On September 26, about 200 people met on the top
of a windy plateau in Wyoming, some sixty miles from Laramie, to
participate in a ground breaking ceremony for a wind power project. The day was
a rather windless day according to the local folk-the wind was only about 15-20
miles per hour. Many local, state and federal officials were on
hand for the event. Jeff Anderson, the Past President of Salem Electric, was
one of those using a shovel to move a little dirt to start the project on its
way. The project is located on Foote Creek Rim, one of
the windiest sites in the country. When completed this project will be the
largest wind-energy facility in the West outside of California. Eighty percent
of the project is owned by PacifiCorp. The remaining 20% is owned by Eugene
Water and Electric Board. The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) will buy 15
mW, or about 40%, of the facility's output. A Quick Look at the Project The designers and builders are SeaWest and Tomen
Power Corporation. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries designed and built the
generators. All are international companies with years of experience in design
and construction of wind farms. The 69 Mitsubishi 600-kilowatt wind turbines
sitting on top of 135 foot towers will generate 41.1 megawatts of power. The
project will generate approximately 143,000 mwh of green power each year. This
is truly renewable power with very little impact on the environment. There has been a lot of concern that wind
turbines are noisy and are fatal to many birds. This project had independent
consultants study for over a year to plan a project that minimizes impact on
birds and animals. The large rotor (there are three blades each weighing 6
tons) turns slower than other similar sized turbines. Slower turning allows
birds to see and avoid the blades. An additional precaution was to place the
turbines on top of tubular towers instead of lattice bases to prevent birds
from perching or nesting on the tower. The designers then located the project
away from the rimrock to avoid bird flight corridors. An additional safety
precaution was to underground the distribution system that connects the
turbines to avoid bird collisions. The towers and turbines are even painted in light
off-white and gray to reduce their visual impact. The slower turning rotors
reduce the noise. The larger turbines will need fewer machines to produce the
same energy as more traditional smaller turbines. The project covers 2,100
acres, but is designed to take only about 1% out of the normal animal grazing
use. These plans met or exceeded all federal and state requirements, as well as
encompassing preservation of Native American and cultural resources. The
construction is generating jobs in a very depressed Carbon County, Wyoming, and
will continue to supply tax revenue to the county after the construction is
complete. Salem Electric's Involvement Salem Electric buys 100% of its power from BPA;
approximately 85% of that is renewable (hydroelectric). In September 1995, your
board established a policy to replace all non-renewable resources with power
generated from renewable resources. The topic was brought before a Salem Electric
Member Focus Group in April 1995, and they enthusiastically supported the idea.
This was followed by a June 1995 newsletter article dedicated to the renewable
topic and requesting input from the membership. Again, support for the idea was
overwhelming, even if it required a rate increase of 4-8%. Why Invest in a Developing Energy Source? These generators are no more like the original
designs than today's computers are like the old 286 models. There is probably a
long way to go, but companies like SeaWest and Tomen have devoted their
involvement in the industry to continue to make improvements and make wind
power a viable source of energy. I believe that the strides made in wind turbine
efficiency and the effort to continue improving here in the United States, as
well as world-wide, will eventually reduce the reliance on fossil fuels. It is
important that wind and other environmentally sound generating projects be
encouraged. All of us have an obligation to the generations to follow us to
begin the process of developing alternatives to fossil fuel for our energy. Wind power is a developing energy source. Like
any new product it is more expensive than an established one. Our participation
in the Foote Creek Project will cost each residential member an average of
$2.25 monthly-a 4% increase. Timeline Originally we had hoped to absorb the cost of the
green power purchase when we lowered rates on January 1, 1997. However, the
wind project, which was originally scheduled to be operational in 1996, has
been delayed until at least October 1998. Our BPA green power contract will terminate with
our current BPA long term power sales agreement which runs through September
2001. The Salem Electric Board Directors met at 7:00
p.m. on September 23, 1997 and all board members were present. Manager Bob Speckman presented the board with
information regarding deregulation and other industry news. He called attention
to a letter from Salem Electric's attorney with suggested language for a
proposed bylaw amendment regarding the balloting process in uncontested
director elections. The board will discuss this in a future meeting. Work is
underway on a Salem Electric web page. Members can expect an article in the
Information Bulletin announcing it soon. Speckman announced that Director
Dennis Koho will be moving off Salem Electric's service soon. His last board
meeting will most likely be in October. Discussion followed regarding a search
for his successor. A motion was made by Director Anderson and
seconded by Koho that Salem Electric withdraw from the Northwest Conservation
Act Coalition (NCAC) for the 1998 budget year. NCAC's positions on renewables
and deregulation appear to be in direct opposition to Salem Electric's, and
Anderson felt that Salem Electric was "fighting its own dollars" by being a
member. Administrative Services Manager Jack Belleque indicated that Salem
Electric had not paid dues for the 1997 year yet. Anderson amended his motion
to read: Salem Electric withdraws from NCAC effective September 23, 1997 and
will make no further payments to the organization. Motion carried unanimously. Jack Belleque gave a presentation requesting the
board to authorize the revolvement of 1976 capital credits. Motion was made by
Koho, seconded by Anderson and carried unanimously. Meeting adjourned at 8:15
p.m. | Board Reports |
November 1997
A
Special Report:
Wind Power Project Begins
--Jim Dyer, Board President
Minutes of the Meeting Held on:
September 23, 1997
--Bill
Wolf, Secretary/Treasurer
