fire island wind project summary and lessons for rural ... island wind...fire island wind project...

Fire Island Wind Project—Summary

and Lessons for Rural Alaska

April 30, 2013

Fire Island Wind Project Video http://youtu.be/SLqZq3FVMLY

Fire Island Wind Project

As of April 28, 2013:

•FIWP produced 37,776

megawatt-hours of electricity

•Caused no electrical system

operational issues*

•Saved CEA approximately 196

million cubic feet of now scarce

Cook Inlet natural gas in 2012*

*(data provided by CEA in Jan. 16, 2013 RCA filing)

Fire Island Wind Project An important piece of the Southcentral energy puzzle

Project statistics for January

2013:

•Produced 6,812 megawatt-

hours of electricity

•Average wind speed of 8.5 m/s

(19.0 mph)

•Predominant north wind

Fire Island Wind Project Private investment supporting Railbelt energy production

• Chugach Electric

Association Power

Purchase Agreement

• 25-year PPA

• Flat net price of

$97/MW-hour

throughout contract

• $65 million of private

investment in local

energy

Project Facts • 11 GE XLE 1.6 MW wind turbines with total project

nameplate capacity of 17.6 MW

• Expected to generate 51,000 MW hours annually

• Save 500 million cubic feet of Cook Inlet natural gas

annually (4 percent of CEA’s annual gas consumption)

• Power for 4,000 Alaska homes

Why Fire Island? Chugach Electric Association led a

group of utilities to survey Southcentral

Alaska for potential commercial wind

project sites in the 1990s.

Fire Island identified as best site

based upon:

• Wind resource

• Proximity to grid and load

• Minimal environmental impacts

• Lack of conflicting land uses

• Available land for construction

History • 1980’s – CIRI obtains Fire Island property

• 2000 – utility study identifies wind resource

at Fire Island, installs first met-towers and

conceives a 36-turbine project idea

• 2005 – CIRI becomes project developer

• 2008 – Radar software upgraded

• 2009 – Key permits issued, FAA VOR

mitigation plan negotiated

• 2010 – site clearing and preliminary

construction

• 2011— CIRI receives FAA permits, RCA

contract approval, closes project financing

Fire Island Wind Project layout

• 11 commercially operating turbines

• 22 turbine sites available for development

Project Timeline • Fall 2011

• Financing closed.

• Shoreside transmission work begins

• April 2012

• Mobilize to the island

• Start on-island construction

• July 2012

• Wind turbine installation

• September 2012

• First power generated

• Project commissioning

2011 • FAA determination of no hazard issued

• Commercial contracts and Power Purchase Agreement

• RCA approval of PPA

• Project financing closed

• On-shore transmission line construction

2012 • On-island civil and electrical construction

• Finished transmission interconnection

• Erected wind turbines on Fire Island

• Project commissioning completed and commercial operation began Sept. 2012

Transmission • Two 34.5 KV submarine transmission cables from north

point of Fire Island, 3.1 miles across Turnagain Arm to transition cabinet near Point Campbell

• 8.6 miles terrestrial transmission line

• Buried line along existing utility corridor, overhead transmission line north of Connor’s Bog

• Termination at International Substation

• System to be owned and operated by Chugach Electric

Wind Turbine Information

GE 1.6 MW XLE wind turbine:

Blade Length = 131 feet (40 meters)

Hub height = 262 feet (80 meters)

Turbine rotational speed = between 9.8

and 18.7 RPM

Turbine foundation =

steel reinforced concrete

GE Energy

1.6MW wind turbines

Relative heights

Conoco-Phillips Building 296 ft.

Atwood Building 265 ft.

Fire Island Wind Turbine hub 262 ft.

A Fire Island Wind turbine superimposed on the downtown Anchorage skyline

Lessons applicable to rural Alaska

• Logistics are key risk and cost driver

• Private investment in community energy infrastructure

• Value of expert energy project developer

• Tenacity & Vision

Contact: 907.274.8638 info@ciri.com facebook.com/fireislandwind www.fireislandwind.com