EnergyBiz - September/October 2007 - (Page 106) To emphasize the important role local and state government officials can play in the siting of offshore wind parks, consider Bluewater Wind’s experience in Delaware, where we won a competitive bid for 25-year generation service against bidders proposing coal-fired and gas-fired power plants. Our participation in the process began in August 2006, when we learned that the local utility, Delmarva Power, would issue a request for proposals for generation service. This request was the result of the state legislature’s enactment of a law that requires the utility to stabilize prices by contracting for a long-term power supply. The request was issued on November 1, bids were due December 22, and Bluewater Wind was selected on May 22. There were many hearings, public comment sessions, and bidder submissions during the ten-months before we won the bid; Bluewater, the other bidders, and the public filed thousands of pages of documents. The selection process required the unanimous approval of four state agencies — the Public Service Commission, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Controller General’s Office. This highly competitive, publicly transparent, and community involving process provided great stakeholder support for the outcome. We are currently negotiating the power purchase agreement with Delmarva Power and will present it for approval by the Public Service Commission and the other three state agencies. The concern of the various stakeholders in the environmental reviews is the thoroughness and duration of environmental studies review. For instance, the study of local and migratory birds must be complete but not excessively long. The National Audubon Society recommends a full year of studies. Although some of these ocean studies have never been performed to this degree of detail, peer-reviewed science can determine appropriate environmental review protocols. Offshore wind energy parks are new to the United States, although their record off the coasts of numerous European countries bodes well for this important technology that can help in the fight against climate change. The MMS and other key federal, state and local agencies are committed to developing and implementing regulations that protect the environment while at the same time providing for the development of clean, renewable wind power. Challenges exist but thorough and comprehensive adherence to the applicable rules and regulations will result in developers building offshore wind parks that help meet our nation’s critical need for a diverse, environmentally sound domestic energy portfolio. Peter D. Mandelstam is president and chief executive officer of Bluewater Wind. Join T&D analyst Chuck Newton and experts from GE Energy for a FREE one-day seminar. The Power of Knowledge: Enabling the Intelligent Grid Register NOW at www.energycentral.com/geevent.cfm for this FREE seminar! Three locations to choose from: September 26 — Baltimore October 10 — Chicago October 30 — Atlanta Chuck Newton Industry professionals in these areas should attend: Engineering • Operations • Metering • Customer Service Guest Presenter: Chuck Newton, President, Newton-Evans Research Continental breakfast, lunch, morning and afternoon breaks and reception included, courtesy of GE Energy. Presented By www.energycentral.com E n E rgyB i z 107 http://www.energycentral.com/geevent.cfm http://www.energycentral.com
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