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Environmental, Engineering and Pre-Construction Cost
Considerations for Wind Power Development
Environmental, Engineering and Pre-Construction Cost
Considerations for Wind Power Development
Anntonette Alberti, JDTetra Tech
IPED Financing Wind PowerJuly 25, 2007
Introduction to Tetra Tech
7500 employees and 250 offices nationwideFull 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
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
Anatomy of a Wind Project
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
Wind
Meteorology costs: Wind Measurement Equipment and Installation Data Collection and Interpretation Meteorological Consultation and Advice
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– Feasibility Study
Utility Interconnection– Fees and filings associated with
interconnection– Cost allocation for system upgrades
Transmission legal– Outside counsel for interconnection
agreements, filings, FERC
Land
Land costs: Costs of hired land men
– 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
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
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
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
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)
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
Environmental Studies and Permitting Cont.
Permitting fees– Actual permit fees
– Agency collection agreements Permitting Legal
– Outside counsel
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
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
Contacts
Environmental and Engineering
Anntonette Alberti, JD
518-488-8588
Charlie Karustis
503-222-4536
Construction and Operations & Maintenance
John Hueston
678-983-0863
