Transcript AWEA | Environmental Defense Fund | Public Citizen | TREIA

The Wind Coalition: Membership
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Member Directory
AES Wind Generation | Acciona | Apex | Blattner Energy,
Inc. | BP Alternative Energy North America | Clean Line
Energy | Clipper Windpower | Duke Energy | Edison
Mission Energy | ENEL | enXco | E.ON | Exelon | Electric
Power Engineers, Inc | Gamesa Energy | GE Energy |
EDPR | Iberdrola Renewables | Infinity Wind | Invenergy
| Nobel Environmental Power | Novus Windpower
| Pattern | RES Americas | Shell Wind Energy | Stahl,
Bernal & Davies | Siemens | Third Planet | TradeWind
Energy, LLC | Vestas-Americas, Inc. | Wind Capital Group
Non-Profit Members:
 AWEA | Environmental Defense Fund | Public Citizen |
TREIA
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This is not a comprehensive presentation
of all of the issues that Wind Developers
have in regard to this topic. The
presentation may not reflect the individual
position of all members.
Wind Developers Perspectives

Current Interconnection Process
Experiences Discussion
 Developer’s choice of interconnection point
vs. SPP mandate
 Existing process for interconnection and
issues for developers (areas of high wind
interest)
Goal: Improving GI process
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A Change to the process should:
 Comport to the FERC requirements for access to the
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grid.
Facilitate cost effective solutions for interconnection by
considering costs to all SPP customers including
Generator Owners, Transmission Owners and end
users.
Strike a balance between costs and benefits.
Improve and speed up the interconnection process.
Not unreasonably restrict access to the grid.
Not be about cost shifting but cost effectiveness.
Important questions for developers
How will restrictions for points of
interconnection impact access to the
grid?
 If policies impact current lines what are
the benefits to the generators?
 What factors determine whether a
designated point of interconnection must
be used AND at what point during the GI
process should this be determined?
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Important Questions
How will the process of choosing hubs be
done and what criteria will be used?
 How will the problems resulting from
forcing generator lead lines in to one hub
be addressed?
 If and when will a collector concept be
addressed?
 What is the process and timeframe for
challenging an SPP mandate to
interconnect at a designated point of
interconnection?
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Planning for success
Designating hubs must be coupled with a
workable plan of access such as a collector
system concept.
 Planning in the ITP 10 could be helpful for high
voltage new lines.
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 Advance notice of hub locations would be beneficial
so that developers can plan development with the
point of interconnection understood.
 Consideration should be given to the most cost
effective locations of hubs giving consideration to the
queue and other factors.
Important Access Issues
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The limitation of points of
interconnection will intensify the problem
of access to the grid.
 Wind Developers do not have rights of
condemnation and without additional means
of accessing the designated points, access
could be effectively prohibited.
Important Access Issues: ROW
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Example hub with proposed lines illustrating ROW
issues for not only developers but TOs also
Increasing costs of Interconnection
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Greater distances between access
points will significantly increase the
costs of interconnection and result in
longer radial generator tie lines with
greater impact on landowners and land
use.
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SPP estimates that the additional cost per
generator could be as much as $16 million
for generator leads.
Important Access Issues
Continued: Example
Hub
Generator Leads
20 miles
Less than
a mile
Costs/Benefits
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The AGCTF white paper proposes that
some of the added costs would be offset
by treating the designated hub as a
transmission asset subject to
Highway/Byway funding
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However, the proposal requires this forced
interconnection point to existing substations
that have not been H/B funded.
In these cases there may be significant added
cost but no offsetting economic benefit to the
generator
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Addressing Access is Critical
Limiting hub access will result in multiple
easement requests.
 Generator owners who are not also
transmission owners do not have
condemnation authority.
 The access issue needs to be solved if the
policy of limiting hub access is adopted;
otherwise there is an effective denial of
access to the transmission system as well
as a policy that is potentially discriminatory.
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Why we need to think about a
collector system.
 How
to wire
your home
without even
trying…
Collector Systems
Collector lines should be necessary
components of a designated hub system
where multiple generation
interconnections are expected.
 Such systems could be planned with
Designated Hubs in the ITP process.
 One of the ways for funding collector
lines could be through a subscription.
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Benefits of a Collection System
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Collectors lines would:
 Reduce the miles of generator leads
necessary to interconnect to the
transmission system.
 Reduce land use necessary for
interconnection.
 Decrease the overall cost of interconnecting
multiple generators-benefiting end use
customers.
 Allow effective use of ROW for the land
around the designated substation.
Benefits of a Collection System
Continued
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Collectors lines would:
 Allow effective planning of the underlying
transmission system,
 Increases the reliability of the nearby
system, which benefits both the generator
and the transmission owner.
 Possibly reduce the need for reactors on the
high voltage lines if the lower voltage
collector lines were networked into the
transmission system (a main concern for the
high voltage lines).
Example Illustrating a Hub Policy
WITHOUT a Collector System
Transmission Line
Hub
Example Illustrating a Hub Policy
WITHOUT a Collector System
Proposed line
Transmission Line
Hub
Proposed line
ROW issues increase
as generators and new
lines compete for access
into hub.
Example Illustrating a Hub Policy
WITH a Collector System
Transmission line
Hub
Hub
Benefits of Collector Lines
Replacing multiple long generator leads
with shorter leads interconnecting with a
collector line would often be more cost
effective, utilize less land and help
address the interconnection into a
designated hub facility.
 Can be necessary in cases of high
generation where available
interconnection access is restricted
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Thank you!