Wyoming Infrastructure Authority

TCE Today 8/9/2010
FutureGen 2 to showcase low-emission coal
Oxyfuel retrofit rather than IGCC wins the day

by Claudia Flavell-While

SEVEN years after the original FutureGen clean coal demonstration plant was announced in the US – and three years after it was effectively abandoned – the US government has g iven the go-ahead for FutureGen 2, its rather less revolutionary successor.

The project, which will receive $1b from the Department of Energy, will see an existing coal-fired power plant – a 200 MW unit at Ameren Energy Resources’ Meredonisa power plant in the US state of Illinois – retrofitted with oxyfuel technology. This will require a new boiler, air separation unit, CO2 purification and a gas compression unit, the partners say. The project will be designed to accommodate a broad range of different types of coal and operating conditions.

Burning pulverised coal in an oxygen/ CO2 atmosphere will produce a stream of almost pure CO2, which can then be captured and sequestered. Oxyfuel combustion also removes almost all of the mercury, SOx, NOx, and particulates from the plant’s emissions. Overall, FutureGen II is expected to capture 90% of the CO2 it produces. In addition, performance and emissions data from the plant will help set up operating and maintenance regimes for future large-scale commercial projects.

The project also includes designing and establishing a regional CO2 storage site in Mattoon, Illinois and a CO2 pipeline network from Meredonisaa to Mattoon that will transport and store more than 1m t/y of captured CO2. The partners hope that this will lay the foundation for a regional CO2 network. Meanwhile, researchers will study the Mattoon site and gather data on site characterisation, injection and storage, and monitoring and measurement.

The plant will be the world’s first oxyfuel plant at commercial scale, says the US energy secretary Stephen Chu. Partners in the project are Ameren Energy Resources and Babcock & Wilcox, and Air Liquide Process & Construction is to build the plant.

Experts say that FutureGen 2 is more appropriate than its short-lived predecessor, which the US government effectively shut down in 2007 after costs escalated from $1b to $1.8b. The first FutureGen project would have showcased near-zero emission coal-fired power using integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) technology. But while few doubt the efficiency of the process, it is only suitable for new build power plants. With a substantial number of coal-fired power plants currently in operation and only limited plans to build new ones, many experts believe that emissions can be cut more effectively by retrofitting existing power plants with carbon capture technology.

By The Associated Press

Published: Wednesday, June 30, 2010 12:59 PM MDT

CHEYENNE — A state team released new recommendations Tuesday for preserving sage grouse in Wyoming, including adding more land that’s designated as protected habitat for the birds.

Gov. Dave Freudenthal formed the Sage Grouse Implementation Team in 2007 as part of Wyoming’s effort to stave off a federal decision to list the birds as a threatened or endangered species. In March, he asked the team for an updated assessment.

“We hope these recommendations will be the guide for the next five years, which is what they figure it’s going to take to kind of get things stabilized in the core areas as well as get some other research done,” Freudenthal said.

The new recommendations add about 300,000 acres of “core population area” in Wyoming. The core areas now cover about a quarter of the state and include about 83 percent of the grouse population in the state, according to the team. The new core area maps are scheduled to be posted on the Wyoming Game and Fish Department website on Wednesday. (The new Core Area Map is available here

Freudenthal issued an executive order in 2008 restricting any new development in core population areas without proof that the development wouldn’t hurt sage grouse numbers.

Freudenthal pointed out Tuesday that enforcement of the new stipulations will be depending on whoever succeeds him as governor in November.

The sage grouse team consists of representatives of federal and state agencies, conservation groups, the energy industry and landowners. Its recommendations include stipulations meant to limit the effects of oil and gas drilling, mining, road building, overhead lines and other activity in core areas. The new report presumes wind development is “not compatible” with sage grouse.

Wyoming is working to avert federal listing for sage grouse — a bird whose historic range covers 80 percent of the state — because the resulting restrictions on energy development and agriculture would be disastrous for the state’s economy.

