Energy Solutions

Presentation to the 

Good Neighbor Environmental Board

Edward Hoyt, 

Principal – Clean Energy 

March 2011

Renewable 

Energy in the 

U.S.-Border 

Region –

Resources 

and 

Opportunities 

In cooperation with 3Tier
1

Overview

 Nexant

 3Tier

 Resources in the Border Region

 Project development activities

 Concluding remarks 

 Q&A
2

Nexant

 Formed in January, 2000 with energy consulting staff and 

energy technology experts from Bechtel Group, Inc. and 

expertise from several subsequent acquisitions:

– Power Computer Applications

– Chem Systems

– Schiller Associates

– Business Management Consulting 

 Twelve permanent offices; total 30 corporate, representative 

and project offices in U.S., Europe, Asia and Africa

 Full-time staff of over 500 

 Thousands of projects completed to-date in over 100 countries 

worldwide
3

Nexant

Energy Technology

Advisory

Energy Efficiency & 

Carbon Management

Intelligent Grid 

Software

Nexant solutions span the entire energy value chain —

from production to consumption

Energy Resources Energy Production Energy Delivery & Markets Energy Use
4

3Tier Products and Services

» Global High Resolution 

Datasets

› Drives all 3TIER products

» Wind

› Global

› 50 year historical dataset

› Highest commercial resolution

» Solar

› Global

› 12 + year historical dataset

› 3 km resolution

» Hydro and Precipitation

› Global

› 50 year historical
5

Numerical Weather Prediction Methodology

Understanding of 

wind characteristics

Long-term 

variability

assessments 

(up to 50 years) 

Spatial wind maps

Global 

Weather 

Archive

1960-present

High 

Resolution 

Terrain, Soil, 

and Vegetation 

Data

OPTIONAL:

Onsite 

Observations

INPUTS WRF ANALYSIS OUTPUTS
6

Resources in the Border Region

 Renewable energy resources

– Solar

– Wind

– Biomass/biogas

– Hydro

– Geothermal

 All five are currently being utilized at some scale in 

the region

 Development activities underway in all segments

 Prospects for development in the future will depend 

on policy drivers, infrastructure and water 

availability, and permitting constraints 

Resource estimates in the Southern California and Baja California Area (MW)

Solar PV, Commercial & Residential - ~4,500 (SD County)

Solar PV, CSP - ~38,000 (Imperial and SD Counties)

Wind - ~6,800 (IC, SDC and BC State)

Biomass/biogas – ~150 (SDC)

Small Hydro - ~150 (IC, SDC, BCS)

Geothermal - ~3,300 (IC, BCS) Source: CCSE (2008)
7

Resources in the Border Region

SOLAR - Direct Normal Irradiance (tracking applications), W/m2 (annual avg.)
8

Resources in the Border Region

SOLAR - Global Horizontal Irradiance (stationary), W/m2 (annual avg.)
9

Resources in the Border Region

WIND – 80 meter hub height, m/s
10

 Solar resource is most attractive along Western 

two-thirds of border

 Wind resource is concentrated at Western and 

Eastern extremes, with some areas in Central 

region

 Biomass/biogas will be available near major 

population centers

 Hydro limited to Rio Grande basin and limited 

infrastructure in West

 Geothermal located in Southern California / Baja 

California area

Resources in the Border Region
11

Wind – Southern California & BC State
12

Solar – Southern California & BC State
13

Wind – Texas & Nuevo Leon/Tamaulipas
14

Solar – Texas & Nuevo Leon/Tamaulipas
15

Project Development Activities

Wind – in Mexico (BCS)

10 MW – BCS Government – self supply 

(Gamesa) – IN OPERATION

~2000 MW – Various developers (Gas 

Natural/Union Fenosa; Sempra; FE) – export 

to U.S. and self supply for BCS Government 

- PROPOSED

Wind – Mexico (Tamaulipas)

160 MW – GSEER – self supply (Siemens) –

PROPOSED

Solar – in U.S. (CA)

~800 MW – Calico Solar PV (KRoad) – sale into CA market –

FINANCING CLOSED

~700 MW – Imperial Valley (AES) –

sale into CA market – LATE-STAGE 

DEVELOPMENT

~35 MW customer-side PV in 

SDG&E service area (SGIP)

Solar – in U.S. (AZ)

~150 MW – Yuma (First Solar 

PV) – sale into CA market -

PROPOSED

~240 MW – Solana (Abengoa) –

sale to APS - PROPOSED

Hydro – in Mexico (BCS)

~20 MW – BCS Government – self 

supply (Enel) – IN OPERATION 

Geothermal – in Mexico (BCS)

~720 MW – CFE– IN OPERATION 

Wind – Mexico (Nuevo Leon)

20 MW – Santa Catarina Municipality – self 

supply (Conduit) – LATE STAGE 

DEVELOPMENT
16

Concluding Remarks

 Considerable amount of potential power generation 

is possible in the border region

 Constraints include:

– Regulatory framework and incentive programs (CA and TX 

considered to be leaders; changes in Mexico have facilitated selfsupply projects, CFE may begin tenders in future)

– Transmission infrastructure and availability (especially from AZ to 

CA, and between WSCC and ERCOT, also, cross-border 

interconnections and transmission within Mexico) 

– Land and environmental/social impact considerations (significant 

restricted areas at La Rumorosa in BCS)

– Water availability (for certain technologies)