A Wind Powering America Project — Newsletter #6 — September 2010

WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM

PIX 16204

New England and Northeast Look to the 

Horizon...and Beyond, for Offshore Wind

In early December, Boston hosted the American Wind Energy 

Association’s second annual Offshore Wind Project Workshop. 

U.S. and European offshore wind stakeholders convened to 

discuss the emerging U.S. offshore wind industry and provided 

evidence of a significant increase in activity along the Atlantic 

Coast from the Carolinas to Maine. The wind power industry 

and policymakers are looking to offshore for long-term 

growth, driven by aggressive policy goals, economic development opportunities, a finite set of attractive land-based wind 

sites, and immense wind energy potential at a modest distance 

from major population centers.

The past few months have seen a tremendous increase in 

offshore wind-related activity, from federal permitting and 

state policy to project contracting, development, and regulatory approvals, culminating in a glimpse at offshore wind 

economics. Since the release of the final rule on offshore 

renewable energy development on the Outer Continental Shelf 

(OCS) by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy 

Management Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) 

last spring, the federal government has moved forward with 

implementation. BOEMRE announced that it would establish 

a new Atlantic OCS regional office in 2010 to support the 

region’s offshore renewable energy development. This office is 

responsible for evaluating permits for renewable energy activities including leasing, environmental programs, the formation 

of task forces, state consultation, and post-lease permitting 

in federal waters off the East Coast. BOEMRE recently met 

with local stakeholders to discuss streamlining the permitting 

process established last year, including hosting an OCS Wind 

Energy Summit for governors and representatives of Atlantic 

Coast states in February. BOEMRE also formed intergovernmental task forces with Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and 

In This Issue Page

New England and Northeast Look to the 

Horizon... and Beyond, for Offshore Wind ...... 1

Accelerated Wind Development Pace in 

New England Increases Focus on Wind 

Farms as Neighbors ........................................... 3

Issues Affecting Public Acceptance of 

Wind Energy ....................................................... 4

Wind Project Update .......................................... 5

Wind Policy Updates .........................................10

Perspectives........................................................13

Hot Topics............................................................16

Small Wind Corner.............................................16

Cool Links ............................................................17

Events...................................................................17

Doug Welch, Courtesy of Hull Municipal Lighting Plant/PIX11261
2 New England Wind Forum — September 2010

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State Policy Initiatives Move Forward

Meanwhile, New England states have taken significant steps 

to encourage offshore wind planning, permitting, and development in state and adjacent federal waters. In December, the 

final Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan was released, 

which encourages more community-scale offshore wind energy 

development through the creation of a formal role for regional 

planning authorities in wind, wave, and tidal energy (namely 

in determining “appropriate scale” for commercial and 

community-scale projects and providing explicit approval for 

community-scale projects). The plan specifies that 50% of any 

mitigation funds will be directed to one or more host communities. It also indicates that up to 100 turbines may be sited as 

community-scale projects and identifies two designated wind 

energy areas suitable for larger, commercial-scale wind energy 

development: one off the Elizabeth Islands and the other 

south of Nomans Land, off Martha’s Vineyard. Adjacent to 

these areas, the plan identifies potentially suitable locations in 

federal waters for commercial-scale wind energy development. 

In April, the Maine legislature passed LD 1810, An Act to 

Implement the Recommendations of the Governor’s Ocean 

Energy Task Force (the final report was released in December 

2009 and discussed in the last newsletter), now codified as 

Public Law, Chapter 615. While Massachusetts has a shallow 

continental shelf amenable to offshore wind development 

with depths similar to the offshore wind development in 

Europe, Maine’s wind potential lies in deeper waters. The 

report recommended establishing a goal of 300 megawatts 

(MW) of offshore wind energy in Maine by 2020 and 5,000 

MW by 2030. It detailed policy recommendations to facilitate leasing of submerged lands, establish fees and royalties, 

create mechanisms to discourage site banking, and form a 

Renewable Ocean Energy Trust Fund. In enacting the task 

force recommendations, the law addresses funding, development and transmission siting, port facilities, financing, leasing, 

and other components aimed at streamlining and supporting 

the growth of a deep water offshore wind industry. The law 

required the state’s public utilities commission (PUC) to 

solicit offshore energy proposals and directed state utilities 

to enter into 20-year contracts for up to 30 MW of offshore 

energy generation facilities (these could include wind, wave, 

or tidal). It stipulated that the price and other terms proposed 

should not have an unreasonable impact on electricity rates. In 

parallel, the University of Maine was awarded $12.4 million 

in January from the U.S. Commerce Department’s National 

Institute of Standards and Technology, through the American 

Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), to construct 

a deepwater offshore wind energy research and testing facility. 

Separately, the University of Maine received an $8 million 

award from U.S. Department of Energy stimulus funds to 

install turbines for offshore wind testing at Monhegan Island, 

Boon Island, and Damariscove Island.

The Rhode Island Ocean Special Area Management Plan 

(SAMP) is currently in the public review phase. The Ocean 

SAMP is a zoning mechanism for state and adjacent federal 

waters in an attempt to reach Rhode Island’s in-state wind 

goal of 15% of the electric load. Led by the Rhode Island 

Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC), the Ocean 

SAMP will serve as a federally recognized coastal management 

and regulatory tool. It will be funded by Deepwater Wind, 

the state’s competitively selected “preferred developer,” and in 

return, Deepwater Wind has first choice of approved offshore 

wind sites identified in the SAMP, although parallel legislative 

initiatives have accelerated some development ahead of SAMP 

completion.

Offshore Wind Projects Achieve Development Milestones

The increase in attention to offshore wind is partially attributable to the focus on high-profile projects like Cape Wind’s 

project in Nantucket Sound and Deepwater Wind’s Block 

Island, Rhode Island project (See detailed updates elsewhere 

in this issue). During the spring of 2010, Cape Wind achieved 

a series of major milestones. It selected a turbine manufacturer, received final federal approvals from Secretary Salazar, 

obtained FAA clearance, and filed with the Massachusetts 

Department of Public Utilities for approval of a long-term 

power and renewable energy credit purchase agreement with 

utility National Grid for 50% of its output. Rhode Island’s 

pilot-scale project in state waters off Block Island suffered 

a setback when the long-term contract between Deepwater 

Wind, the state’s preferred developer, and National Grid was 

unanimously rejected by the three-member PUC on March 30, 

2010, due to rate impact concerns. Subsequently, the Rhode 

Island legislature passed a new law sending a revised long-term 

contract back before the PUC to be considered under different 

criteria, with a final written decision due in mid-August. 

Meanwhile, under its Memorandum of Understanding with 

the state, Deepwater continues to pursue a larger-scale project 

in federal waters off Rhode Island. 

Offshore Wind Economics Moves to Forefront

With the filing of the region’s first offshore wind power 

contracts for approval, regulators and the public got their 

first glimpse at the price tag and experienced some sticker 

shock. First, the Deepwater Wind 28.8-MW Block Island 

pilot project sought approval for a 20-year contract starting at 

24.4¢/kilowatt-hour (kWh) (excluding transmission costs), and 

the costs would escalate by 3.5% annually. Testimony in the 

case supported the well-understood notion that offshore wind 

economies of scale are steep (hence the majority of projects 

proposed are in the 300- to 600-MW range or larger) and the 

notion that a pilot-scale project has a higher unit cost than a 

full-scale project. The project was also proposed for deeper 

other coastal states to determine target areas for offshore wind 

development in preparation for a Request for Information 

(RFI) to initiate leasing of East Coast offshore wind parks. 

BOEMRE has already issued an RFI for Delaware, but 

BOEMRE’s oil spill containment responsibility may delay 

the release of additional RFIs. 
New England Wind Forum — September 2010 3

WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM

water than most existing offshore wind plants; thus it requires 

new foundation technology that is just moving beyond the first 

demonstration installations. Based on these issues, it is not 

surprising that the price exceeds that of a full-scale project. 

Nonetheless, when compared to current market electricity 

prices (deeply suppressed by the recession and the recent 

exploitation of large natural gas reserves) and other available 

renewable energy alternatives (including land-based wind), the 

proposed price represented a substantial premium.

In early May, Cape Wind and National Grid filed for contract 

approval in Massachusetts. This was a 15-year proposal, 

with a contract price of 20.7¢/kWh (including the cost of 

required transmission), escalating at 3.5% annually. This 

price was higher than expected and is being decried by project 

opponents. Expectations were shaped by reports of lower 

costs in the early days of Cape Wind based on cost modeling 

by BOEMRE during the project’s Environmental Impact 

Statement proceeding, far greater economies of scale than the 

smaller Rhode Island project, the lower-cost of land-based 

renewable energy alternatives, and the project developer’s 

assertions that Nantucket Sound was the best (most economical) offshore wind site in the region. However, expectations 

may not have been entirely reasonable because all generation 

technologies experienced substantial cost increases in 2007-

2009. Further, when using the Deepwater Wind contract as a 

comparison, the smaller-than-expected price difference can be 

attributed in part to 5 fewer years under the shorter contract 

term to amortize large fixed costs. 

