Community and Policy Impacts of Wind

Some of the most significant barriers to wind energy development have to do with public perception and policy issues. Through the development of new projects and progress on regulatory activities, these issues are beginning to be addressed.

Public Perception

Wind represents a new, unfamiliar technology that is sometimes viewed with skepticism by the public. With only four operating turbines in Massachusetts over 500 kW (2 in the town of Hull, one at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay, and one at Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort in Hancock), many people in the state have never seen a modern commercial-scale turbine. They may not be aware how quiet these machines are, or how slowly their blades spin.

Many people are also unfamiliar with the substantial experience that exists with current wind technology. Wind farms are supplying large amounts of power in other areas of the United States and in many countries around the world.

Solutions: Learning about real-world experiences with modern wind turbines can help enhance understanding of wind's status as the most environmentally benign source of commercial-scale energy. Seeing an operating wind turbine is the best way to dispel some common misperceptions and to provide some sense of the scale of these large machines.

Because the largest concern about wind turbines has to do with their visual impact and different people will ultimately come to different conclusions about aesthetics, increased familiarity will not win over all skeptics. But it is better when people form their opinions based on sound information and personal experience.

Policy and Regulatory Issues

Regulatory and policy barriers exist at the local, regional, state, and federal levels. Zoning criteria and setback and height requirements are examples of siting-related constraints. Even if a site appears promising, the lack of standardized review and permitting processes present an unclear regulatory path. This can discourage investment in wind projects.

Perhaps the most significant barrier is the uneven playing field created by policies that do not fully account for the environmental and social costs of conventional electricity supply options. Wind and other renewable energy technologies often face an unfair competitive disadvantage because the price of electricity generated by fossil fuels and other sources generally does not include their costs to society. These costs include pollution, public health impacts, changes to the climate, and natural security implications.

Solutions: In many areas of the United States, siting guidelines and standardized regulatory review and permitting processes have been established or are being created to facilitate the development of land-based wind energy resources. For offshore projects, state and federal agencies have recognized the need for siting, review, and permitting procedures.

Federal and state incentive programs are helping level the playing field for wind energy. The federal Renewable Energy Production Credit (REPC), which has been extended through December 31, 2008, provides a tax credit of 1.9 cents/kWh, adjusted annually for inflation, for commercial and industrial wind, closed-loop biomass, and geothermal projects. Currently, there is no federal tax credit for residential wind energy projects (although several bills have been proposed).

Residential customers of investor-owned electric utilities in Massachusetts may receive rebates towards their wind energy projects through MTC's Small Renewables Initiative.

Renewable portfolio standards (RPS) in Massachusetts and other states offer both "carrot" and "stick" incentives.

Interconnection

In both consumer-side and utility-scale applications, connecting wind turbines to the electric grid is a critical issue. Interconnection requirements can limit the capacity and the cost-performance of consumer-side installations. They can also raise the cost of utility-scale installations.

Solutions: Individual wind turbines and multi-unit turbine installations all connect to the power grid through switching devices. The power electronics devices used to control and modulate the flow of green electricity onto the grid-and to protect both turbine and grid components from power surges and other problems-can add a substantial cost to any wind project. Less costly and more advanced devices are being developed in ongoing research.

Grid interconnection requirements can include engineering studies, followed by installation of power electronics devices, controllers, emergency shutoffs, and other hardware. Permitting issues and post-installation operating requirements can also add costs to wind projects. "Plug and play" interconnection devices, other grid interfaces, and streamlined interconnection guidelines are being developed to address these issues.

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