Planning A Wind Energy Project? New WINDExchange Resources Can Help
Local jobs. Increased tax revenues. Income for landowners. Clean, homegrown energy.
These are just a few of the many benefits wind energy projects offer the communities in which they are located.
But when it comes to deciding if a wind project is right for them, communities can find it challenging to weigh potential benefits against the time and cost it takes to approve, build, operate, and maintain the project.
To help local decision makers determine whether a wind project is right for their community, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) WINDExchange initiative released two information resources: a report titled “Land-Based Wind Energy Siting” and a web-based Land-Based Economic Development Guide.
Created by experts at DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, these comprehensive, easy-to-read resources provide useful information to support a greater understanding of the siting considerations and economic opportunities associated with wind energy. These resources highlight the elements communities should consider when pursuing a wind energy project — from conception and construction of the project site to how the community coexists with the wind project once it’s operating.
Wind energy project development and operations are multistep processes that can span decades. Two new WINDExchange resources illuminate and clarify these processes, helping leaders determine whether a wind project is right for their community. Image courtesy of DOE.
Overcoming Siting-Related Concerns
The “Land-Based Wind Energy Siting” report focuses on land-based wind energy from the community perspective. It examines how communities address a host of issues through ordinances — from limitations on sound, to how safety lighting required by the Federal Aviation Administration might impact the nighttime skies, and more. This information can help communities define parameters that ensure their wind energy developments are tailored to address specific community needs and concerns.
For example, the construction of a new wind power plant might raise concerns among nearby landowners who worry that the project will impact their property values. The guide summarizes research that shows the minimal impact wind energy development has had on nearby property values.
Community members may express concern that a proposed wind energy project will impact farming, ranching, or recreational activities. “Land-Based Wind Energy Siting” provides helpful context to ease their concerns. Thanks to regulations that require adequate spacing between wind turbines and between turbines and landscape features, 95%–99% of the land can still be used for other purposes.
Because of regulations around wind turbine spacing and infrastructure depth, utility-scale wind energy projects are highly compatible with agricultural and recreational land uses. Photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL.
Understanding Economic Benefits
The Land-Based Economic Development Guide — a web-based tool — helps community decision makers and others better understand the economic benefits of a proposed wind energy project.
This online resource explores how wind energy projects can be important sources of revenue for the communities that host them. For example, workers at wind energy projects tend to spend their earnings in the communities where they live and work. Construction workers spend money at restaurants, grocery stores, and retailers, which can increase community sales tax revenue. Project developers rent housing for workers and buy construction materials at hardware stores. Once the project is up and running, operation and maintenance workers live in nearby communities and contribute to the local tax base.
The guide covers five main topics that are essential to understanding the potential economic benefits of wind energy:
- Wind energy basics: Key information about wind energy technology and trends
- Local government revenues: Taxes and revenue structures
- Community development: How revenues are used within the community
- Landowner and development considerations: Lease payments and rural impacts
- Business and the local workforce: How to prepare for construction and operations.
“Land-Based Wind Energy Siting” and the Land-Based Economic Development Guide were funded by DOE’s Wind Energy Technologies Office.
Explore the guides and the growing collection of WINDExchange resources.
Article courtesy of Energy.gov
It’s that time of year again, time for events across the country to show off electric vehicles at Drive Electric Earth Month.
Drive Electric Earth Month is an offshoot of Drive Electric Week, a long-running annual tradition hosting meetups mostly in the US, but also occasionally in other countries. It started as Drive Electric Earth Day, but since not every event can happen on the same day, they went ahead and extended it to encompass “Earth Month” events that happen across the month of April. It’s all organized by Plug In America, the Sierra Club, the Electric Vehicle Association, EV Hybrid Noire, and Drive Electric USA.
Events consist of general Earth Day-style community celebrations, EV Ride & Drives where you can test drive several EVs in one place, and opportunities to talk to EV owners and ask them questions about what it’s like to live with an EV, away from the pressure of a dealership.
This month, there are 180 events registered across the US and 2 in Canada (including one online webinar about things to consider when purchasing an EV). Events have already started, with a smattering happening over the last few weekends, and the bulk of them this weekend, April 20-21.
Here’s a sample of some of the still-upcoming events this month:
- Phoenix Ride and Drive in Phoenix, AZ – Wells Fargo will be giving away an EV, along with ride & drives. April 20, 8am-12pm.
