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HomeNewsNews 2009WGA Seeks DOE Support to Implement Renewable Energy Zones Recommendations (10/1/09)

WGA Seeks DOE Support to Implement Renewable Energy Zones Recommendations (10/1/09)

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

October 1, 2009

Contact: Rich Halvey
(303) 623-9378

WGA Seeks DOE Support to Implement Renewable Energy Zones Recommendations

DENVER -- Seeking to implement numerous stakeholder recommendations from the Western Renewable Energy Zones initiative, the Western Governors' Association has submitted to the U.S. Department of Energy a proposal that would expand upon resource assessments and transmission planning within the Western Interconnection.

The DOE is expected to announce by early November those entities that will receive funding as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The Western Electricity Coordinating Council has submitted a separate, but coordinated proposal for transmission planning. The work proposed in WGA's application includes the following:

  • assist states in developing decision support systems related to wildlife;
  • examine the nexus between energy development and water use;
  • conduct additional carbon sequestration mapping; and
  • provide input for transmission planning to the WECC, including economic and environmental factors and integration of variable generation.

WGA's proposal incorporates recommendations from several entities throughout the Western Interconnection, including public utility commissions, state and provincial energy agencies, the Western States Water Council, and members of the Western Governors' Wildlife Council.

The proposed work will enhance the states' capacity to effectively participate in transmission planning and development and substantially improve the quality of information available to state and federal policy makers and regulators, as well as industry planners. It will address issues that have arisen in earlier work by the WGA, regulatory agencies and individual state planning entities. They include:

  • Identifying electricity supply futures to be studied by regional transmission planning bodies, such as the WECC;
  • Examining the environmental implications of resource and transmission development, including a analysis of how water resources will affect the ability of the Western Interconnection to implement potential scenarios studied by the WECC as part of its proposal to the DOE;
  • Addressing wildlife sensitivities, which is a key issue in constructing energy generation and transmission facilities;
  • Promoting effective use of the existing transmission system;
  • Integrating variable generation;
  • Allocating the cost of new transmission; and
  • Permitting new transmission.

Additional information on the proposal can be found on the Web at WREZ Initiative.

The Western Governors' Association is an independent, nonprofit organization representing the governors of 19 states and three U.S.-Flag islands in the Pacific. Through their Association, the Western governors identify and address key policy and governance issues in natural resources, the environment, human services, economic development, international relations and public management.

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