HomeMy WebLinkAboutEva Creek Wind Project GVEA Rural Energy Conference Presentation 2007Golden Valley Electric Association
Eva Creek Wind Project
2007 Rural Energy Conference
Fairbanks, Alaska
GVEA Quick Facts
Incorporated in 1946
30,700+ members, 41,700 meters
14.5 customers per mile of line, 2,885 miles of line
2,327 square mile territory
Record low -79ºF, high +99ºF, year round average 22ºF
Five generation sites
North Pole –Combined Cycle Gas Turbine
Zhender –Gas Turbine
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Healy –Coal Fired
Bradley Lake –Hydro
World’s most powerful UPS –BESS –46 MW battery
GVEA Alternative Energy History
A team spontaneously formed within GVEA interested in
renewable energy and related developments.
The team considered wind the most viable source of
renewable energy in the Interior, but the national weather
maps showed very poor wind resources.
GVEA Alternative Energy History
A team spontaneously formed within GVEA interested in
renewable energy and related developments.
The team considered wind the most viable source of
renewable energy in the Interior, but the national weather
maps showed very poor wind resources.
So the first question was: Do we even have wind resources
in the Interior? A study was commissioned with TrueWind
to compare topology with high wind data.
GVEA Alternative Energy History
A team spontaneously formed within GVEA interested in
renewable energy and related developments.
The team considered wind the most viable source of
renewable energy in the Interior, but the national weather
maps showed very poor wind resources.
So the first question was: Do we even have wind resources
in the Interior? A study was commissioned with TrueWind
to compare topology with high wind data.
This study suggested that wind resources are indeed viable in the
interior.
We set about selecting test locations with the aid of a
meteorologist Rich Simon of the WinDots group.
GVEA’s Met Towers
The first of nine towers, one of
a pair on Murphy Dome, 17
miles
from Fairbanks.
|----RISK MITIGATION ----|
Risk Mitigation
Up front due diligence reduces contingency cost
additions later.
Wind resource multi-year multi-site logging
Land access and lease/own determinations
Avian issues
Environmental / archeological research
Geotechnical investigation
Involvement with the local people
Logistics –road and rail access
FAA, DNR and other agency interaction
Ferry Railroad
Bridge
Kobe
Microwave
Tower
Eva Creek Original
Met Site
Walker Dome Met
Site and Radio
Relay Station
Nenana River
RailroadOld Intertie
Parks Highway
Rex Ridge
Site New Intertie
Things we found
Both at Eva Creek and Murphy Dome we have
approximately a 32% net capacity factor.
Murphy Dome needs 17 miles of line (we do have ROW)
and has a military radar site within a mile.
Eva Creek straddles the Intertie, has reasonable existing
roads, and is miles away from any residences, but no road
bridge. Railroad access same side of Nenana River.
Zero correlation to Eva and Murphy winds.
2 –4% correlation to Murphy and Fairbanks International.
Both sites are above 2,000 feet elevation and benefit from
the temperature inversion.
When it is windy the wind tends to be warm, relatively
(GE 1.5 MW wind turbine low temp cut-off is -22F.)
To Weld or Not to Weld…
Financial approaches
There are four primary ways for an RUS coop to
build a wind generation site:
Conventional/RUS loans and do it yourself
CREB (zero interest bonds for rural coops)
BOT –Build / Own / Transfer
New interest from independent investors to fund BOT/BOO.
Pursue grants for some percentage of total cost
Most rural coops have aging infrastructure and
have a significant challenge handling the capital
projections for the next decade or so.
Renewables Availability
Same Deal with Wind
Focus 2007 and on
Complete the Wind Integration Study to determine the
capacity of the grid to accommodate wind generation.
Plan the scope of the avian and other studies.
Track new developments such as the General Compression
“dispatchable” wind technologies.
Form associations with construction groups and
manufacturers.
Work through all the time consuming risk mitigation
elements of the project so when the Board of Directors sees
fit to go with a wind generation project it can be an
informed decision, lowest cost and easily fast tracked.
Thank you, you have been a
wonderful audience….
For further information:
Paul Morgan
pcmorgan@gvea.com
(907)458-5780
Henrik Wessel
hwessel@gvea.com
(907)451-5627