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Below
is a list of strategies and approaches that U.S. local governments have
successfully implemented to promote the use of wind power in their communities.
Depending on the status of utility restructuring in your state, certain
strategies to utilize wind may be more applicable to your city or county
than others.
Each
strategy is illustrated with an in-depth case study or short description.
Click on the strategy you are interested in or scroll down the page to
learn more about each one:
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 Stimulating
Demand for Green Power
Some
utilities that are developing wind power offer "green
pricing" programs, which allow electricity consumers to pay
a premium for electricity from wind and other renewable sources. Whether
your local government owns its own utility or not, creating demand
for green power can be a powerful strategy to support wind.
- Wind
Purchase for Municipal Operations. Municipalities
are major energy consumers. Where local utilities provide wind purchase
options, municipalities or municipal agencies can choose to purchase
wind energy at a premium to power City or County operations.
Case
Study: Madison, Wisconsin
- Wind Purchase for Community Power.
Municipal utilities can stimulate demand for electricity generated by wind by buying wind power in
a bulk purchase and offering smaller portions to their customers.
Case Study: Austin, Texas
Case Study: Fort Collins, Colorado
Seattle, Washington, (pdf format)
Developing
Local Wind Power Resources
Municipalities
and municipal utilities can harness local wind energy for themselves,
investing in wind turbines to supply clean, local energy for municipal
operations or community energy needs. Local wind power generation
can benefit the local economy through jobs and economic development,
while enhancing a community's energy independence.
- Grid-tied
Community Power (Wind Farming). Municipal utilities can
diversify their energy sources by developing their own wind production.
Wind farms can be sited on municipal land or on land leased from
local landowners.
Case Study: Waverly, Iowa
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Distributed Generation. Power generated
from wind turbines can be used to power activities close to the
point of generation like buildings, wastewater treatment plants,
water pumps, and schools.
- Hybrid
Power Systems. Wind power systems
can be used together with diesel generators and other renewable
power sources to provide back-up power or electricity in remote
locations.
Case
Study: Kotzebue, Alaska
Using
Wind Power as an Economic Development Tool
Wind
power can be a lucrative resource for many communities, especially
for many rural communities. Wind power generation can benefit the
local economy through jobs, lower electricity costs, and leasing revenues,
while enhancing a community's energy independence.
Aggregation
and other Financing Mechanisms
Because
wind power can cost more up-front than other energy sources, local
governments may need to use creative financing mechanisms to pay for
developing or purchasing wind power.
- Municipal
Aggregation for Green Purchase. Local governments can partner
with other governments, local residents, or other electricity consumers
when purchasing green power to gain greater purchasing leverage.
Municipal aggregation can be used to obtain cost savings, different
combinations of services, or more favorable service terms.
Chicago,
Illinois
- Revenue
Bonds for Financing Wind Development. Initial
investment costs can deter municipalities from developing their
own renewable power capacity. Local governments can use alternative
financing mechanisms, such as revenue bonds, which allow them to
pay for the costs of green energy facilities with revenues generated
and saved by the proposed facilities.
Wind
Power- Friendly Policies and Regulations
Enacting
wind friendly policies and regulations can be a powerful way for local
governments to promote wind power in their communities. Requiring
that a certain proportion of a community's energy comes from wind
or other renewable sources creates an environment where wind power
is promoted through market forces. It is also important to not hinder
the development of localized wind power generation through overly
burdensome permitting processes and inflexible electric metering policies.
- Local
Renewables Portfolio Standards. Local governments can adopt
a Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS)
requiring that a percentage of their utility's energy portfolio
comes from renewable sources.
An RPS is a market-driven mechanism which can catalyze the development
of new wind power resources.
- Permits
and ordinances for wind development. Because
they control many of the zoning and permitting processes that restrict
or promote the development of wind power resources, local governments
can support wind energy by enacting wind power-friendly permits
and ordinances.
Oakland,
California
- Local
net metering laws.
Local governments can encourage residents and businesses in their
communities to install wind power facilities by adopting local net
metering laws. Net metering laws
allow utility customers who generate their own electricity to pay
their utility only for their net consumption of electricity and,
in some cases, to sell back any excess electricity generated.
Ashland,
Oregon
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