Nonetheless, perhaps these two data points are truly indicative 

of what the first generation of offshore wind will cost. This 

raises a big question about price expectations. Offshore wind, 

while a commercially viable technology in Europe today, is in 

an immature technology implementation phase today in the 

United States. The situation is compounded by the lack of 

local manufacturers of offshore wind equipment (why locate 

where there is no market?), and the lack of any local installation and support infrastructure (there are no specialized ships 

in the eastern United States to support the industry). The 

Town of Hull, Massachusetts, which currently has two operating onshore wind turbines that enjoy near-unanimous public 

support, is considering shelving a planned offshore wind 

project due to cost concerns. All observers expect offshore 

wind prices to decline over time as the industry matures, 

gathers scale economies, and develops the local infrastructure required. The public’s expectations may need to be that 

the first projects will cost more and are necessary steppingstones to building the infrastructure needed to lower costs as 

the industry matures. There is now pressure on the offshore 

wind industry to demonstrate progress toward decreasing the 

per-kWh cost over time.

Accelerated Wind Development Pace in 

New England Increases Focus on Wind 

Farms as Neighbors

As the newly updated New England wind map (see article 

inside, p. 5) shows, the pace of wind development throughout 

the region has rapidly accelerated in the past few years. As 

wind power installations become a neighbor to more people 

in both populated and rural settings, several factors are 

increasing public attention on wind power. Issues impacting 

public acceptance include concerns about sound, visual 

impacts, related health concerns, impacts on property values, 

and the effectiveness of wind power, as a variable resource, at 

achieving the expected benefits of reduced fossil fuel usage, 

emission reduction, and increased jobs. Public acceptance of 

wind rests on questions such as “What constitutes an ‘appropriately sited’ wind power facility?” Other questions arise from 

concerns about the impacts of change and the resulting fear of 

the unknown. These concerns, which inevitably coincide with 

any development activity (a new residential subdivision, mall, 

highway, transmission line, or power plant), are heightened in 

a number of communities. 

With the pace of wind development accelerating, questions 

are raised throughout the region. Are reports of annoyance or 

disturbance unusual occurrences blown out of proportion, or 

are they representative? At what distance are neighbors insulated from potential problems? What are appropriate setbacks 

in densely populated and rural communities? How will local 

stakeholders be impacted by a view of a wind farm? With 

more questions than answers, and in some cases heavy handed 

pressure from the community, and under time pressure to react 

to wind development proposals, several communities have 

passed or proposed ordinances requiring substantial setbacks 

or sound limits, voted down proposed projects, or implemented 

temporary wind siting moratoriums to allow time to study the 

facts (see article inside, p. 4).

In this issue, we highlight an example on the island of 

Vinalhaven, Maine, where some nearby supporters of the 

community-owned, three-turbine installation are experiencing 

sound disturbance exceeding expectations. We report on a 

range of project approvals, rejections, and appeals, and the 

development of ordinances and moratoria in a number of 

communities reacting to wind project proposals. And we introduce a new undertaking — the New England Wind Energy 

Education Project — which is intended to provide objective 

information on the impacts affecting public acceptance of 

appropriately sited wind power facilities. 
4 New England Wind Forum — September 2010

WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM

Issues Affecting Public Acceptance 

of Wind Energy

Fox Islands Wind Project Seeks to Manage Unexpected 

Impacts

The consumer-owned Fox Islands Electric Co-op has operated 

the electric utility in Vinalhaven (Maine) since 1974, but it did 

not develop an interest in wind until 2001. Wind power was 

initially considered an alternative to significant and costly 

upgrades to the undersea power cable, which connects the 

islands to the mainland. After years of feasibility and development work, the co-op implemented a creative financing and 

ownership structure that leveraged both federal tax incentives and Rural Utility Service (RUS) financing to fund and 

build the three-turbine, 4.5-MW project that was expected to 

also reduce and stabilize retail electricity prices. The utility’s 

member-owners and the project’s neighbors were extremely 

supportive of the project.

Now the project may inadvertently become a laboratory for 

understanding and mitigating the sound impacts of wind 

projects. Within weeks after the project’s December 2009 

commissioning, a handful of neighbors – some of whom were 

ardent supporters of the project – began voicing concerns 

to the co-op regarding the sound of the project’s operation. 

Shortly thereafter, a group of neighbors formed the Fox Island 

Wind Neighbors (FIWN) organization to articulate their 

concerns, primarily related to the unanticipated noise impacts. 

FIWN asked that the turbines’ operation be curtailed or 

stopped altogether. The co-op, in its capacity as project owner 

and representative of the impacted community that owns the 

co-op, is studying the issue, attempting to understand the 

nature and regularity of the problem, the reach of its impact, 

and how to mitigate it. Confounding the co-op’s efforts to 

study the issue, other neighbors, some located closer to the 

turbines, have reported that they are not bothered by sound at 

all.

In February and early March, the co-op’s board of directors 

issued a request to the 18 households within a half-mile of the 

project, asking occupants to keep detailed logs describing the 

sounds of the turbines and their perceived level of annoyance. 

During this period, the turbines were manually slowed during 

random periods in an effort to test whether moderate slowing 

of the turbines had a noticeable effect on annoyance. The 

results, which were prepared with help from Lawrence Berkeley 

National Laboratory, are summarized in a May 2010 update 

from the co-op. They indicate statistically insignificant impacts 

on perceived annoyance to the moderate changes in turbine 

operation. However, the test was hampered by a low survey 

response rate and occurred during a period when only two of 

the three turbines were operating; therefore, the researchers 

urged further study. The co-op recently received a grant 

from the U.S. Department of Energy through its National 

Renewable Energy Laboratory to continue studying the sound 

issue.

Maine Towns Seek to Slow Wind Development Pace 

While Maine’s expedited permitting process has contributed 

to the acceleration of wind project development, citizens in 

many Maine towns have raised questions about wind farms as 

neighbors (see p. 3, “Accelerated Wind Development Pace in 

New England Increases Focus on Wind Farms as Neighbors”). 

They have tried to slow down, limit, or otherwise control wind 

development through a series of ordinances. Many of the 

towns are active wind development sites. In many cases, the 

proponents of these actions state that their intent is to buy 

time to gather information to make better-informed siting decisions. In other cases, the actions may reflect some resident’s 

desire to limit or foreclose wind development. Maine communities that have taken action to date are:

•	 Thorndike: adopted a wind turbine ordinance

•	 Penobscot: passed a temporary wind turbine moratorium

while it develops a complete wind turbine ordinance

•	 Fort Kent: approved a wind turbine ordinance, which unlike

many other wind turbine ordinances approved by Maine 

communities, regulates wind turbines by noise, rather than 

distance

•	 Montville: approved a wind turbine ordinance

•	 Burnham: voted to begin developing a wind turbine

ordinance

•	 Unity: rejected a wind turbine ordinance

•	 Eddington: adopted a 180-day wind turbine moratorium

•	 Avon: adopted a 180-day wind turbine moratorium

•	 Woodstock: did not pass a proposed wind turbine

moratorium

•	 Rumford: approved a 6-month extension on the existing

wind turbine moratorium

•	 Blue Hill, Orland, Brooklin, and Stonington: are in various

stages of considering a moratorium

•	 Dedham: adopted an ordinance that sets towers height

limits 

•	 Rockland: did not pass a proposed wind turbine

moratorium.

New England Wind Energy Education Project Kicks Off Its 

Eight-Part Webinar Series

Good decisions require good information. With the rapid 

increase in wind power development activity throughout the 

region and the accompanying increased attention to public 

acceptance of wind power, the New England Wind Energy 

Education Project (NEWEEP) was launched in early 2010. The 

organization is producing an eight-part Webinar series and an 

in-person conference (planned for spring of 2011) designed 

for the general public, local officials, facility siting decisionmakers, policy-makers, and others seeking objective information on wind energy impacts. 
New England Wind Forum — September 2010 5

WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM

The free NEWEEP Webinar series:

•	 Collects and disseminates accurate, objective, and up-todate information on critical wind energy issues impacting 

market acceptance of the hundreds of land-based and 

offshore wind development projects proposed in the region

•	 Enhances the region’s public acceptance of appropriately

sited wind energy generation.

NEWEEP is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s 

(DOE’s) Wind Powering America (WPA) initiative under a 

2-year grant and is directed by a steering committee consisting 

of New England state agencies, regional and national research 

organizations, and New England’s regional grid operator. It is 

neither industry-funded nor industry-driven. The objectives of 

the NEWEEP Webinar series are to:

•	 Cut through the clutter of competing, conflicting, and

sometimes misleading information on critical issues 

pertaining to wind energy generation

•	 Help address concerns in communities where wind projects

are proposed

•	 Identify areas for future research (data gaps).

NEWEEP kicked-off its first Webinar May 5 with “The 

Impact of Wind Power Projects on Residential Property 

Values,” followed by “Understanding the Impacts of Wind 

Turbine Sound” on July 13. “The Impacts of Wind Power 

Variability: Grid Integration & Environmental Objectives” will 

be presented in early fall. 