The state won a victory in March when the U.S. Department of Interior concluded that listing the chicken-sized bird as threatened or endangered is warranted but precluded by higher priorities. Environmental groups are challenging that decision in court.

Freudenthal said Tuesday’s report demonstrates the state’s dedication to practical protections for sage grouse.
“You have to have a strategy that lasts and is sufficient to withstand litigation,” he said.

REVE – REGULACION ECOLICA CON VEHICULOS ELECTRICOS

Power Company of Wyoming LLC’s Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project is a 1,000 wind turbines wind farm to be located south of Rawlins in Carbon County, Wyoming.

The proposed wind power project will have two sites – Chokecherry with 675 wind turbines and Sierra Madre with 325 wind turbines – situated on about 98,500 acres of a ranch owned by an affiliate company.

With the potential to generate 2,000-3,000 megawatts of clean energy, the project will ensure a reliable, cost-effective supply of renewable electricity that’s unmatched in the West.

This output will help America reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, diversify energy sources and meet growing demand for renewable energy resources.

At the same time, the wind farm project will generate hundreds of good jobs, millions of dollars in tax revenue and other economic benefits for Carbon County. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2011 or 2012.

Located entirely in Carbon County, Wyoming, the wind project spans a combination of private lands owned by The Overland Trail Cattle Company LLC and federal lands managed by the BLM.

What benefits will the project bring?

The Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project will have the wind turbines and electric infrastructure necessary to reliably and cost-effectively generate between 2,000 and 3,000 megawatts of clean, sustainable electricity.

It is situated on land that has some of the best winds in the state and in the country. The project area has Class 6 and 7 winds, which are the highest wind classes. While a final turbine model has yet to be selected, assuming a minimum of 1,000 2-MW turbines are installed, the project would produce enough electricity to power approximately 600,000 homes per year.

In addition, this wind project will:
* Provide zero-fuel-cost, zero-emissions electricity.
* Support national and regional renewable energy goals, such as state-mandated Renewable Portfolio Standards and greenhouse-gas reduction targets.
* Capture and leverage natural resources wisely and responsibly.
* Create thousands of construction jobs and an estimated 114 permanent operations and maintenance jobs.
* Contribute millions in property taxes and sales and use taxes, among other economic benefits.

PCW begins sage-grouse monitoring program as part of comprehensive wildlife conservation plan

Continuing to advance the implementation of its wildlife conservation plan, Power Company of Wyoming LLC this week began a significant multi-year greater sage-grouse monitoring program at its wind power project site.

Forty female sage-grouse on The Overland Trail Cattle Company ranch are being tagged with lightweight GPS devices that will provide scientific data and insight into seasonal habitat uses by the species.

The tagged sage-grouse will come from both within and outside of the proposed development area for the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project. Seasonal usage in the early stages of the monitoring effort will serve as a pre-development baseline to which future use of the wind development area by sage-grouse can be compared.

Designed by expert wildlife biologists at SWCA Environmental Consultants, the tagging and monitoring program uses proven capture techniques, established industry protocols, and GPS technology successfully deployed in other state wildlife programs. It is just one element of a comprehensive wildlife conservation plan that PCW and TOTCO have submitted to state and federal agencies to guide conservation measures accommodating ongoing ranching/agricultural operations and wind development.

“Sage-grouse are concentrated near leks in the spring, so now is the best and least disruptive time to begin our ongoing monitoring program,” said Garry Miller, PCW’s director of land and environmental affairs. “The important data we’ll gather in year one will help us begin to understand patterns of habitat use and future trends in mortality, nest success, recruitment, migration and other factors within the population, over the next decade.”

The tiny GPS tags weigh the equivalent of five nickels and a penny, have a mini photovoltaic cell to recharge internal batteries for up to 5 years, can be quickly deployed with minimal stress to the birds, and are designed to minimize visibility to predators. They record altitude, heading and speed that identify migratory pathways and overall use of the landscape.

