Regional Wind Energy Purchase

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Regional Wind Energy Purchase

• Jim Caldwell
• Montgomery County
• Department of Environmental Protection
• April 5, 2004

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State Implementation Plan (SIP)

• Compliance with Clean Air Act
• Reduce ground-level ozone by reducing precursors
  NOx and VOC
• Safeguard federal transportation dollars

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Emissions
tons per year
Source MDE, 1999 U.S. EPA data
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Ground-Level Ozone
Days above 1-hour standard
Source MDE, 2002 datanote Baltimore Region is
represented for Maryland
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So, where does the ozone come from?Ozone
Transport
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Maryland Department of the Environment
7
Maryland Department of the Environment
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And the Power Plants are
The Nations largest 50 power plants (open
circles). Source NOAA
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Wind Energy -Air Quality and other Benefits

• No combustion occurs in wind, many pollutants are
  displaced, including-
• NOx
• Mercury
• Acid Rain Precursors
• Particulates
• Greenhouse Gases
• Displaced Pollutants, also means less pollutants
  entering our watersheds
• Power plants are the greatest source of mercury
• Up to 30 of the nitrogen in the bay is from air
  deposition
• Other benefits-
• Reduced reliance on imported energy
• No risk of fuel price hike

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Dickerson Plant Emissions as a Portion of Local
Air Quality Problems

• Point Sources, such as power plants account for
  45 of all NOx emissions in the County.
• 93 of the point source NOx emissions is
  attributable to fossil-fueled power generation.
• The on-road mobile category, which accounts for
  34 of NOx emitted in the County, represents the
  emissions from 613,781 vehicles.

Source MWCOG 1999 PEI
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Wind Energy as a Control Measure or as a Strategy

• Montgomery Countys Wind Energy Purchase was
  included in March SIP package as a cost effective
  control measure
• Commitment letter from County
• Montgomery County and Maryland Department of the
  Environment worked together to adopt an
  appropriate strategy acceptable by the EPA with
  the use of Marylands set aside program.
• Wind Energy has also been included as a strategy
  in MWAQCs Gold Book for other jurisdictions to
  adopt.

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Emissions Offset

• We buy wind from area where NOx emissions occur
  (ozone transport)
• Wind power offsets some coal power generation
• MDE (or equivalent) awards NOx allowances
• Allowances are retired
• Credit for allowances taken in SIP

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Price Premium
Cost of Wind Power

• 1.5 2 (per kWh)

Price for Wind Depends On

• Size of purchase
• Contract Term
• NOT electricity rates

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Cost by Agency
Agency 5 Wind kWh cost _at_ 1.5 cents cost _at_ 2 cents
Water 10,914,544 163,718 218,291
Schools 9,241,066 138,616 184,821
Government 3,549,996 53,250 71,000
Parks 2,525,126 37,877 50,503
Housing 1,282,956 19,244 25,659
College 1,217,320 18,260 24,346
Total 28,731,008 430,965 574,620
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Cost Effective NOx Reduction
Control Measure Cost (ton/year)
Wind Energy 32,000
CNG Refueling Stations 54,701
55 CNG Busses 103,063
1967 Bike Lockers 247,111
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Savings Offset Price

• Very simple measures behavioral changes no
  capital investment.
• Computers
• Monitor Management
• Ex. Loudoun County has saved 17,000 with
  Monitor Management alone.
• Montgomery County estimates savings to range from
  75,000 to 100,000.
• Lights 40 hrs./week vs. 168 hrs./week
• savings range from 140,000 to 400,000 per year
• Office Equipment purchase Energy Star
  compliant, activate energy saving features, turn
  off at night

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What is the Next Step?

• Even though the one-hour SIP has been submitted,
  it is never to late to take action.
• Other possiblities
• Inclusion as part of the 8-hour SIP
• Adopt as part of an air quality improvement
  measure in your jurisdiction, following the gold
  book
• Questions regarding Montgomery Countys contract
  for wind energy ???

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Wildlife Impacts

• Largest single bird kill incident in the history
  of the wind industry 30 birds killed on the
  night of May 23, 2003, heavy fog incident.
• Approximately 400 migrating bats killed between
  August and October 2003.
• Both incidents took place at the Mountaineer wind
  facility on Backbone Mountain, WV
• According to the National Wind Coordinating
  Committee, there are about 33,000 documented bird
  fatalities per year due to the 15,000 wind
  turbines in America.

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Leading Causes of Bird Deaths

• Habitat Destruction number one cause of bird
  and wildlife death and species extinction
• Glass It is estimated that one bird per year is
  killed by impact with each of the 100 million
  homes, apartment buildings, office towers,
  schools, and storefronts that dot the American
  landscape. If you include towers and other
  structures, total kills may be as high as 1
  billion per year.
• Cats about 60 million cats in the U.S. kill
  hundreds of millions of birds each year,
  estimates vary.

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Mountaintop Removal
vs.