Julia Curtis, Department of the Environment’s Climate Division Manager, introduced the speakers and topics.
Jeff Ghilardi, Director of Origination, GE Wind Energy Commercial Americas Group, discussed wind energy global trends, economics, existing United States wind installations, and existing and future projects in the United States.
Fred Schwartz, Water and Power Resources Manager, (SFPUC) discussed assessment reviews and wind resource planning.
Vice-Chairperson Commissioner McGoldrick inquired about the environmental issue surrounding the avian population. He discussed Channel 2’s program on renewable energy and alternative energy. He asked if the bigger and longer blades are actually safer for the bird population than the quickly turning Altamont Pass type smaller blades. The program discussed the fact that there were no places that the birds could nest because the design of the housing was flat and unattractive for their needs and asked if there were other concerns.
Mr. Schwartz answered that both of the issues that Vice-Chairperson Commissioner McGoldrick raised are real issues. The issues were quite exaggerated at the beginning of the industry. When you have a smaller turbine and quick-turning blades, it is more dangerous for the avian population. Now that there is a transition towards the larger machines that have longer throw and much bigger diameter blades and slower movement, the bird kills have dropped off to virtually zero. The other element mentioned was that instead of a lattice tower where there are lots of potential perches, they are going to a single sort of steel towers that don’t have places to perch. Simple design can help mitigate the environmental factors.
Arthur H. Rosenfeld, Commissioner, California Energy Commission (CEC) discussed trends and technologies in energy efficiency in California and nationwide, how they affect the global energy trends in the future, and global warming.
Public Comment
Arthur Feinstein, Conservation Director for the Golden Gate Audubon Society discussed the letter from the National Audubon Society that he helped draft. The following comments were made:
He stated that he has been following and working on AV and interaction issues with wind turbines for the last ten years. He disagreed with Mr. Schwartz over the changes in design proving that there is a reduction in avian death. In Altamont, 40 golden eagles and perhaps 500 red-tailed hawks each year are killed by those towers. The longer vanes and slower border speeds may solve the problem, but the science does not say that now. He talked to the California Commission on the Environment staff person within the last eight months specifically on this issue, and he indicated that there was no science to indicate that these new technologies are actually solving the problem. The birds that are being killed such as the golden eagles in Altamont are enlisted species. About 40,000 raptors that go through San Francisco are on the raptor migratory pathway . If you have a raptor chopper in their path, you are looking for a significant number of raptor deaths each year.
Commissioner Schmeltzer stated to Mr. Feinstein that his letter indicated that the most recent information available on the website was posted in May 2000 and asked if the information was from before the year 2000?
Mr. Feinstein stated that the information was from the year 2000, but he spoke with Mr. Dick Anderson, a staff person working on wind energy for the California Energy Commission this year about the status of the science. His response was that the science hasn’t shown that these new technologies had reduced the impacts. In 1995, the National Renewables Energy Lab held a conference on avian interactions held in Denver, and he and Mr. Anderson were attendees. They both have been following this issue all along. The science is not there and the impacts are huge especially in San Francisco. A statement from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service was read on their guidance for wind towers as follows:
"Avoid siting towers in or near wetlands or near known bird concentration areas which San Francisco has. Avoid areas with high incidence of fog or low cloud ceilings which San Francisco has."
Mo Mellady, Planet Check Radio News, asked how the average consumer resident of San Francisco can learn and go about installing their own wind power. She has an environmental radio feature and would like to bring this issue to the public.
Cal Broomhead, Resource Efficiency Program Manager, Department of the Environment, discussed efficiency and wind as it pertains to the City. In answer to Ms. Mellady’s question: the DOE has been thinking about wind and received numerous questions from citizen residents asking how they can install wind. The Planning Commission has not been favorable to wind and has denied permits for installing wind machines in the City. There are a couple of projects that are in the works right now. NorCal wants to put up three 10KW wind machines on a little knoll above their transfer station. They have already met with the Planning Department and have outlined the problems they are going to have with wind, so they are looking at two strategies. One is to find out what other wind technologies are available that will not present the problems for birds. The second is the need to understand and educate ourselves and the various Commissions of the City on the importance of energy as an issue in general and what part wind should be playing in our energy future. There is no process and the DOE is working on a more streamlined and cheaper process for installing solar. If the solar program gets up and running, the Department of Environment can turn their attention to looking at wind and certainly want to work with Audubon and other citizen groups in the City to go forward in an appropriate way.