NEWEEP is designed to complement the New England Wind 

Forum (NEWF) Web site and newsletter. NEWEEP’s Web site, 

currently under construction, will become a part of NEWF’s 

Web site. NEWEEP’s invitations to upcoming Webinars and 

all Webinar materials – audio recordings and presentation files, 

transcripts, reference materials – will be posted on the New 

England Wind Forum (NEWF). To receive NEWEEP webinar 

invitations, please SIGN UP for the NEWF newsletter/

NEWEEP Webinar invitations.

First NEWEEP Webinar Explores Impact of Wind Projects on 

Property Values

NEWEEP’s first Webinar, “The Impact of Wind Power 

Projects on Residential Property Values,” had nearly 450 

registrants and featured a presentation by Ben Hoen, consultant to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Hoen gave an 

overview of research conducted to date, as well as a discussion 

of measuring, mitigating, and managing potential impacts 

going forward. An extensive question and answer session 

followed, allowing participants to explore their experience and 

concerns and identifying needs for additional information.

Preceding Hoen’s presentation, moderator Bob Grace of 

Sustainable Energy Advantage, LLC introduced the NEWEEP 

project and Webinar series, and Heather Hunt, executive 

director of New England States Committee on Electricity 

(NESCOE), provided context for the NEWEEP project with 

a presentation on “Wind Power’s Role in Meeting Regional 

Policy Objectives.” 

Wind Project Updates

As demand for wind power continues to expand, development 

is keeping pace. This newsletter provides a broad – though not 

comprehensive – update of wind power development activities throughout the region. We are also pleased to announce 

the release of a new and improved wind project map hosted on 

the NEWF Web site. This new map reflects all of the projects 

tracked by the NEWF and includes new features which allow 

you to filter the data by state, project size, or other criteria. 

Check out projects in New England. 
6 New England Wind Forum — September 2010

WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM

Commercial-Scale Wind Project Update

Maine: In April 2010, developer First Wind commissioned 

its Stetson Wind II project, a 17-turbine, 25.5-MW expansion of the Stetson Wind Project (Phase 1 was 57 MW and 

began commercial operation in 2009). Harvard University 

agreed to purchase half of the power and renewable energy 

credits produced by the project for 15 years. First Wind 

continues to develop additional projects across Maine, 

including two projects that it hopes to construct in 2010. The 

company received permit approvals in April 2009 from the 

Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for 

its proposed 40-turbine, 60-MW Rollins Mountain project in 

Lincoln, Burlington, and Lee. An appeal of that permit by 

the Friends of Lincoln Lakes group, which argued that the 

DEP ignored conflicting scientific evidence about the project’s 

potential impacts on residents and wildlife, was rejected in 

March 2010. However, a separate appeal is currently before the 

Maine Supreme Judicial Court and is expected to be resolved 

in 2010. In addition, the Maine DEP also issued permits for 

First Wind’s 34-turbine, 51-MW Oakfield Wind Project. The 

permit has been appealed to the state Board of Environmental 

Protection. Finally, First Wind is also preparing studies in 

advance of submitting a permit application for its Longfellow

wind project near Rumford. The Longfellow project could be 

as large as 50 MW. 

In October 2009, the first 66-MW phase (comprised of 22, 

3-MW turbines) in TransCanada’s 132-MW Kibby Mountain 

Wind Project was energized in Kibby and Skinner Townships

in the Boundary Mountains. The remaining 66 MW are now 

under construction. This second phase is expected to be 

operational by the fall of 2010. Once operational, Kibby

Mountain will become the largest wind project in New 

England. TransCanada is also seeking to develop the Kibby 

Mountain Expansion on Sisk Mountain (up to 45 MW). 

Maine’s Land Use Regulation Commission held public 

hearings on the project and is now reviewing the full project 

permit application. The developer’s goal is to have the project 

commissioned by 2012.

In 2009, Patriot Renewables announced the Saddleback 

Mountain and Spruce Mountain wind projects. Patriot 

submitted its DEP permit application for the Spruce Mountain 

project. Up to 20 MW in capacity, the Spruce Mountain 

project is tentatively planned for construction in 2011. The 

Saddleback Mountain project in Carthage may be up to 34.5 

MW, with construction anticipated for 2011-2012. Patriot 

intends to file permits in 2010. 

In August 2009, the DEP approved Independence Wind’s 

permit application for the 22-turbine, 55-MW Record Hill 

Wind Project, proposed for Byron and Roxbury. That permit 

is under appeal, although it is expected to be resolved in 2010. 

Construction is currently planned for 2011. Independence 

Wind is also planning the Highland Plantation Wind Project. 

Permit applications for the project have been submitted with 

the hope of installing the 120- to 140-MW project in the 2012 

timeframe. Meanwhile, Horizon Wind Energy is developing 

the Northern Maine Aroostook County Wind Project in 

phases, with the first, Number 9, potentially up to 350 MW. 

Wind measurement and environmental studies are ongoing. 

This first phase is proposed for a mountain ridge west of 

Bridgewater. The project will depend on additional transmission capacity, though developer Horizon Wind said that it will 

finance construction of a transmission line if needed. 

Granite Reliable Power Wind Park. Courtesy of Noble Environmental Power

New Hampshire: Earlier this spring, the Supreme Court 

denied the Industrial Wind Action Group’s appeal of the 

New Hampshire Site Evaluation Committee’s 2009 granting 

of a certificate of site and facility to Noble Environmental 

Power’s 99-MW Granite Reliable Power Wind Project under 

development in Coos County. In May, the Vermont Public 

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PIX17546

Stetson II Wind Farm. Courtesy of First Wind.
New England Wind Forum — September 2010 7

WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM

Service Board approved a long-term power purchase agreement between two Vermont utilities, Green Mountain Power 

(GMP) and Central Vermont Public Service Corporation 

(CVPS), and the New Hampshire facility. CVPS plans to buy 

30% of the output, and GMP will purchase 25% of the output 

for 20 years starting in 2012. Iberdrola filed for SEC approval 

of its 48 MW Groton wind farm in April, with the intent 

of starting construction on the 24-turbine project in 2011. 

Meanwhile, Wagner Forest Management continues to advance 

the 180-MW North Country Wind project in Coos County. 

MET towers have been installed onsite and are collecting wind 

speed data. The project is part of the Coos transmission loop, 

in which a number of other renewable energy projects intend 

to interconnect. It will, therefore, require a major network 

enhancement. Wagner is involved in the transmission planning 

process at the state level, and it is hoped that North Country 

Wind can become an anchor project for new transmission. (See 

related article in the Wind Policy Updates section.)

Vermont: In Lowell, Green Mountain Power (GMP) and the 

Vermont Electric Co-op are working to develop the Kingdom 

Community Wind Project. In May, GMP filed for Public 

Service Board approval of the proposed 21-turbine, 63-MW 

project. Although a new MET tower was recently installed, 

wind resource data have been collected at this site by various 

wind project developers dating back to 2003. The proposal 

was filed after the town voted 75% in support of the project, a 

key indicator of strong local support that the utilities sought 

before filing. Meanwhile, the Vermont Community Wind Farm

recently announced that it no longer plans to proceed with 

a proposed 40- to 80-MW wind farm in and near Ira. The 

developer performed a series of fatal flaws analyses, entered 

into several landowner agreements, and was preparing a state 

Section 248 permit application. The project was proposed 

principally for the Town of Ira, but it also proposed several 

turbines in Poultney, Middletown Springs, Tinmouth, 

Clarendon, and West Rutland. The developer’s decision was 

influenced by Ira’s recent passage of a wind turbine ordinance 

that eliminated any potential for installing turbines in that 

community. 

Meanwhile, First Wind’s Sheffield Wind Project lacks only 

a stormwater permit to begin construction of its 16-turbine, 

40-MW wind farm. While that permit has been under appeal 

since 2009, resolution is anticipated soon. If the permit is 

upheld, construction is expected to start in 2010. In southern 

Vermont, Iberdrola continues to advance the Deerfield Wind 

Project (an expansion of the existing facility in Searsburg). 

The United States Forest Service is expecting to release a 

Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement in 

mid-summer with a Final Environmental Impact Statement 

and Record of Decision by the end of the year. The Deerfield 

project previously received its Certificate of Public Good from 

the Vermont Public Service Board in early 2009. The Deerfield 

project will be the first on Forest Service land. 

The Georgia Mountain Wind Project, a three- to five-turbine, 

12-MW project proposed for Milton, has completed a comprehensive set of environmental studies and is anticipating receipt 

of its Section 248 permit by summer 2010. Project proponents 

intend to begin construction by the year-end 2010 deadline to 

qualify for the 30% federal cash grant.

The rights to the Grandpa’s Knob wind project, a facility in 

the early stages of development, were recently sold by Noble 

Environmental Power to Vermont-based Reunion Power. 

Reunion Power will evaluate the site’s potential for wind 

generation up to 50 MW.

