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small wind Success StoriesCustomer Interviews Moreno Valley, CA - Steve Anderson’s determination has not only helped pave the way, but also highlights the pitfalls facing small wind turbine customers. When he first explored the possibility of putting up a small wind turbine two years ago, “county officials didn’t have a clue about what I was trying to do,” he recalls. Although his wind resource was moderate, California’s energy shortage spurred him to invest the time and funds needed. “It took me six months to finalize the county paperwork and comply with all of their documentation and other siting requirements. I went down to their office five or six times, and each time I got a different answer about what I needed to do.” Fortunately for Anderson, the passage of AB 1207 in 2001 required Riverside County to streamline its local codes governing small wind turbines. The county previously required that wind turbine applicants notify every landowner within a half-mile radius of the site – even absentee landowners. Anderson was preparing to send letters to nearly 50 people when AB 1207 went into effect. Under the new law, which limits notification requirements to neighbors within 300 feet of a proposed wind turbine, Anderson needed only six stamps. (One notification recipient even decided to install a wind turbine himself.) Anderson admits that a few individuals, particularly the county’s head planner, cut him quite a bit of slack. For example, his initial development fee assessment of $10,500 was reduced to $257. His fee assessment to protect the Kangaroo rat, a threatened species in California, was reduced from $2,500 to $50. Michael Freitas, senior planner for Riverside County, says Anderson’s difficulties resulted from “our inexperience with small wind turbines.” In the future, prospective small wind turbine owners may not have to overcome all the siting hurdles Anderson encountered, he says, though the total permitting costs will likely be similar. The good news, says Freitas, is that there’s been little public opposition to small wind turbines in the county. Still, Freitas advises permit seekers to talk to neighbors before proceeding. He also suggests that applicants carefully analyze their wind resource to select the proper tower height and make sure a turbine will repay the time and expense county permits require.
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