Commissioner Fellman asked if any progress had been made with the solar building permit process to allow a more economical way to price the permits for solar installations.
Mr. Broomhead stated that progress has been made and doesn’t want to make a statement that commits either the Building Commission or the Planning Commission to something that they had not yet passed. The DOE has had staff level conversations about the appropriate level of permitting for solar water heating as well as solar electric photo-voltaic systems and are moving forward. They are going through an education process right now with plan checkers and building inspectors. They have had a couple of site tours. Peter O’Donnell has been conducting this program and has a senior electrical engineer at Building Inspection working with them on this so progress is being made. A streamlined permitting process is being planned to be set up sometime this fall.
Commissioner Fellman asked if and when that goes into place, if wind would follow.
Mr. Broomhead stated that a follow-up would be a larger solar program where citizens or building owners in the City would be brought into a solar installation regime where we install how many kilowatts we can identify for that pilot program. It is a pilot that is in development now.
Gary Oto, Water and Power Resources Manager, (SFPUC) discussed energy efficiency projects at City facilities that the SFPUC has been working on such as City buildings, MUNI upgrades, LED traffic lights, and school district efficiencies.
Ann Kelly, Peak Energy Program Manager, Department of the Environment discussed the new pilot program called the Peak Energy Program (PEP) the department has initiated with PG&E.
Commissioner Schmeltzer stated that the LAFCO just heard from the City about the goals that they had for the programs they did and asked if there are kilowatt hour goals associated with each of these pieces.
Ms. Kelly stated that it is a team effort. The goals will be jointly attained with PG&E and the DOE. It is the same 16 megawatts. This is the way that the department is going to get funding to implement the program.
Public Comment
George Wagner, Wind Harvest Company made the following comments:
He stated that he has been in the wind business for a long time and remembered Senator Gore’s quote that "something is very important right now—if we had 500,000 wind turbines in the mid-west—we wouldn’t need 500,000 turbines or soldiers in the mid-east."
One hundred percent of electricity in America could be done by wind at this moment and existing technologies. He is glad that General Electric (GE) is in the market, but is worried when there is discussion about bringing the price down to two cents and one cent, etc. What drove Pentech and the other companies bankrupt was that they reduced the price and forgot that there were other elements where the price should be fair and high to support a non-subsidized industry.
His partner was the head of the California Wind Program and stated that he has learned a lot about the subject. All of the meteorology studies were done in the state in 1981. There was ten percent of California’s energy by wind—they have done one percent. There is nine percent left identified and they know where it is--it is in boxes at the State Capitol, at his partner’s home. There are a lot of sites in the state—the wheel does not have to be reinvented.
He recommended San Francisco as another area for vertical axis wind turbines on top of a high rise, which are proven. Buildings such as 525 Golden Gate Avenue have been examined and wind turbines can be put there. Many buildings could be powered here with clean power. The technology would not hurt anyone and it would be a nice elegant sculpture for the City. The California Energy Commission in their wind power study should study the top of some of the buildings in San Francisco because the wind is very good up there, but you would have to make the buildings stronger. Vertical axis wind turbines can be attached to buildings. That would be a very nice way to start the program under the $100 million dollar bond issue. It is going to be a few years off, but wind is the answer. A quote from GE’s ad: "the answer is not blowing in the wind—it is the wind."
Commissioner Hall asked where the storage would be when you have the inverters or towers on top of the buildings.
Mr. Wagner stated directly into the building. Battery storage is another element. It can be done and is expensive. Unfortunately, in this industry cost is everything.
Commissioner Hall asked if what is being proposed is to eliminate the storage aspect and have it directly input into the grid. How many hours a day?
