Deborah Donovan

Sustainable Energy Advantage, LLC

Ian Baring-Gould
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Bob Grace
Sustainable Energy Advantage, LLC
Stacie Smith
Consensus Building Institute

October 26, 2012
Acknowledgements
Introduce Workshop Leaders
Hear about
Genesis of the New England Wind Forum
The development of the workshop
Review the agenda and how well proceed
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Sponsors:
U.S. Department of Energy - Wind Powering America
Initative (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)
Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources
Massachusetts Clean Energy Center
Ad Hoc Planning Committee
Thanks also for contributions of $100-$250 to
covering basic necessities/expenses to
Union of Concerned Scientists
Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
Eolian Renewable Energy
Boreal Renewable Energy Development
(+ 2 anonymous donors)
Our Host: Mt. Wachusett Community College
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Deborah Donovan, Sustainable Energy
Advantage
Ian Baring-Gould, National Renewable Energy
Lab
Bob Grace, Sustainable Energy Advantage
Stacie Smith, Consensus Building Institute

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Initiative of the US Department of
Energy Wind and Water Power
Program
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Mission: Educate, engage and enable critical stakeholders to make
informed decisions about how wind energy contributes to
the U.S. electricity supply

Objectives:
Disseminate accurate and needed information
Build and support a diverse partner network
Continually evaluate effectiveness

Outputs:
WPA E-newsletter
Active website (Events, news, recent publications)
Audio interviews
Monthly recorded webinar series
Educational programs
www.windpoweringamerica.gov
Context for the Day:
Wind energy deployment impacts local communities in positive and negative
ways that are not felt equally
Many communities are being asked to consider the deployment of wind energy
technology
Communities need good information in order to make informed decisions
regarding wind deployment
The wide diversity of available information and lack of methods to determine the
quality of that information makes it vary hard for community leaders and
concerned citizens to determine if wind development is appropriate
Hopes for the Day:
Move closer to common ground understanding that not everyone will or has to
agree
Identify the most important topical areas where additional information would be
helpful
Determine criteria which could be used to determine sources of good
information
Understand what formats of information are best suited to support local decision
makers and the public in making educated decisions about wind deployment
Understand who can help support the development and distribution of these
informational products
Emotions are high but the only method that will allow a viable solution is
Civil Dialogue

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Objective: Provide siting decision-makers & the
potentially-impacted public with objective [legitimate,
credible and salient] information on which to make
informed decisions about proposed wind energy projects
throughout New England by:
Philosophy/Perspective: Wind Energy has benefits, but
Not every place is the right place for wind generation.
Impacts of wind power are rarely as dire, or as free of
consequences, as those who look to influence decisions
one way or another may represent.
Good Info Good Decisions

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NGO/Community
16 orgs; 17 total
Wide variety of perspectives
State Govt:
MA,RI,VT,NH,CT
11 orgs, 19 total
Regional or Local
Govt/Board:
6, in 3 states
Ideally wed have more
Academic & Research Labs
incl. 2 Federal labs
5 orgs, 6 total

Professional Neutrals:
2
Service Providers
Legal, consulting, & SEA
(workshop organizers)
12 orgs, 14 total
Wind developer/owner
4
w/ projects in 4 states
Media
0
we tried tough in
election season!
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2 stages
Invited, Planners, Speakers & Moderators
NGOs (11), State & Regional Govt (18), Academic & Research(4), Professional
Neutrals (2), Other planners/speakers (7)
Applicants (thank you) & screening process (approx 2:1)
Invitations to apply NEWEEP webinar & conf. participants (~1000 people)
Range of goals, including
Convene a balanced & diverse gathering via a combination of:
Assuring broad participation from govt officials & local siting decision makers
Diversity
Avoiding redundancy
Preventing imbalance of perspectives
Including those with ability to constructively contribute to workshop:
Acknowledge workshops premise
Relevant experience, quality of essay response
Focus: use of credible, legitimate & salient info, not specific issue, impact, project
Not including those holding view that:
wind is unnecessary, or
wind has negligible impacts /appropriate wherever it meets current legal/reg. guidelines


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Citizens & decision makers where wind projects proposed
are often having their opinions & decisions influenced by
Legitimate questions and concerns of potential host communities
Commercial interests of proponents and opponents
Entities & sources inside and outside of the community
Info intended to influence vs. intended to inform
Comprehensive vs. selective use of/presentation of data
Info which distorts or incites fear
Politics and PR
Often by whatever info gets to them first, from whatever source
Press:
Tendency towards the sensationalistic
Influenced by info in similar ways
Have the power to amplify, clarify or confuse



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Good info =
to inform vs. to influence?
not selective?
available (at the right time)?
Helpful?
Good decisions =
Robust?
Involve reference to accurate, legitimate, credible info, etc.
But also take other things into account as well
Information is not the whole picture
Interests. Values. Other things matter in addition.
Info shouldnt be the tool used to argue about other issues.


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8:30 Opening Plenary
9:00 Panel I:
The Use of Information in Wind Siting - Lessons from the Field
10:15 Break
10:30 Breakout A: The Use of Information in Wind Siting -
Identification, Categorization and Prioritization
11:45 Lunch
12:45 Panel II:
Developing Information in Wind Siting - Joint Fact-finding and
Stakeholder Engagement Models
1:45 Breakout B: Developing Information in Wind Siting Overcoming
Obstacles and Setting Priorities
3:00 Break
3:15 Closing Plenary: Putting Ideas Into Action
4:30 Close
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Be Open
Be Respectful
Be Interactive
Share the Floor

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Cell phones off
Rest Rooms
Lunch in Cafeteria
Role of the Workshop Facilitator

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