The valuable scientific data that the tags gather from each sage-grouse each day will be relayed via satellite to the biologist team. Then, biologists will complete a variety of standard statistical and spatial analyses to, among other goals:

* Identify the factors that determine use of an area by sage-grouse.
* Help determine locations for additional conservation and habitat improvement projects.
* Monitor the success of conservation and habitat improvement projects.
* Demonstrate the relative use of the wind development areas to enable a better understanding of how grouse in the assessment area and populations as a whole respond following wind project development.

“Coupled with our conservation measures, this solid, science-based monitoring program will ensure we’re achieving our goal of a net conservation benefit to sage-grouse,” Miller said.

Besides the monitoring program, PCW and TOTCO have other wildlife conservation efforts under way as part of their overall environmental commitment, including:

* Installing dozens of bird diverters on the guy wires for all new meteorological towers, which are located on the ranch to gather vital data about the wind resources. Diverters are intended to reduce the potential risk of collision and avian mortality.
* Marking fences across the ranch to reduce the potential risk of sage-grouse mortality.
* Identifying fences across the ranch to be moved or eliminated altogether.
* Identifying ranch roads to be closed and reclaimed.
* Designing metal-mesh bird ladders to be built and installed in stock tanks across the ranch, making it easier for sage-grouse or other species to obtain drinking water while also reducing the risk of drowning.

PCW and TOTCO create significant wildlife conservation plan

In line with its overall commitment to environmental protection, wind energy developer Power Company of Wyoming LLC has drafted and proposes to enter into a Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances among PCW, The Overland Trail Cattle Company, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Wyoming Game and Fish Department, which incorporates a comprehensive Conservation Plan.

The CCAA and Conservation Plan commit PCW and The Overland Trail Cattle Company to implementing significant, long-term conservation measures on the 311,000-acre Overland Trail Ranch, which consists of a checkerboard of federal and non-federal lands.

The CCAA and Conservation Plan will guide conservation measures accommodating ongoing ranching and agricultural operations, including cattle grazing, and developing the proposed Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project, while providing a net conservation benefit to the Greater Sage-Grouse, Northern Leopard Frog and Wyoming Pocket Gopher.

The draft plan identifies threats and conservation measures to achieve a landscape-scale, integrated conservation approach for these species across the mix of land ownerships.

“Power Company of Wyoming LLC intends to make its wind power project a best-practice example of responsible renewable energy development,” said Bill Miller, President and CEO. “Our investments of time, resources and expertise have yielded a comprehensive, science-based plan that will conserve the area’s Sage-Grouse and other species while allowing our wind energy project to move forward.”

The Conservation Plan complies with applicable state and federal rules and regulations, including Wyoming’s Stipulations for Development in Core Sage-Grouse Population Areas. These stipulations say that development may occur providing it will “not cause declines in Sage-Grouse populations.” The plan also shows that development can be done consistent with conserving Sage-Grouse and that PCW can reduce or eliminate threats through science-based conservation measures.

The Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy Project is a 1,000-turbine wind farm to be located in Carbon County, Wyoming, on about 98,500 acres of the Overland Trail Ranch. Although renewable energy development is proposed on a portion of the ranch, it will result in less than 5 percent permanent disturbance, leaving more than 95 percent of the existing vegetation communities intact and dedicated primarily to wildlife management and conservation.

With the potential to generate 2,000-3,000 megawatts of clean energy, the wind project will ensure a reliable, cost-effective supply of renewable electricity and will generate hundreds of good jobs, millions of dollars in tax revenue and other economic benefits to Carbon County and Wyoming.

Power Company of Wyoming LLC is a wholly owned affiliate of The Anschutz Corporation, a privately held company based in Denver. Through its affiliates, The Anschutz Corporation has been actively involved in the West for more than 70 years in the field of natural resource development. The Anschutz Corporation’s activity and investments in the energy field reflect a strong commitment to responsibly developing and managing natural resources.