Massachusetts: The 20-turbine, 30-MW Hoosac Wind Project

under development by Iberdrola Renewables in western 

Massachusetts awaits resolution of an extended legal appeal 

of its wetlands permit. In late 2009, the developer filed a 

Notice of Project Change with state regulators, increasing the 

number of acres. In February 2010, Secretary for Energy and 

Environmental Affairs Ian Bowles issued a Certificate indicating that the changes did not require a full Environmental 

Impact Report.

The 130-turbine, 468-MW Cape Wind Project proposed for 

Nantucket Sound cleared a number of hurdles en route to 

construction. Since the last newsletter, Cape Wind received 

its final approvals, which include a Record of Decision from 

BOEMRE (bringing the environmental review process to 

conclusion) and a formal notification from Secretary of the 

Interior Ken Salazar that the project is not eligible for listing

on the National Historic Register. 

In addition, Cape Wind filed a contract with the 

Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU) for 

approval of a power purchase agreement (PPA) with National 

Grid. That PPA envisions operation in late 2012. National 

Grid agreed to purchase 50% of the project’s output for 15 

years. Cape Wind also seeks approval of a second PPA with 

National Grid for the remaining 50% of the project’s output; 

this one will be transferable by National Grid to one or more 

third parties. If approved, this approach would expedite 

financing through the effective pre-approval of a PPA, 

obviating the need for subsequent approval proceedings, in 

Massachusetts or elsewhere, as a prelude to financing. 

In addition, the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled in favor 

of Cape Wind regarding the undersea cable connection to the 

mainland. The project also received approval from the Federal 

Aviation Administration in its determination that no hazard to 

air navigation exists. Nonetheless, the project expects significant additional challenges from long-time opponents before it 

can begin construction, which is targeted for 2011. 

In contrast, Patriot Renewables is no longer actively pursuing 

its South Coast Offshore Wind Project, originally proposed 

for Buzzards Bay. The company has turned its focus to 

onshore projects throughout northern New England. Patriot 

Renewables also recently announced a project in western 

Massachusetts that could be as large as 16 turbines and 
8 New England Wind Forum — September 2010

WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM

approximately 32 MW. MET towers have been installed in 

Savoy, and another tower is planned for Adams. The 12.5-MW 

Minuteman Wind Project recently received its special permit 

from the Town of Savoy. Project developers are now expected 

to turn attention to interconnection and resolve with the 

Western Massachusetts Electric Company questions regarding 

whether the project requires improvements to the local distribution system. Minuteman Wind hopes to complete construction of five 2.5-MW Clipper turbines in 2011. The equipment 

transportation plan is finalized, and Minuteman Wind now 

seeks long-term PPAs for the project.

After more than a decade in development, the 10-turbine, 

15-MW Berkshire Wind facility in western Massachusetts 

remains stalled with two and a half project towers constructed. 

Construction was halted in October 2009 after a real 

estate developer planning to build luxury condominiums 

on an adjacent property was granted an injunction by the 

Massachusetts Land Court in a dispute over the project’s 

access road. There is no specific timetable for resolution of the 

injunction, and the court has instructed the parties to work on 

a settlement.

Rhode Island: In Rhode Island, the state’s Office of Energy 

Resources selected Deepwater Wind as the preferred developer to construct the state’s first offshore wind farms. A PPA 

between Deepwater Wind and utility National Grid outlines 

the pilot-scale 28.8-MW New Shoreham Wind Project, which 

will be located off Block Island. This project was recently 

rejected by the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission. The 

agreement was part of the Rhode Island legislative mandate 

that Narragansett Electric (National Grid) solicit for longterm contracts for renewable energy. While the project cost 

continues to be controversial, based on continued support by 

the both the Administration and the legislature, new legislation 

was passed in early June to send the contract back to the PUC 

for review under different criteria. 

Connecticut: BNE Energy, Inc. has installed a MET tower for 

its Colebrook Wind Project. The project, which could include 

up to five turbines, received partial development funding from 

the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund. The same developer is 

planning a similar project in Prospect.

Community-Scale and Customer-Sited Wind Projects Update

An entire industry has grown up around communities and endusers interested in evaluating the potential of installing their 

own wind energy generators. While dozens of such projects 

are in development, a sampling of recent, noteworthy projects 

is discussed below. Additional project descriptions are available on the NEWF Web site. Several states — particularly 

Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont — have continued 

programs to fund community-scale and customer-sited wind 

project feasibility studies. More information on these programs 

can be accessed on state pages on the New England Wind 

Forum Web site.

In November 2009, the Princeton Municipal Light Department

(PMLD) energized its new, 3-MW installation, consisting of 

two 1.5-MW Fuhrlander turbines. The project is expected 

to provide 40% of the town’s annual load, on average. The 

two turbines replaced eight 40-kW machines that operated 

on the southwest side of Mount Wachusett since 1984. The 

Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR) on Otis Air Force 

Base received and installed its 1.5-MW Fuhrlander turbine 

in the same shipment that carried PMLD’s equipment for its 

3-MW wind project. As a result, MMR also commissioned its 

single, 1.5-MW turbine in fall 2009. The turbine will partially 

power the Air Force base’s groundwater clean-up efforts. This 

is the first of a multi-phase wind development effort for the 

MMR. The installation of two to three more turbines are 

planned on the base in late 2010 or early 2011, with another 

one or two scheduled for late 2011 at the base’s PAVE/

PAWS radar station. Down the road, the Town of Falmouth, 

PIX 17547

PIX 17548

Massachusetts Military Reservation’s 1.5-MW Fuhrlander. Courtesy of AFCEE/MMR

Blades awaiting installation of a Vestas 1.65-MW turbine at Falmouth wastewater 

treatment facility in November 2009. The Massachusetts Military Reservation’s new 

1.5-MW Fuhrlander turbine can be seen in the background. Courtesy of Kathryn Craddock, 

Sustainable Energy Advantage, LLC
New England Wind Forum — September 2010 9

WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM

Massachusetts has installed a 1.65-MW Vestas wind turbine 

at its wastewater treatment facility. The turbine is one of two 

Vestas machines originally purchased by the Massachusetts 

Renewable Energy Trust (MRET) for the cancelled Town of 

Orleans project. It was installed in fall 2009. Falmouth also 

seeks to develop a second, similarly sized turbine at that same 

location. In addition, a second MRET turbine will be installed 

this spring at the NOTUS Clean Energy site, also in Falmouth. 

In May, the Templeton (MA) Municipal Light & Water Co.

began construction of a 1.5-MW AAER turbine, which 

was procured through a joint Request for Proposal with the 

Berkshire Wind Energy Cooperative and a $2.16 million Clean 

Renewable Energy Bonds allocation. The turbine will provide 

electricity to the municipal utility system, as opposed to 

connecting behind the school’s meter. 

Partner installers of Vermont manufacturer Northern Power 

Systems have worked on a series of installations of its new 

100-kW turbines throughout the region. In addition to those 

mentioned since the last newsletter, Mount St. Mary’s Abbey

(Wrentham, MA, December 2009), Bolton Valley Ski Resort

(Bolton, VT, November 2009), Phoenix Press (New Haven, 

CT, January 2010), and the Easton Pond Business Center

(Middletown, RI, September 2009) have each installed a 

Northwind 100. More turbines will be installed throughout 

the region in the coming months in the growing customer-sited 

niche. 

In response to a solicitation discussed in the last newsletter, the 

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, in 

conjunction with the Town of Narragansett, selected Chevron 

Energy Solutions Co. to help evaluate potential development opportunities for wind projects of up to five turbines on 

state- and town-owned land in Narragansett (see presentation). 

Chevron intends to host public meetings to discuss potential 

locations for development on publicly owned land within the 

town. Meanwhile, the Narragansett Bay Commission has 

moved one step closer to building three 1.65-MW turbines at 

the Field’s Point Wastewater Treatment Facility in the Port 

of Providence, Rhode Island. FAA approval, a potential fatal 

flaw given the project’s proximity to T.F. Green Airport, was 

provided in January 2010 to the commission. The project 

previously received funding from the state’s Office of Energy 

Resources to complete a project feasibility study, as well as a 

federal Clean Renewable Energy Bonds authorization for the 

project. The commission hopes to see the project installed in 

2011.

PIX 17549 PIX 17550

PIX 17551

Falmouth Wind 1 in operation. Courtesy of AFCEE/MMR 

Templeton Municipal Light & Water Co. constructs the tower for its 1.5-MW AARE turbine in 

May 2010. Courtesy of Sean Hamilton, Templeton Municipal Light & Water Co.

Templeton Municipal Light & Water Co. turbine. Courtesy of Sean Hamilton, Templeton 

Municipal Light & Water Co.
10 New England Wind Forum — September 2010

WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM

In July 2008, the town of Kittery, Maine, commissioned a 

50-kW wind turbine provided and installed by Entegrity Wind 

Systems. However, due to system underperformance, the 

turbine was shut down. The local community negotiated with 

the now-bankrupt Entegrity to sell the turbine to a third party 

and recoup a majority of its initial investment. Assuming a 

deal can be reached, the turbine will likely be decommissioned 

and removed in 2010.

