue for the local community. Spring Valley Wind created approximately 240 jobs during construction and 13 full-time permanent positions for ongoing operations and maintenance. More than 40 businesses throughout Nevada were involved during construction and nearly $10 million has been spent with those businesses on construction goods and services. Spring Valley Wind is expected to generate more than $20 million in tax revenue for White Pine County and the state of Nevada’s Renewable Energy Fund over the next 20 years.
Pattern has a 20-year power purchase agreement with NV Energy for the sale of energy produced by the project.
“We are honored that Spring Valley has received the prestigious Wind Project of the Year Award; this project was a tremendous collaboration that would not have been possible without the help of so many in Nevada,” said Mike Garland, CEO of Pattern Energy. “Spring Valley received support from Senator Reid, Senator Heller, Secretary Salazar, and local government officials, as well as the great people of Ely. We collaborated on this project with White Pine County, the State of Nevada, Bureau of Land Management, NV Energy, and several Federal agencies and environmental groups, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Nevada Department of Wildlife, local Native American tribes, and the Sierra Club.”
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Offshore
DOE announces wind advanced technology funding recipients
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced funding for seven offshore technology demonstration partnerships that include projects on both coasts and in the Great Lakes.
The funding is part of DOE’s Advanced Technology Demonstration Projects Initiative. The seven projects selected include those by Baryonyx Corp., Fishermen's Energy, Lake Erie Development Corp., Principle Power, Statoil, Dominion Power, and the University of Maine.
The primary goal of this initiative is to verify innovative designs and technology developments, help lower costs and accelerate permitting timelines. Each project will receive up to $4 million to complete the engineering, site evaluation, and planning phase of their project. Upon completion of that phase, DOE will select up to three projects to advance the follow-on design, fabrication, and deployment phases to achieve operation by 2017.
The projects will be eligible for up to $47 million over four years, subject to congressional appropriations.
Here’s a look at the projects:
Baryonyx Corp. The Austin, Texas-based company plans to install three 6 MW direct-drive wind turbines in state waters near Port Isabel, Texas. The project will demonstrate an advanced jacket foundation design and integrate lessons learned from the oil and gas sector on hurricane-resistant facility design, installation procedures, and personnel safety.
Fishermen's Atlantic City Wind farm. The company plans to install up to six direct-drive turbines in state waters three miles off the coast of Atlantic City, N.J. The project will result in an advanced bottom-mounted foundation design and innovative installation procedures to mitigate potential environmental impacts. The company expects the project to achieve commercial operation by 2015.
Lake Erie Development Corp. The regional public-private partnership based in Cleveland, Ohio, plans to install nine 3 MW direct-drive wind turbines on "ice breaker" monopile foundations designed to reduce ice loading. The project will be installed in Lake Erie, seven miles off the coast of Cleveland.
Principle Power. The Seattle-based company, which already has a demo project in place off the coast of Portugal, plans to install five semi-submersible floating foundations outfitted with 6-MW direct-drive offshore wind turbines. The project will be sited in deep water 10-15 miles from Coos Bay, Ore. Principle Power's semi-submersible foundations will be assembled near the project site in Oregon, helping to reduce installation costs.
Statoil North America. The Stamford, Conn. arm of the international energy giant plans to deploy four 3 MW wind turbines on floating spar buoy structures in the Gulf of Maine off Boothbay Harbor at a water depth of approximately 460 feet. The spar buoys will be assembled in harbor to reduce installation costs and then towed to the installation site to access the Gulf of Maine's extensive deep water offshore wind resources.
University of Maine. The institution plans to install a pilot floating offshore wind farm with two 6 MW direct-drive turbines on concrete semi-submersible foundations near Monhegan Island. The concrete foundations could result in improvements in commercial-scale production and provide offshore wind projects with a cost-effective alternative to traditional steel foundations.
Dominion Virginia Power. The Richmond, Va.-based investor-owned utility company plans to design, develop, and install two 6-MW direct-drive turbines off the coast of Virginia Beach on innovative "twisted jacket" foundations that offer the strength of traditional jacket or space-frame structures but use substantially less steel.
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Education
First Wind scholarship program now open for 2013
Giving back to communities where it has projects, First Wind said that applications are now open and available online for the wind power developer-owner-operator’s annual 2013 scholarship program.
Entering its fourth full year, First Wind Scholars, as the program is known, will make scholarships available to qualified high school seniors in communities where the company currently has projects in operation or in advanced stages of development.
As part of the 2013 program, 15 one-time awards will be granted to students within host communities in Hawaii, Maine, New York, Utah, Vermont, Washington and the company’s home state of Massachusetts. Qualified students enrolling in full-time degree programs with an interest in science, technology and/or the environment are invited to apply. First Wind Scholars recipients will be awarded a one-time $3,000 scholarship for one year. The company also awards one scholarship of $5,000, renewable for up to four years, to the year’s single most qualified applicant.