HUMMINGBIRDMINDS.COM BLOG

OFFICE OF GOVERNOR DAVE FREUDENTHAL
State Capitol
Cheyenne, WY 82002
Ph. (307) 777-7434

April 8, 2010

****** PRESS RELEASE ******

Contact: Press Secretary Leigh Anne G. Manlove
Phone: 307.777.7437
Mobile: 307.421.0197
E-mail: lmanlo@state.wy.us

Governor Hosts Community Conversation in Douglas April 27: Wind Projects and Power Transmission Are the Topics

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Wind projects and power transmission lines are the topics for a question and answer session in Douglas with Governor Dave Freudenthal later this month. The “community conversation” on wind development and electrical transmission line siting will begin at 6 p.m. on Tuesday evening, April 27, 2010, at the Douglas High School Auditorium.

“I’ll be there to hear from people and to answer questions,” Freudenthal said. “There is a lot happening with wind development in Wyoming, and I want to hear what people have to say.”

“These are complicated subjects, and folks are entitled to a straightforward conversation on what we can all agree are difficult, sometimes polarizing issues, related to wind development opportunities and electrical transmission line siting,” Freudenthal said. “People need to know where the State stands on a whole range of issues relating to wind power and electrical transmission, ranging from sage grouse to property rights.”
Some developers say Wyoming is “anti-wind,” Freudenthal said. On the other hand, some property owners are concerned about private property rights in the face of wind-related development.

“Let’s get together and talk about it,” Freudenthal said. “Maybe we can ask the lobbyists and hired guns to take a seat in the back row, and let the other folks have their say.”

The Douglas “community conversation” is the first of several that the governor is expected to host this year. Other local meetings on wind development and power line siting issues are being planned for later this spring and summer.

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Wyoming Governor’s Office
Leigh Anne G. Manlove
Press Secretary
OFFICE (307) 777.7437
MOBILE (307) 421.0197
EMAIL lmanlo@state.wy.us

Office of Gov. Dave Freudenthal
Press Secretary Jonathan Green

State Capitol, Room 124

Cheyenne, WY . 82002

307-777-7434

March 5, 2010

****** For Immediate Release ******

Contact: Press Secretary Jonathan Green

Phone: 307-777-7437
Mobile: 307-421-0197

E-mail: jgreen3@state.wy.us

Governor unsurprised by sage grouse decision, vows to press on with state’s efforts

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Gov. Dave Freudenthal said he is unsurprised the Fish and Wildlife Service declined to list the greater sage grouse as endangered but found the species to be threatened.

Freudenthal thinks sage grouse populations are stabilizing but accepted the ruling from Fish and Wildlife Service.

Audio 100305a-Gov-Sage_Grouse.mp3 (344kb; :21)
Freudenthal: “Naturally, I would have preferred a ‘not-warranted’ finding. I accept the determination that has been made by the Fish and Wildlife Service. I am encouraged by the fact that the Department of the Interior is willing to work with us so that part of the burden of maintaining the species is borne on federal land and does not simply burden private and state land.”

The Governor said Wyoming will continue working to safeguard habitat for the sage grouse through Freudenthal’s core areas imitative.

“Over the course of the next year, we will keep working with the core area policy to make sure that we clearly demonstrate that our sage grouse are secure, but also to ensure that the policy works for the state,” Freudenthal said.

“People still need to go to work - and work in Wyoming means working on the land in the oil patch, in the mine and on the ranch, sometimes right next to or within core areas. In this regard, I look forward to robust investments by our federal partners to facilitate sage grouse preservation in Wyoming, particularly to help private landowners,” the Governor said.

Freudenthal thanked the sage grouse implementation team for helping to develop sound conservation policy.

“Absent the policy shift developed by the team, I have no doubt that the bird would have been listed. The candidate listing gives us a fighting chance while an endangered or threatened listing would have taken the wind out of our sails. Now is the time for us to roll up our sleeves and hone our strategies to make sure Wyoming’s birds are never listed - no matter what happens elsewhere in the West,” the Governor concluded.
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Jonathan Green
Press Secretary,
Office of Gov. Dave Freudenthal
307-777-7437 Desk
307-421-0197 Mobile
** This email may be subject to public records disclosure law and hence may be released to third parties.