Washington Local Energy Alliance (WALEA)

The Washington Utilities & Transportation Commission (UTC) has issued a notice of opportunity to file written comments on revising the interconnection standards for electric generators in the service areas of investor-owned utilities.

The Commission has opened docket UE-112133: Review Standards for Interconnection with Electric Generators in WAC 480-108.

Comments are due at 5:00 pm on January 30th, 2012.

WALEA is drafting comments; and will be seeking input from our members. Our previous comments on this issue can be found here.

To comment on behalf of WALEA: Send an email to walea@localenergywa.org

For background information, please see the UTC’s Study of the Potential for Distributed Energy in Washington State (Docket UE-110667)

Dear WALEA Members and Allies,

As we gear up for the 2012 legislative session, it is important for our industry to build a united front to protect existing policies and programs, and promote the adoption of further measures that support distributed energy in Washington, without additional costs to the state. We are working hard to build a strong membership base to represent the distributed energy industry in Washington. If you know businesses, organizations or individuals that you think might interested in joining our cause, please forward them this message using the link below. You can also encourage them to contact a WALEA board member or visit our website.

WALEA Announcements

First, we would like to welcome new WALEA members EcoTech Energy Systems and NW Wind & Solar! EcoTech Energy Systems is a Bellingham-based solar electric contractor, with experience developing customized solar energy systems on five continents. NW Wind & Solar is a division of SME, Inc. of Seattle, a leading electrical contractor with over 38 years of expertise and experience with home, commercial and industrial electrical systems, including primary electric service, wiring, and electrical generator systems for homes and industry.

Second, we would like to congratulate the Washington State Department of Commerce; the cities of Seattle, Bellevue, Edmonds, and Ellensburg; and WALEA member Northwest SEED for being awarded over $500,000 in funding through the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative’s Rooftop Solar Challenge! The funding will enable the Washington State Department of Commerce to create an online permitting system, shorten permit processing turnaround times, and fix interconnection fees. The team will also work to eliminate the use of external disconnect switches, lift system size and program capacity limits, and develop financing options for rooftop PV.

News from the Distributed Energy Working Group

At the DE Work Session on Friday, December 2; the Technology, Energy and Communications committee heard recommendations on distributed energy policy from the Utilities and Transportation Commission and the Washington State Energy Office. The UTC gave notice of its intent to issue a rulemaking to review the interconnection standards by the end of this year. Specifically, the UTC will examine issues surrounding requirements for redundant external disconnect switches for inverter-based systems, insurance requirements, and the possibility of developing a unique interconnection standard for renewable energy systems in the 300kW-20MW range.

Representative Deborah Eddy also announced that the committee will introduce a bill to raise the system size cap in Washington’s Net Metering Law. Currently, net metering is limited to systems with a nameplate capacity of 100 kW or less. Eddy has not yet indicated what the proposed changes will be, but we support an increase in the system size cap; and we will be following this issue closely in 2012.

Events

December 12^th, 1:30pm: The decade-old vision to bring manure processing and energy production to the dairy farms of the Enumclaw Plateau is about to become reality. Farm Power Northwest and the many partners in developing the Rainier Biogas dairy manure digester will hold a groundbreaking event to celebrate the commencement of construction on the project. The 800-kilowatt (kW) Rainier Biogas project is designed to ease manure management burdens for up to five farms around the town of Enumclaw. Construction of the project will begin in December 2011 and be completed in the summer of 2012. The groundbreaking ceremony will take place at the Ritter Dairy near Enumclaw, WA.  Location: 43218 208th Avenue SE Enumclaw, WA  98022.

Do you have upcoming events that you would like to see posted in the WALEA newsletter? Email us at walea@localenergywa.org

Have a great holiday; and we’ll see you in 2012!

Please join us for…

Interactive Webinar and Demonstration
Distributed Wind Policy Comparison Tool:
Making the Best Use of Incentive Dollars

Wednesday, November 9, 2011
3:30-5 pm Eastern

Register now: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/528589802

This webinar will provide state and utility incentive managers, county planning officials, and other interested stakeholders with an interactive demonstration of the recently-released Distributed Wind Policy Comparison Tool. The Policy Tool is designed to identify distributed wind policy best practices as part of a U.S. DOE-funded project that ranked states based on their current incentives and market environments, and calculated impacts on project economics for various levels of rebates, feed-in tariffs (FIT), and other incentives.

Participants will better understand what policy improvements – including zoning and interconnection hurdles as well as rebates and tax incentives – are most needed for small wind turbines up to 100 kW, and where. The Policy Tool and accompanying Guidebook, available at www.windpolicytool.org, show which policy combinations have the most (and least) impact on the bottom line.

The Policy Tool’s demo will show how sensitivity analyses can be conducted on various policy options and assumptions to determine impacts and optimal scenarios and guide efficient use of public and ratepayer funds supporting small wind technology. Case studies will be presented to compare and contrast existing policies and “what if” scenarios, evaluating potential Feed-in Tariff rates and tower height allowances.

The webinar will highlight attractive markets and policy targets that offer the quickest return on investment, encouraging state and utility program managers and local planners to build on lessons learned with best practices to sustain and improve support for small wind. Possible next steps for the project will be discussed to expand upon the initial effort and further assist policy makers in addressing market challenges identified in the U.S. DOE “20% Wind Energy by 2030” report and reaching net levelized Cost of Energy (COE) targets for distributed wind as part of a diverse clean energy portfolio.

Webinar presentations and Q&A will be led by:
Tony Jimenez, Senior Engineer, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Heather Rhoads-Weaver, Policy & Market Analyst, eFormative Options
Jen Banks, Wind Energy Project Coordinator, North Carolina Solar Center
Alice Orrell, Energy Analyst, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Read our October Newsletter here.

Washington Local Energy Alliance is a coalition of real people and organizations seeking solutions to energy challenges at the community level. Some of our members are private citizens, nonprofits, developers, contractors, consultants, financiers, and manufacturers. All of us have a stake in a future where every county in Washington State participates in the financial benefits of our energy grid’s ongoing diversification from big central plants and passive consumers to a wider mix of clean production & efficient consumption.

View our Charter Members here.

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