“We are very pleased to open up the application process for our First Wind Scholars, which demonstrate our commitment to the communities that host our project sites across the Northeast, West, and Hawaii,” said Carol Grant, senior vice president of external affairs at First Wind. “Last year, we received the most applications ever and this year we hope to see even more. We urge students to continue to take advantage of this scholarship program.”
Applications are evaluated on a number of factors, including academic performance, work experience, school and community activities and a 300-word essay. The First Wind Scholars recipients will be announced in May 2013.
High school seniors who attend a public or private high school near specific First Wind projects, whether operational or in an advanced stage of development, are eligible to apply. Applications are open and available online as of today, with all submissions due by February 15. For rules and details including a listing of First Wind’s projects that are in locations where students can apply, go to www.firstwind.com/scholars.
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AWEA News
Looking to expand your business to Europe? Join AWEA at EWEA 2013
If your company is looking to expand your business or exports to Europe, you may be interested in joining AWEA at Europe’s biggest wind energy event. EWEA 2013 will take place in Vienna, Austria in February.
This international meeting place will offer an ideal platform to establish new business contacts and strengthen existing ones. AWEA is working with EWEA to arrange for meetings, matchmaking opportunities and other services to allow U.S. companies to maximize their presence at this event and to open new markets for their companies—all in one of the most beautiful cities of Europe! As an event that regularly attracts thousands of participants, EWEA 2013 conference and exhibition (February 4-7, 2013) promises to be a memorable one. The event will include
If interested, please contact AWEA at BusinessDevelopment@awea.org this month if you are interested in exploring your options here and learning more!
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AWEA News
Just announced: Dan Reicher speaking at Regional Wind Energy Summit - West
AWEA is pleased to announce Dan Reicher, executive director of the Steyer-Taylor Center for Energy Policy and Finance at Stanford University, as Keynote Speaker for the AWEA Regional Wind Energy Summit – West, Jan. 14 in La Jolla, Calif.
His work and leadership over the years as Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in the Clinton Administration, and more recently as Director of Climate Change at Google (which continues today at Stanford University), provide unparalleled background and a set of experiences that will engage and enlighten.
You'll want to hear his perspective on the future of wind and renewable energy industries, so get more information and register today.
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Volume 29, Issue 1512
| Wind Energy Weekly is a publication of the American Wind Energy Association and a service to its Members. |
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Upcoming AWEA Events: |
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AWEA Regional Wind Energy Summit - West
January 14, 2013
La Jolla, Calif.
AWEA Wind Project Operations, Maintenance & Reliability Seminar
January 15-16, 2013
La Jolla, Calif.
AWEA Wind Environmental Health & Safety Seminar
January 16-17, 2013
La Jolla, Calif.
AWEA Wind Power on Capitol Hill
February 5-6, 2013
Washington, D.C.
AWEA Regional Wind Energy Summit - Northwest
February 19, 2013
Portland, Ore.
AWEA Wind Project Siting Seminar
Febuary 20, 2013
Portland, Ore.
AWEA WINDPOWER Conference & Exhibition
May 5-8, 2013
Chicago, Ill.
More information:
www.awea.org/events
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| Executive Leadership |
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Denise Bode
Chief Executive Officer
Pam Poisson
Chief Financial Officer
Rob Gramlich
Sr. Vice President for Public Policy
Stephen Miner
Sr. Vice President for Conference, Membership & Business Development
Chris Chwastyk
Vice President for Federal Legislative Affairs
Peter Kelley
Vice President for Public Affairs
Lisa Wagner
Vice President of Finance
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| Primary AWEA Contacts |
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AWEAconnect
Amanda Fortner
afortner@awea.org
Conference - Program
Sakura Emerine
semerine@awea.org
Conferences & Meetings
Stefanie Brown
sbrown@awea.org
Distributed & Community Wind
Larry Flowers
lflowers@awea.org
Exhibits, Sponsorships & Marketing
Lori Rugh
lrugh@awea.org
Legislative Affairs - Federal
Aaron Severn
asevern@awea.org
Legislation and Policy - State
Susan Williams Sloan
ssloan@awea.org
Labor, Health and Safety
Michele Myers
mmyers@awea.org
Membership - Core Member
Amna Khan
akhan@awea.org
O&M
John Dunlop
jdunlop@awea.org
Policy Analysis
Liz Salerno
esalerno@awea.org
Regulatory Affairs
Tom Vinson
tvinson@awea.org
Siting
John Anderson
janderson@awea.org
Strategic Policy Initiatives
Jim Martin
jmartin@awea.org
Supply Chain
Tom Maves
tmaves@awea.org
Utility Programs and Business Development
Jeff Anthony
janthony@awea.org
Wind Energy Weekly / Publications
Carl Levesque
clevesque@awea.org
About AWEA |
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