Mount Saint Mary’s Abbey Northern Power Systems 100-kW turbine. Courtesy of 

Sustainable Energy Developments, Inc. 

Wind Policy Updates — Federal

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Wind Turbine Guidelines 

Advisory Committee Transmits Final Recommendations 

on Wildlife Impacts to the Secretary of the Interior 

On April 13, 2010, the Wind Turbine Guidelines Advisory 

Committee transmitted its final recommendations to the 

Secretary of the Interior through the U.S. Fish & Wildlife 

Service. The committee, comprised of 22 members representing 

federal, state, and tribal governments, wildlife conservation 

organizations, and the wind industry, was formed in 2007 

under the Federal Advisory Committee Act to provide advice 

and recommendations on how to avoid and minimize the 

impacts of land-based wind farms on wildlife and its habitats. 

As summarized in the report, the committee’s guidelines are 

founded upon a “tiered approach” for assessing potential 

impacts to wildlife and their habitats. The tiers include: 

•	 Tier 1: Preliminary evaluation or screening of sites (landscape‐level screening of possible project sites)

•	 Tier 2: Site characterization (broad characterization of one

or more potential project sites)

•	 Tier 3: Field studies to document site wildlife conditions

and predict project impacts (site‐specific assessments at the 

proposed project site)

•	 Tier 4: Post‐construction fatality studies (to evaluate direct

fatality impacts)

•	 Tier 5: Other post‐construction studies (to evaluate direct

and indirect effects of adverse habitat impacts and assess 

how they may be addressed).

This framework allows the developer to determine whether 

there is sufficient information, whether or how to proceed 

with development of a project, or whether additional information gathered at a subsequent tier is necessary to make those 

decisions. 

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Issues a 

Notice of Inquiry Regarding Variable Energy Resources; New 

England Representatives Submit Comments 

In January 2010, FERC issued a Variable Energy Resource 

Notice of Inquiry (VER NOI, Docket RM10-11, see Cool 

Link section) seeking information about integrating variable 

energy resources (VERs), such as solar and wind generators, 

into the grid. A number of New England parties submitted 

comments, including generators, system operators, and 

purchasers. In summary, ISO New England (ISO-NE) and the 

New England Power Pool (NEPOOL) submitted comments on 

the Notice of Inquiry.

•	 NEPOOL’s comments appear to be non-controversial and

deferential to a future stakeholder process following the 

completion of the New England Wind Integration Study 

(NEWIS), being performed by ISO-NE. 

•	 ISO-NE submitted substantial comments, which contain

many suggestions (also generally predicated on the results 

of the NEWIS), that could significantly alter the way VERs 

participate in the New England markets, including:

— Supporting both a centralized and decentralized wind 

forecasting system 

— Re-visiting whether VERs should be required to participate in the Day Ahead Energy Market and potentially be 

exposed to the price risk of deviations in the Real Time 

Market

— Stating that higher reserve requirements may be needed 

but a dedicated wind-balancing reserve product would not 

be necessary

PIX 17552
New England Wind Forum — September 2010 11

WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM

— Re-visiting the wind reactive power requirements set 

forth in FERC Order No. 661a to establish a dynamic 

reactive power requirement for VERs

— Requiring that all VERs have or be capable of accepting 

a retrofit so that they are able to provide ancillary services 

such as frequency control

— Applying Effective Load Carrying Capability consistently to all resources including VERs (This is a departure 

from the current Forward Capacity Market capacity rating 

methodology.)

— Allowing negative energy offers to make curtailment 

decisions on an economic basis, in recognition that current 

re-dispatching practices curtail VERs more than economically preferable. 

Wind Policy Updates — States

Energy policy is a hot topic among New England state policy 

makers. The dominant themes include siting reform, transmission policy, and long-term contracting – whether through net 

metering, feed-in tariffs, or other mechanisms. In addition to 

these topics (which are addressed in more detail below), policy 

makers in Maine passed statewide interconnection standards 

for small renewables earlier this year, as well as a bill requiring 

the demonstration of an in-state “tangible benefit” for projects 

seeking expedited permitting. Policy makers in the other New 

England states have been equally active. The following section 

summarizes key policy updates impacting wind energy in the 

region.

Transmission Is Key to Wind Expansion in 

Northern New England 

Without additional transmission, much of the region’s wind 

potential will be unable to either reach the grid or reach 

the region’s load centers. The Eastern Wind Integration 

and Transmission Study released earlier this year, by the 

National Renewable Energy Laboratory, was initiated by the 

Department of Energy in 2008 to examine the operational 

impact of 20-30% energy penetration of wind on the power 

system in the Eastern Interconnect. This study was set up to 

answer questions that utilities, regional transmission operators, and planning organizations had about wind energy and 

transmission development in the east.

Recent developments impacting the enhancement of northern 

New England’s transmission grid include:

•	 Central Maine Power Company’s filing for a Finding

of Public Convenience & Necessity for its Maine Power 

Reliability Program (MPRP) proposal to upgrade the 

reliability of its bulk transmission system. This includes a 

PUC examiner’s report in the form of a draft order recommending approval of a Certificate of Public Convenience 

and Necessity (CPCN) for substantially all of the 345-kV 

backbone of MPRP, but it defers or denies most other 

portions of the project. The western spur, a 115-kV line 

from Larrabee Road to Rumford in western Maine, is one 

component found unnecessary for reliability reasons by 

the staff. However, because it would support the Maine 

policy goal of additional wind energy development, the 

staff recommended deferring a decision until Central Maine 

Power Company completes a comprehensive analysis of 

western Maine transmission needs to support wind development. Section 254, a 115-kV line from Orrington to 

Coopers Mills, was also rejected by the staff for reliability 

reasons. Because staff members did not have strong enough 

evidence as to how this line would benefit wind development, they suggested this component be denied at this time. 

On a parallel track, after months of negotiations between 

Central Maine Power Company and a group of interveners, 

a settlement was reached and presented before the Maine 

PUC on May 6. At the time of this writing, the settlement 

proposal includes more transmission components than the 

examiner’s report. 

•	 Two alternative proposals – one by Maine Public Service

and the other by Algonquin Power Fund – have been 

submitted to build transmission lines along the Bridal Path, 

a right-of-way owned by Maine Public Service to connect 

areas of substantial wind development in northern Maine 

with the New England high-voltage transmission grid. 

Algonquin Power Fund petitioned the PUC for a Certificate 

of Public Convenience and Necessity to construct a 26-mile 

Northern Maine Interconnect (NMI) to provide a direct 

connection between northern Maine and ISO-NE (Docket 

No. 2009-421). One issue identified by staff examiners 

for comment in party briefs is whether the PUC has the 

authority to order Maine Public Service to transfer its rights 

in the Bridal Path to Algonquin Power for the development 

of a transmission line.

•	 Maine recently enacted LD 1786, An Act Regarding Energy 

Infrastructure Development. One aspect of the new law is to 

create opportunities for leasing energy corridors that could 

be used to connect Canada, Maine, and southern New 

England. One of the primary justifications for the legislation was to enable wind power development expansion.

•	 The New Hampshire Legislature, ISO-NE, and interested

stakeholders established the North Country Transmission 

Commission in 2008 to plan possible paths for the design 

and construction of necessary transmission capacity for 

renewable energy development in Coos County. Coos 

County is the site of the ISO-NE interconnection, and its 

queue shows interconnection requests for approximately 

400 MW of renewable energy projects. In 2009, the legislature passed SB 85 to expand the commission’s role, 

asking them to “seek and obtain federal funds to upgrade 

the 115-kilovolt transmission loop in Coos County.” This 

includes establishing an appropriate method for sharing the 

costs and benefits of the upgrade between ratepayers and 

the owners of the generation facilities to develop renewable resources in northern New Hampshire. In March 

2010, the commission hired a consultant to study options 
12 New England Wind Forum — September 2010

WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM

for construction and cost allocation of the project. For 

more information, see the New Hampshire Transmission, 

Interconnection, and System Integration page.

•	 Three economic study requests were submitted to ISO-NE

this year. Pursuant to Attachment K of ISO-NE’s Open

Access Transmission Tariff (OATT), all of the requests 

were related to renewable energy transmission. They were 

presented to the ISO-NE Planning Advisory Committee 

(PAC) at the April 27th meeting. The requests included:

— New England Independent Transmission Company 

(NEITC) submitted a transmission upgrades request that 

would enable 700 MW of wind and biomass generation 

development in northern New Hampshire to reach the 

regional market. The request included three scenarios with 

a high-voltage line from Comerford to Coos Loop on to 

Rumford and then to Suroweic. 

— New England States Committee on Electricity 

(NESCOE) submitted a request to provide a baseline 

expansion scenario given current market, reliability, and 

policy constructs that could be used as part of the Eastern 

Interconnection Planning Collaborative (EIPC) initiative. 

The study views a single year, 20 years in the future. It 

includes the retirement and replacement of older carbonheavy resources in the region with efficient natural-gas-fired 

generation in the same locations versus replacement of them 

with renewable resources and additional transmission.