- SpaceCoast EV Earth Day in Melbourne, FL, at the American Muscle Car Museum, the largest solar-powered auto museum in the world. Displays include a custom electric camera car for cinematography, the Bricklin 3EV prototype, and NASA’s Apollo Moon Buggy. April 20, 10am-2pm.
- Electrify Regina in Regina, Saskatchewan, with EV and e-bike test rides and presentations on green tech like heat pumps. April 20, 10am-4:30pm.
- PUD Energy Block Party in Everett, WA, which currently has 47 vehicles registered as attending and includes something called a “Truckstravaganza.” April 27, 11am-2pm.
- Salem Kicks Gas in Salem, MA with a large variety of EVs on display and test drives from local dealers, along with e-bike and other battery-powered outdoor equipment displays. April 28, 1pm-4pm.
Each event has a different assortment of activities (e.g. test drives won’t be available at every event, generally just the larger ones attended by local dealerships), so be sure to check the events page to see what the plan is for your local event.
These events have offered a great way to connect with owners and see the newest electric vehicle tech, and even get a chance to do test rides and drives in person. Attendees got to hear unfiltered information from actual owners about the benefits and trials of owning EVs, allowing for longer and more genuine (and often more knowledgeable) conversations than one might normally encounter at a dealership.
And if you’re an owner – you can show off your car and answer those questions for interested onlookers.
To view all the events and see what’s happening in your area, you can check out the list of events or the events map. You can also sign up to volunteer at your local events, and if you plan to show off your electric car, you can RSVP on each event page and list the vehicle that you plan to show (or see what other vehicles have already registered).
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A new Kia electric SUV is getting the GT treatment. Images leaking out of China are giving us our first look at the Kia EV5 GT trim.
Meet Kia’s new EV5 electric SUV
Kia officially unveiled the EV5, its new compact electric SUV, at the Chengdu Motor Show in August. Branded as a family-friendly SUV, the EV5 features Kia’s new “Opposites United ” design.
You can see several elements pulled from Kia’s larger EV9 like the redesigned “Tiger Face” grille, which replaces the signature “Tiger Nose.” It retains the EV9’s boxy, rugged look but in a smaller package.
Aimed at millennials, Kia designed the interior for more than getting from point A to point B. Kia considered it an additional “room” to live in.
It also includes Kia’s next-gen connected car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) with dual 12.3″ display screens and a 5″ climate control display.
At 4,615 mm long, 1,875 mm wide, and 1,715 mm tall, the EV5 will rival Tesla’s top-selling Model Y (L – 4,760 mm, W – 1,921 mm, H – 1,624 mm).
Kia launched the EV5 in China at around $20,000 (149,800 yuan). Powered by a 64.2 kWh BYD Blade battery pack, the base EV5 features up to 329 miles (530 km) CLTC range. The long-range, 88.1 kWh battery pack model is good for up to 447 (720 km) CLTC range.
In Australia, where the EV5 is imported, it will cost around $46,000 (70,000 AUS). An entry-level Air trim is expected to undercut the Tesla Model Y in the region, which starts at around $43,160 (65,400 AUD).
Kia EV5 GT leak reveals new sporty electric SUV design
We are getting our first look at the Kia EV5 GT after leaked images from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Tech (MIIT) released official images and specs of the vehicle.
As you can see, there are not many differences on the outside. There is added black trim on the lower front bumper. However, other Kia GT vehicles also include subtle visual differences. The big difference maker is in the performance.
The EV5 GT will feature a dual motor system, with a 215 hp (160 kW) front and 98 hp (73 kW) rear electric motor, for a combined 313 hp output.
Although the final details have yet to be revealed, the EV5 GT is expected to have 0 to 60 mph capabilities in under 6.5 seconds.
Kia’s new electric SUV is not the only one getting the GT treatment. All of Kia’s new EVs, including the EV2, EV3, and EV4, are expected to gain a GT trim.
They will join the EV6 GT, which packs 576 hp for a 0 to 60 mph sprint in 3.2 seconds. Kia put the EV6 GT up to the test against a Ferrari Roma and Lamborghini Huracan Evo Spyder RWD and beat both off the line.
Earlier today, we got our first glimpse of the low-cost EV2 out testing in public. The EV2 is expected to be Kia’s cheapest EV with starting prices around $15,000 (20 million Won). You can watch the video here.
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On the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Tesla’s massive round of layoffs, Elon Musk putting Tesla all-in on Robotaxi, important shareholders vote, and more.
The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.
Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:
Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET):
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