Mr. Wagner stated only when the wind blows and fortunately, it blows a lot of times in California as the wind blows when energy is needed. In England, it is the reverse. There it blows in the winter a lot. The winter winds are nothing in California. To answer the question, it would only be used when the wind is blowing.
Commissioner Hall asked assuming it is blowing 24 hours a day, the technology is such that it can be directly input into the grid.
Mr. Wagner stated that it is done all of the time. That’s how all of the wind farms are--you put it into the main grid. You have the grid, you have all of the electrical components; it is not that difficult.
Francisco Da Costa, Environmental Justice Advocacy made the following comments:
The SFPUC and the SFDOE are fairly new organizations. Many years ago, the City founders created Hetch Hetchy. Hetch Hetchy not only supplies us with clean water, but it was also supposed to supply us with electricity as required by the Raker Act. Hetch Hetchy power is here supplying some areas including One Market Street. To save energy, we need to tap into our own resources and need to do justice to those people in Hunter’s Point who are paying $300 to $600 a month when they can be given cheaper energy. The transmission lines within the City and County of San Francisco should be repaired because there is a lot of leakage. We need to look at the 1,500 businesses that are in the southeast sector and see how best to help the businesses with the antiquated machinery that they are using. That is where a lot of energy can be saved. The monies that are given to some of the agencies in the City all come from the ratepayers. This discussion and other workshops should be held so that the constituents of San Francisco could participate in the deliberations and understand exactly what is happening here. We don’t need some people making decisions for everybody.
He attended the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) meeting a couple of weeks ago and addressed them. These people are powerful and they have no interest in wind or solar. They do have interests in big power plants. Even as we are talking about closing down Hunter’s Point, Hunter’s Point is asking for fifty million dollars from the ratepayer to fix their plant and another sixty million dollars to keep the power plant going. We need to be careful and evaluate and bring this factor to the constituents of San Francisco. Many smart people in San Francisco are following and monitoring everything closely.
Mark Stout, Sierra Club complimented the speakers and the informative presentations and made the following comments:
It is good to see that everybody is working together towards energy sustainability, which is something the Sierra Club is concerned with. He is a member of the San Francisco Executive Committee for the Sierra Club who has tried to get more engaged with energy policy on the local level. The Sierra Club is supportive of increased renewable energy production including wind power, but they have been in the past and continue to be concerned about avian kills and the impact on these endangered species.
He thanked Mr. Schwartz for making a presentation to them recently and the DOE for allowing them to look at the data as to where they are considering putting the turbines. They would like to have an opportunity to look at how that overlaps with bird migration paths. Energy efficiency offers a great opportunity to help with the shut down of the Hunter’s Point power plant by 2005. The DOE and the SFPUC are urged to move aggressively on these programs. Looking at the City’s Electricity Resource Plan, they would like the City to consider going past the goals over the next ten years and by 2013 having 20 percent of the City’s demands being met by new energy conservation measures. A decade is a long time. As Professor Rosenfeld showed there are a lot of technology opportunities that are going to be available that we don’t know about now.
The Sierra Club supports the move towards more local democratic control of our power system and encourages the LAFCo to continue to support exploration of community aggregation and other public power options. LAFCo should not put that on hold and would like to see us continue to go down that path.
Minor Lowe, Instructor at the San Francisco Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee, a group that involves union electricians and signatory electrical contractors in San Francisco made the following comments:
The San Francisco Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee has a program on solar installations and can train about fifty people at a time and has been doing so for the past year. The Committee will be getting into wind power or any types of energies that come along, whether it is going to be sent back to the grid or stored in batteries. Electrical mechanics are being trained to prepare for the new energy-saving technologies. They have been involved with the City Hall Green Day seminars as a supporter. They are primarily in the commercial part of the industry, but they do train people for residential also, because this new technology will take a new understanding on how to apply. For example, solar power requires a lot more understanding of the direct current aspects of the Code. Everything that is done here is DC such as the "vampire" use and are using maybe 15,000 watts, perhaps over three hours, that’s $6.00. All things to take into consideration.
Chairperson Commissioner Gonzalez thanked the speakers for their presentations.
All presentations are available at the Clerk of the Board’s Office, City Hall, Room 244.