— Sea Breeze Atlantic, RTS requested a study of its 

proposed NewSeaBos submarine HVDC cable transmission 

project, which runs from the Newington, New Hampshire 

area to the Boston/Southeastern Massachusetts (SEMA) 

area. One of several justifications indicated in its presentation included increasing the amount of renewable generation deliverable to load centers, specifically to create benefits 

including “access of renewable energy into Boston area.”

Their study scope was discussed at the May 25 PAC meeting, 

dubbed “Environmental Day.” In June, the PAC prioritized 

three studies. There is no deadline for completion of the 

economic studies.

Massachusetts Wind Siting Reform Act

As outlined in the previous newsletter, the Massachusetts 

Wind Siting Reform Act continues to be debated in the 

Massachusetts legislature. After significant discussion, the 

Massachusetts Senate updated and approved a new version 

of the wind siting reform bill. The revised bill responds to 

many of the concerns raised by its objectors, such as the 

Massachusetts Municipal Association, which argued that local 

entities were given no authority in project siting. Meanwhile, 

on May 19, the House released its own version of the bill 

which, while similar to the Senate bill, differs in a few key 

areas. It is unclear when a vote may take place on the bill, but 

it is expected to happen relatively soon.

Transcanada Power Marketing Lawsuit Challenges 

Constitutionality of Long-Term Contracts between 

Massachusetts Utilities and In-State Generators

On April 16, 2010, TransCanada Power Marketing filed a 

civil lawsuit in Massachusetts District Court against the 

Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and 

the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU). The 

suit, Case #4:2010cv40070, asserts that the in-state requirement in the state’s renewable energy long-term contracting 

pilot program (Section 83 of the Green Communities Act) 

violates the constitution’s Interstate Commerce Clause by 

creating favorable terms for in-state renewable generators, 

while discriminating against the purchase of electricity from 

out-of-state renewable generators like TransCanada’s Kibby

Wind Power Project. TransCanada seeks judgments of “irreparable harm” and “damages”; a judgment that the requirements 

are unconstitutional, invalid, and unenforceable; preliminary 

and permanent injunctions preventing the program from 

proceeding in its current form; and damages, attorney fees, 

and trial fees. While the parties have settled a similar claim 

relating to the state’s solar program, the claim creates a degree 

of uncertainty that has slowed contracting under the pilot 

program. The same arguments also may implicate renewable 

energy policies of in-state favoritism in other states.

Vermont Sets Feed-In Tariff Rates for Wind; Differentiates 

above/below 100 kW 

In May 2009, Vermont became the first state in the nation to 

enact a law creating a full slate of advanced cost-based renewable energy feed-in tariffs. Tariff rates are differentiated by 

technology and project size. Interim rates were in effect from 

September 2009 to January 2010, at which time the Public 

Service Board established the rates effective through January 

15, 2012. Wind plants up to 100 kW were paid at a rate of 20¢/

kWh for standard offer contracts awarded before January 15, 

2010, and 20.83¢/kWh for those awarded after January 15. 

Contracts awarded to wind projects in excess of 100 kW are 

paid at 12.50¢/kWh and 11.25¢/kWh for the respective periods. 

The tariff contract length is 20 years, and 30% of the rate is 

subject to a fixed 1.6% annual inflation rate. Detailed information regarding Vermont’s feed-in tariff rate-setting process is 

available on the Public Service Board’s Docket 7523 and 7533 

Web site. 

Net Metering Updates

Massachusetts: As the Massachusetts Department of Public 

Utilities finished implementing the Green Communities Act’s 

net metering provisions, two issues concerned wind developers. 

First, distribution utilities will determine the applicable electric 

rate class for net metered renewable energy projects based on 

the maximum flow of power in either direction. Therefore, a 

project with only a minimal onsite load but with a large renewable energy facility may be treated as a large electric customer 

for purposes of billing and net metering, reducing the value of 

the electricity. The issue is most relevant for wind developers 

who install stand-alone generation projects with minimal 
New England Wind Forum — September 2010 13

WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM

onsite load and net meter power to other end users. The other 

issue pertains to the net metering cap. The Green Communities 

Act limits the amount of load utilities must allow to net meter 

to 1% of peak load. Early indications are that the net metering 

cap could be reached as early as 2010 or 2011. If so, the lack of 

a queuing procedure is likely to cause substantial uncertainty 

as to whether projects would qualify for net metering. If a 

project cannot know whether it qualifies until it is built, this 

imposes a substantial risk that undermines investment in net 

metering projects.

Connecticut: Several Connecticut towns requested a declaratory ruling from the Department of Public Utility Control 

(DPUC) on the aggregation of retail accounts for the purpose 

of net metering renewable energy generation. The DPUC 

consolidated these requests to be considered under the recently 

opened Docket No. 10-03-13. 

Rhode Island: Two bills failed to pass in the Rhode Island 

legislature that would have changed the net metering landscape 

within the state. Bill H7714 Substitute A passed the House 

prior to the end of the legislative session. It would have explicitly added other renewable energy sources beyond wind, such 

as solar, and combined heat and power with systems eligible 

for net metering. In addition, it would have raised project 

caps to 3.6 MW, removed the system-wide cap, and eliminated 

standby rates for renewables and Combined Heat and Power 

(CHP).

New Hampshire: This spring the New Hampshire legislature 

passed HB 1353, which updated the state’s net metering regulations. The bill raises the net metering cap from 100 kW to 1 

MW. For generators of greater than 100 kW, the generation 

will be credited at the generation service component of the 

default service rate only and will not avoid any transmission 

and distribution charges. 

Maine Implements Community-Based Renewable Energy 

Pilot Program

The Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) adopted final 

rules implementing the Community-Based Renewable Energy 

Pilot Program (Docket 2009-363). This program encourages 

locally owned electricity generating facilities of 10 MW or less. 

Qualifying facilities must be at least 51% owned by qualifying 

local owners, have local support (in the form of an official 

pronouncement of the municipality), and have an in-service 

date beginning after September 1, 2009. Once qualified, a 

facility can choose one of two incentive options: 1) a longterm contract (20 years unless the facility agrees to a shorter 

duration), or 2) a renewable energy credit (REC) multiplier, 

in which the REC compliance value is 150% of the quantity 

of electricity produced. The pilot has an aggregate 50-MW 

limit; 10 MW of the total 50-MW limit is reserved at the outset 

of the program for generators smaller than 100 kW or qualified generation in the service territory of consumer-owned 

transmission and distribution utilities. The total generating 

capacity of projects receiving the REC multiplier incentive is 

also limited to 10 MW. The Fox Islands wind project (4.5 MW) 

already applied to the PUC to qualify for the REC multiplier, 

suggesting that the 10-MW limit may be reached quickly. 

The payment level for projects less than 1 MW will be fixed at 

10¢/kWh, akin to a feed-in tariff. For projects of 1 MW to 10 

MW, the price may vary depending on competitive bids but 

may not exceed 10¢/kWh or the project’s cost of energy. These 

purchase prices are for energy only; generators have the option 

to sell capacity and RECs to another party, but for projects 

greater than 1 MW, capacity and REC revenue must be taken 

into account by the PUC when determining whether the 

project would over-recover its costs. 

Perspectives

An interview with John Norden, Manager of Renewable 

Resource Integration, Independent System Operator — 

New England 

In 2008, as Independent System 

Operator — New England Inc. 

(ISO-NE) considered adding thousands of megawatts of wind power to 

the region’s electric grid, they turned to 

John Norden. With more than 27 years 

of experience in the region’s electric 

systems and market operations, John 

was tasked with understanding the 

challenges posed by adding growing 

amounts of variable wind generation 

to the system. We spoke with John as 

ISO-NE undertakes an in-depth study 

of integrating wind power into the 

grid. 

Q. What is the ISO’s role with respect to wind power?

A. ISO-NE has three primary responsibilities: operating the 

New England bulk power grid reliably, administering New 

England’s wholesale electricity markets efficiently and fairly, 

and administering the regional transmission tariff, which 

includes developing an annual regional transmission plan. 

Aspects of wind power are related to all three responsibilities. 

For example, because many of the onshore wind resource-rich 

areas in New England are located far from both load centers 

(such as Boston or southwest Connecticut) and the highvoltage transmission system, developing and delivering wind 

power will impact the design and operation of the transmission 

system. All resources—including load, generation, and transmission—have characteristics that must be taken into account, 

NOTE: Follow the link here to check for the most 

up-to-date data on each state. DSIRE is a comprehensive 

source of information on state, local, utility and federal 

incentives and policies that promote renewable energy 

and energy efficiency. 

John Norden

PIX 17553
14 New England Wind Forum — September 2010

WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM

so the goal is to enable the entry of all technologies that can 

contribute while meeting the region’s policy objectives and the 

ISO’s operating objectives. Wind power is a fairly new entrant 

into this resource mix, and the ways in which it can participate are evolving. As a result, the ISO is actively studying how 

wind power might affect the region’s power system. At the 

same time, we also are working with stakeholders to reduce the 

barriers to entry for wind power and other emerging technologies while still meeting the reliability objectives of New 

England within an efficient market framework.

