1. Environmental, Engineering and Pre-Construction Cost Considerations for Wind Power Development
Anntonette Alberti, JD
Tetra Tech
IPED Financing Wind Power
July 25, 2007

2. Introduction to Tetra Tech
7500 employees and 250 offices nationwide
Full service wind energy contractor
Environmental
Engineering
Construction
O&M
Over 70 wind projects for about 30 clients across the US
Our current projects range from:
Drafting the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) Environmental Siting Guide with Nixon Peabody
Turnkey meteorology, engineering design and environmental permitting of a 300 to 500 MW facility on Lanai with AWS
Civil construction of several New York State wind farms
Offshore wind

3. Presentation Goals
Provide an overview of the steps associated with developing a wind power project
Identify aspects of development that can affect overall costs of construction

4. Anatomy of a Wind Project

5. Components of a Wind Project
It is not just turbines. . .
Temporary met towers
Construction trailers and lay-down areas
Concrete batch plant
Construction spoil disposal sites
Construction work areas around turbine foundations
Access roads
Public road improvements
Electrical collection lines
Transmission lines
Switchyards, substations, point of interconnection stations
Permanent met towers
Restoration and mitigation projects
Operations and maintenance building
Visitor kiosk

6. Wind Meteorology costs: Wind Measurement Equipment and Installation
Data Collection and Interpretation
Meteorological Consultation and Advice

7. Transmission Transmission Costs:
Development Electrical Engineering (What you need to get the right permits/land rights and get interconnection, not develop final construction drawings)
Feasibility Study
Conceptual collection system and high voltage interconnection design
System Reliability Interconnection Study
Utility Interconnection
Fees and filings associated with interconnection
Cost allocation for system upgrades
Transmission legal
Outside counsel for interconnection agreements, filings, FERC

8. Land Land costs: Costs of hired land men Landowner payments
Hours and expenses
Landowner payments
Signing payments
Met tower payments
Option payments
Lease conversion payments
Neighbor agreement payments
Land legal and title
Outside counsel
Title company
ALTA
Recording fees

9. Public and Governmental Relations
Public and Governmental Relations Costs
Local Office
Staff
Equipment
Landowners and neighbors
Newsletters
Dinners
Community Public Relations
Mailings
Ads
Open houses
Fairs and community events
Charitable sponsorships
Governmental Relations
Lobbyists
Public meeting support

10. Development Civil Engineering
Costs for Development Civil Engineering (What you need to get the right permits/land rights, not develop final construction drawings):
Conceptual Layout
Constraint mapping
Initial geotech (desktop?)
Transportation study (identify routes, need for improvements to bridges, culverts, intersections, etc)
Initial siting turbines, roads, collection, transmission, substation, construction work areas, etc
Walk-overs

11. Development Civil Engineering Cont.
Permitting Layout development (need coordination with electrical on collection system/high voltage portions of design)
2’ contours
Initital horizontal alignment
Geotechnical study
Survey and Staking
Engineering/environmental walk
Landowner walk
Agency walk as needed
Finalize horizontal layout for permitting

12. Development Civil Engineering Cont.
Engineering-heavy permits
DOT permits for road improvements and cutting access into state roads
Local permits for road improvements and cutting access into local roads
NPDES (or state equivalent) NOI for construction with SWPPP and SPCCP
NPDES (or equivalent) NOI for operation with SWPPP and SPCCP (this is important to consider during design because of potential need for secondary containment around transformers)

13. Environmental Studies and Permitting
Environmental Studies and Permitting Costs:
Consultants
Permit applications and regulatory representation
Avian and bat studies, reports, consultations
Wetland studies, reports, permits, mitigation
Wildlife and vegetation studies, reports, consultations, mitigation
Agricultural protection consultation, mitigation
Cultural and historical resource studies and consultations, mitigation
Communications interference studies (including homeland security)
Aviation interference studies
Visual impact analysis
Groundwater studies
Socioeconomic studies as required
Other studies as required
EAs, DEISs. FEISs and/or equivalent reports and processes

14. Environmental Studies and Permitting Cont.
Permitting fees
Actual permit fees
Agency collection agreements
Permitting Legal
Outside counsel

15. Preconstruction Preconstruction Costs:
Negotiations with turbine and other equipment/service providers
Finalize Turbine and Long-Lead-Time Item Procurement
Final Construction Plans and Drawings
Develop Environmental Construction Compliance Plan
Secure Construction Owner-Representative Team
Secure Construction Contractors
Develop Mobilization Plan

16. Take Away Points Wind project development is highly iterative
Change management in scope, schedule and budget is key
Early engineering and constructability review can save tens of millions during construction
Appropriate planning can vastly improve long term economics

17. Contacts Environmental and Engineering Anntonette Alberti, JD
Charlie Karustis
Construction and Operations & Maintenance
John Hueston