Operating Principles
WPA established a set of 12 operating principles to guide program investments:
1. Work at market margins. WPA concentrates its efforts in “stuck” markets and avoids investing resources in markets that are fully commercial and active. Examples include states with good wind resources but little wind development, Native American reservations, public power organizations, and federal government loads.
2. Leverage existing institutional relationships. DOE has established organizations that focus on outreach to federal (FEMP) and state entities (DOE regional offices). DOE’s PMAs are well positioned to incorporate wind into the public power market. The states have energy and environmental offices that formulate and implement policies that can impact wind development. WPA engages these existing agencies to leverage their established capabilities, contacts, and activities.
3. Create new partnerships. In focus areas, WPA establishes strategic partnerships with agencies/institutions that represent important stakeholder groups that have heretofore under-pursued wind development on behalf of their members. Examples of such organizational partners are the National Rural Electric Association (NRECA), the American Public Power Association (APPA), the American Corn Growers Association (ACGA), the Intertribal Council on Utility Policy (ICOUP), and the Council of Energy Resource Tribes (CERT).
4. Pursue strategic opportunities. In situations in which wind can significantly expand its application boundaries, WPA pursues the necessary education, analysis, pilot projects, and partnerships to implement the expansion. An example is the supplemental environmental projects (SEP) in which air quality violators can purchase wind power in lieu of paying the fine.
5. Develop innovative pilot projects. In cases of new applications or ownership possibilities, WPA collaborates on the design and implementation of pilot projects that demonstrate the administrative, policy, and techno-economic aspects of the innovation. Completed pilot projects include federal load aggregation and SEP implementation. Currently, WPA is pursuing pilots on irrigation net metering, rural ownership options for small wind systems and Native American wind working groups and installations. A pilot project must have significant regional or national replication potential for it to receive WPA investment.
6. Replicate successes. Following the successful completion of a pilot project, WPA will work with local, state, and regional organizations to replicate the application.
7. Educate, equip, and support state wind working groups. WPA recognizes the necessity of developing multi-stakeholder support of wind energy prior to the development of enabling policies. To that end, WPA helps state stakeholder groups organize and educate wind working groups to discuss the barriers to and benefits of wind energy development. This effort is aimed at developing a strategic action plan that often includes state-wide, targeted, and landowner workshops.
8. Select and address challenging strategic markets. Although certain institutions have great potential, there are significant institutional barriers to wind development within those institutions. WPA focuses its outreach and technical assistance on these institutions because they represent a difficult market for commercial business. Currently, the institutions WPA focuses on include the Department of Defense, Native Americans, and rural electric cooperatives.
9. Develop and disseminate targeted information, analyses, and tools. WPA augments the efforts of DOE’s wind research program, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), and other wind-related organizations to identify and address gaps in technical information and tools needed for its four thematic areas. Examples include development and access to simplified spreadsheet tools for initial analyses of wind project economics, irrigation net metering projects and economic development impacts; development and distribution of state-specific wind maps and small wind application guidebooks; and publication of a brochure that focuses on wind opportunities, case studies, and economics for rural electric co-ops.
10. Document activities and resources. WPA has developed a user-friendly Web site (www.windpoweringamerica.gov) on which it posts information and links for all four thematic areas. The WPA Web site also provides regional and national event calendars, wind resource maps, stakeholder interviews, analytical tools, and recent WPA presentations.
11. Utilize existing national, regional, and local expertise. To enhance credibility with the various wind stakeholder groups, WPA utilizes appropriate experienced stakeholders to address the issues, share their experience, and discuss opportunities in targeted workshops.
12. Coordinate with established wind institutional resources. WPA recognizes the established efforts, networks, and effectiveness of existing wind energy organizations, including AWEA, the National Wind Coordinating Committee (NWCC), and the Utility Wind Interest Group (UWIG). WPA coordinates and participates with these groups to ensure collaboration and to add value to its activities.
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