Q. The ISO recently undertook an extensive wind power 

scenario analysis. What were the objectives of this 

analysis, and what did you learn?

A. ISO-NE began its review of large-scale wind integration in 

2007 with two studies: the New England Electricity Scenario 

Analysis and the Technical Assessment of Onshore and 

Offshore Wind Generation Potential in New England. These 

studies considered how wind power might help meet future 

electricity needs in New England, and it provided an analysis 

of how much wind power could potentially be installed in New 

England, where it might be located, and the energy production 

characteristics of those potential facilities. These studies led 

to two more detailed studies that reviewed several scenarios 

of large-scale wind penetration. The goal of these analyses 

was to quantify economic and environmental impacts and 

potential transmission requirements, as well as to understand 

the effect on power system operations. The first of these latest 

two studies, the New England 2030 Power System Study, was 

performed as a technical input for the New England Governors’ 

Renewable Energy Blueprint. It was released in the fall of 2009. 

The second study, the New England Wind Integration Study 

(NEWIS), is currently underway, with interim results already 

available NEWIS is scheduled to be completed later this year.

Q. What will be the biggest challenges to integrating largescale wind in New England?

A. The biggest challenge is whether we can build the transmission infrastructure necessary to access the region’s highquality wind resources. Besides transmission, the next step for 

successful wind power integration will be to develop a centralized forecast of wind plant output to help plan and operate the 

power system in a reliable and efficient manner.

Q. With respect to wind power’s variability, how are 

requirements to accommodate wind production on the 

grid similar to, and different from, other generation types 

in the New England portfolio? How are the issues related 

to the variability of wind similar to, and different from, 

the issues associated with handling variations in load? 

How does the ISO handle either?

A. The largest differences between a wind resource and a 

conventional power plant, such as a gas-fired combined cycle 

facility, are variability and predicting that variability. It’s fairly 

straightforward to predict the output of a gas-fired generator 

and its fuel source, although generation is subject to occasional 

unplanned outages. On the other hand, the power generated 

by wind turbines is dependent on the forces of nature, which 

in this case is when the wind blows. For instance, if a wind 

farm is capable of producing 100 MW under ideal, nameplate 

conditions, that same facility would only be capable of operating at that level if the wind blew above 25 MPH—all the 

time. Wind in New England doesn’t blow this hard all the time, 

so the expectation is that wind turbines will usually operate at 

some lesser value based on the availability of its fuel source. 

When we measure this megawatt production over the course of 

the year and look at high-quality onshore sites where turbines 

might be built, we see that, on average, the energy produced in 

relation to the physical turbine capability might be about 35%. 

For offshore facilities that number usually jumps to more than 

40%, based on research that we have conducted to date. So 

while we prepare for new wind plants in New England, we also 

have to prepare for wind power’s variability. We do this now 

for river hydro facilities. We will prepare for this by generating a forecast of expected operations of the wind plants. 

Once this forecast has been prepared, we then add conventional resources to the supply mix to be dispatched that day. 

Of course, this example is greatly simplified, but it provides 

a general idea of how wind facilities will be integrated with 

the other available resources to meet consumer demand and 

maintain reliability.

While load is also variable, the ISO is extremely good at 

forecasting load, with the forecast consistently within 1% to 

1.5% of actual load in any hour. For ISO New England, this 

amounts to a forecast variation of a few hundred megawatts 

in any hour. The system has a range of operating reserves on 

hand to deal with this variation, as well as unplanned generation outages. The hour-to-hour variability of wind generation is both more erratic and less readily predictable than 

load. While wind is a low percentage of system resources – a 

few hundred megawatts today – the total wind variability 

may often be in the load forecast imprecision range; thus, 

the number of hours does not add to the system’s operating 

reserve needs. As the penetration of wind power grows, even 

though diverse wind plant locations over a wide area have 

been shown to smooth out the variability somewhat in the 

aggregate, the combined variability of load and wind production will increase. 

Q. Has ISO New England learned anything from recently 

commissioned wind farm installations in Maine and New 

Hampshire?

A. Until the past couple of years, the few wind plants that 

were connected to the power system were not even large 

enough (electrically) for the ISO to really “see.” One thing we 

have learned with these recent additions is that the industry, 

as a whole, has some things to learn about wind integration. 

From the ISO perspective, wind plants are new, and the type 

of power system resource they provide is very different from 

other more traditional generation resources—they are much 

more variable and unpredictable. Having said that, wind 
New England Wind Forum — September 2010 15

WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM

power doesn’t only generate energy, but it also provides other 

services that help support the operation of the grid, such as 

voltage support. With the installations completed to date, we 

have coordinated with the developers and wind operators to 

successfully interconnect these facilities, and we have established good working relationships with all parties to focus on 

providing reliable power to the interconnection.

Q. Late last year, the ISO commissioned the New England 

Wind Integration Study, or NEWIS. How does the NEWIS 

differ from the scenario analysis?

A. The primary difference between other analyses that 

ISO-NE has performed and NEWIS is the focus of the study. 

NEWIS was designed to highlight the operational effects of 

large-scale wind on the region’s bulk power system—in other 

words, what are the challenges across the entire year, from 

minutes to hours to days. Because of this focus, the data used 

for the output of the wind plants in NEWIS have a much finer 

resolution, which helps make the data more useful to a system 

operator as we prepare to operate with higher levels of wind 

on the system.

Q. What have other wind integration studies from other 

electric markets in the United States and abroad led you 

to expect from NEWIS? What is the objective of NEWIS?

A. Large-scale wind integration studies are a recent phenomenon. In the United States, one of the first studies was 

performed in 2004 by the New York State Energy Research 

and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The most recent 

studies by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and 

the U.S. Department of Energy (NREL/DOE) are the Eastern 

and Western wind integration studies released this year. These 

large-scale studies demonstrated that integration of a large 

amount of wind power is very region-specific. Each region has 

particular wind, generation, transmission, and load characteristics that must be considered when investigating the potential 

impacts and benefits of large-scale wind power for a balancing 

area. The objective for NEWIS is to consider a range of 

possible wind power scenarios and their potential impacts to 

New England.

Q. What is the status of NEWIS, what have you learned so 

far, and what do you expect to learn? 

A. NEWIS is about 50% completed. So far, one small surprise 

showing up in the model is that New England’s wind resources 

have slightly higher capacity factors than we expected, even 

though this model is very similar to one used for the NREL/

DOE Eastern Wind Integration Study. For example, we 

thought approximately 12 gigawatts (GW) of wind would 

be required from an onshore-based wind scenario to reach a 

level in which wind contributes 20% of New England’s annual 

electric energy. Instead, we found that even after screening 

for a range of land use and environmental issues, roughly 

only 10 GW of nameplate wind would be needed. We have 

had many good discussions among the team working on the 

project (General Electric’s Energy Applications and Systems 

Engineering group, EnerNex, and AWS Truepower), NEWIS’ 

technical review committee, and internal and external stakeholders. One part of the NEWIS—recommendations for 

technical interconnection requirements for wind generators—

has already been released (see Cool Links). We have learned 

that wind power increasingly has the capability to play as a 

“full member of the team,” not only generating electricity but 

also providing the ancillary services required to keep the grid 

operating reliably and efficiently. For example, today’s wind 

technology can participate in voltage regulation, which can be 

very useful, especially at the outside edges of the transmission 

system where many wind plants are being installed. We anticipate that the main impediment to integrating large amounts of 

wind power in New England—from a technical perspective—

will be the current lack of transmission infrastructure to “go 

and get” the high-quality wind resources that are in the New 

England wind resource area. 

Q. Integrating large amounts of wind into the system will 

have some impact on how the system is run. At what level 

of penetration might wind power increase the cost of 

maintaining reliability? How much might such changes 

cost, and how would these costs compare to the cost of 

wind itself, and the value of the wind generation in the 

ISO’s energy and capacity markets?

A. The penetration of wind power will be the primary 

predictor of the impact of wind power on a given power 

system. There are different methods of measurement, but wind 

penetration is, in essence, a ratio of the amount of wind power 

to the amount of load in a particular system. At low penetration levels, the impact of wind on the system operations is 

minimal. Other studies have found that the impact of even a 

fairly large amount of wind will be modest, but these studies 

analyzed particular regions. For example, system operators 

such as the ISO are required to carry an additional amount 

of resources above what is required to simply meet the variability of forecasted load. This additional amount of operating 

reserve margin includes resources that can be brought online 

quickly to cover sudden, unexpected events that can affect the 

reliability of the system. Wind power’s variability, along with 

our ability to accurately predict that variability, can potentially 

increase the size of the required operating reserve margin. 

NEWIS considers both the power system and the cost impacts 

of wind penetration at different, higher levels, and these results 

should be available later this year. 

Q. Other regions have implemented wind forecasting 

systems to inform grid operators and help them operate 

systems with increasing amounts of wind power. How 

predictable is wind power? Does wind forecasting work? 

How does it help, and what are its limitations?

A. Wind forecasting is very important because it helps make 

the most efficient use of the energy produced both by wind and 

non-wind generation while helping to ensure system reliability. 

A state-of-the-art generation forecasting system works toward 

these goals by producing a forecast for expected wind genera-
16 New England Wind Forum — September 2010

WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM

tion, ideally for the following week, to allow for optimization 

of other resources and short-term maintenance scheduling. 

Although a crystal ball would be ideal, significant benefits can 

be gained even from an imperfect forecast. Generally speaking, 

the closer you get to real time, the more accurate a forecast 

becomes. For example, an estimated wind generation forecast 

will probably be sufficient for one week ahead, but as we get 

closer to the operating day, operating constraints of non-wind 

generation will increase the value of an accurate wind generation forecast. This could help reduce reserve margins required 

to meet unexpected changes in wind generation. Accurate, 

very short-term forecasting (i.e., next hour to next 10 minutes 

ahead) will allow even more changes in wind generation to be 

accommodated in the real-time market, as opposed to being 

met with other regulating resources. Ramp forecasting is one 

area in which wind forecasting has room for improvement 

because of the sudden up or down swings from wind that can 

be especially tricky to manage during certain load conditions.

Hot Topics

Distributed Wind’s Role Expands 

In contrast to the significant land-based, commercial-scale 

wind farm development activity, which dominated wind development activity in northern New England, the communitybased and customer-sited distributed generation (DG) market 

has thus far been more prevalent in southern New England. 

Each of the six New England states is now host to at least 

one DG wind project. In Massachusetts, DG wind (9.7 MW) 

represents a majority of the state’s operating wind capacity, 

and in Rhode Island (2.4 MW) and Connecticut (.1 MW), it 

represents all of the installed capacity.

Experience has shown that DG wind can often be easier to 

site, permit, and install than typical commercial-scale wind 

projects. However, until recently, not many turbines were available in the sub-megawatt size range. Two community-scale 

wind turbine manufacturers headquartered in New England — 

Northern Power Systems of Barre, Vermont and Aeronautica 

WindPower of Plymouth, Massachusetts — have focused on 

sales and installations in the New England market. In addition, 

a range of other proven turbine technologies are manufactured 

globally but are available locally, such as the Vestas RRB and 

Elecon T-600, both 600-kW machines. New products offered in 

the sub-megawatt turbine scale have helped advance numerous 

projects. Equipment availability and ease of installation are 

two of the primary drivers for continued DG market growth. 

Some of the other motivating factors for the expansion of 

the DG wind market include electric customers’ desire to take 

control of energy costs, to act in accordance with their principles, or to take advantage of available incentives. Smallerscale turbines often fit better with land usage requirements and 

landscapes than the larger turbines typically installed at wind 

farms. Hundreds of DG wind projects have been proposed, 

particularly in southern New England.

Co-ops Primed to Play Increasing Role in Wind Energy 

The Cape & Vineyard Electric Co-op (CVEC), which represents 15 community members on Cape Cod, was created in 

2008 with the sole purpose of developing and owning wind 

power projects on the Cape. CVEC secured $20 million in 

Clean Renewable Energy Bonds financing in 2009, and it is 

in the latter stages of development on a handful of projects. 

Most of the projects under development would be eligible 

for net-metering, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center grants, 

and other tax benefits, which make them economically viable, 

attractive investments. The recently created Vineyard Power 

Co-op on Martha’s Vineyard is interested in developing more 

than 40 MW of offshore wind in tandem with a number of 

land-based energy solutions.

Small Wind Corner

Wal-Mart Hosts New England’s First Power Purchase 

Agreement-Supported Small Wind Farm

Deerpath Energy of Marblehead, Massachusetts, has installed 

and commissioned 12 Southwest Windpower micro wind 

turbines at Wal-Mart’s new store on Rt. 146 in Worcester. The 

project was financed, designed, and installed by Deerpath, who 

will own and operate the turbines. It will sell the generated 

power to Wal-Mart, through a power purchase agreement, for 

up to 25 years. The turbines were installed atop 48-foot light 

poles that were specifically engineered to work with the wind 

turbine equipment. The project is expected to serve up to 5% 

of the Wal-Mart Supercenter’s electric load.

Connecticut Small Wind Demonstration Project Continues

The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) launched the 

Small Wind Turbine Demonstration Project in 2009 to learn 

more about small wind opportunities in the state. CCEF 

selected four sites in different terrain: coastal, near-coastal, and 

inland/mountain, to assess different development opportunities. The four sites are the Coventry High School, the Lebanon 

High School, the Meriden YMCA Mountain Day Mist Camp, 

and the New Haven Visitor Information Center. Wind monitoring equipment has been installed in Coventry, Lebanon, and 

Meriden and is planned for New Haven. Once wind speed data 

have been collected, CCEF’s consultant, the Cadmus Group, 

Inc., will install an Endurance S343 5-kW turbine in Coventry, 

a Bergey Excel-S 10-kW turbine in Lebanon, and a Scirroco 

6-kW in Meriden.

Much like the small wind laboratory at the Museum of Science 

in Boston, CCEF intends to analyze system performance in 

relation to wind speeds to help understand some of the aspects 

of small wind siting. CCEF’s hope is that enough data can 

be collected to help create an effective small wind funding 

program.
New England Wind Forum — September 2010 17

WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM

Massachusetts Clean Energy Center Updates Commonwealth 

Wind: Micro Wind Rebate Program

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) revised 

its Commonwealth Wind: Micro Wind rebate program. The 

funding initiative, available for wind projects of less than 100 

kW, includes a combination of upfront rebates and performance-based incentives. The MassCEC temporarily suspended 

its rebate program in April 2010 to solicit stakeholder 

comments about proposed changes to the program. After 

receiving comments, the MassCEC made a few important 

changes to the program and has since resumed making awards. 

The most significant change to the program was a tightening 

of the technology eligibility requirements. Other changes 

include clarifications of the program’s applicability to multiturbine projects, creating space for projects of less than 15 kW, 

and instituting minimum estimated performance requirements. 

Cool Links

•	 Photos of the Massachusetts Military Reservation’s wind 

turbine, Cape Cod, MA

•	 Map of all wind energy projects in New England

•	 Photo gallery of the Falmouth 1 wind turbine, Falmouth, MA

•	 Real-time performance of the Falmouth 1 turbine by 

Powerdash

•	 Video of the Princeton Municipal Light Department’s wind 

farm construction on Mt. Wachusett, MA

•	 Photo gallery of Princeton, MA wind farm

•	 Video of turbine construction at Massachusetts Water 

Resources Authority

•	 Photo gallery of Boston’s Deer Island Wind Farm

•	 Technical Requirements for Wind Generation Interconnection 

and Integration, a report prepared for ISO New England

•	 FERC Notice of Inquiry Regarding Variable Energy 

Resources (This is a search page. Enter: RM10-11 in the 

Docket number window)

•	 Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency 

(DSIRE) link to www.dsireusa.org/

Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) received a 2-year grant 

from the U.S. Department of Energy to fund a new States 

Advancing Wind initiative. The initiative will develop new 

organizational and analysis activities to advance outreach 

and provide technical assistance to state agencies and officials across the nation regarding the merits, approaches, and 

policy tools available to accelerate distributed wind project 

development. CESA will achieve these goals through an active 

Web site, a peer-to-peer listserv for state officials, four topical 

Webinars, and briefing papers throughout the year on policy, 

finance, and best practices to advance distributed wind projects 

for state officials. CESA is also creating a wind finance toolkit 

and a state best practice and program guide to support wind 

development, in addition to supporting the U.S. Offshore 

Wind Collaborative and the Great Lakes Wind Collaborative. 

Finally, CESA is available to provide direct technical assistance 

to interested states. To join the listserv, send an e-mail with 

“Wind Listserv” in the subject line and your contact information to Anne Margolis (anne@cleanegroup.org).

Events

Check the New England Wind Forum’s Web site for an up-todate calendar of wind-related events, from conferences and 

workshops to siting hearings, in New England. 
18 New England Wind Forum — September 2010

WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM
New England Wind Forum — September 2010 19

WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM
20 New England Wind Forum — September 2010

WIND AND WATER POWER PROGRAM

EERE Information Center

1-877-EERE-INFO (1-877-337-3463)

www.eere.energy.gov/informationcenter

DOE/GO-102010-3110 • September 2010

Printed with a renewable-source ink on paper containing at least 50% wastepaper, including 10% post consumer waste.

www.windpoweringamerica.gov

U.S. Department of Energy

New England Wind Forum — The Newsletter 

Produced by Sustainable Energy Advantage, LLC under contract to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind Powering 

America initiative of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Funding support is also provided by the Massachusetts 

Clean Energy Center.

Editor: Robert Grace 

Authors: Robert Grace, Jason Gifford, Tyler Leeds, and Silas Bauer

Subscribe at www.windpoweringamerica.gov/ne_signup.asp

Send news ideas, events, notices, and updates to newf@seadvantage.com

Thanks to our many external reviewers for excellent comments and contributions.

Energy Efficiency & 

Renewable Energy