Aligning Green Power Partners with New Renewable Energy Projects
Pilot Project Summary
Project Name: Bloom Wind Power Project
Developer Name: Norvento USA, LLC
Contact: Bill Behling,
wbehlina@norvento.com
Renewable Energy Type: Wind Energy Electrical Generating Facility
Total Planned Megawatt Size: 180 MW Phase 1: Not applicable Phase 11 :Not applicable
Project Location: Ford County and Clark County, Kansas
Is the project permitted?: No
If no, what is the permit status?: An application for a Conditional Use Permit ("CUP") will be submitted
to the Ford County Zoning Board ("FCZB") during the third quarter of 2013. The FCZB will require
approximately four weeks to review the application and Project Development Plan, hold a public
meeting, and vote on whether or not to issue the CUP. The Developer expects to obtain the CUP by
the end of the third quarterof 2013. No CUP is required from Clark County.
Norvento USA has obtained 64 (60 primary WTG locations and 4 reserve WTG locations)
Determinations of No Hazard to Air Navigation from the Federal Aviation Administration.
No other state or federal permits are currently required prior to the start of Project construction.
What is the status of the project's site?: Approximately 11,500 acres of privately-owned land are
under control by Norvento USA through 30-year Lease and Easement Agreements ("L&EAs).
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Have land leases been filed with the county?: Yes, L&EAs have been signed and recorded with the
Ford County Register of Deeds and the Clark County Register of Deeds.
What is the status of interconnection, and have system impact and facility studies been completed?
(Distribution or transmission level projects are both eligible): The Project will be interconnected to the
Clark County substation via a short transmission line across land under L&EAs signed with Project
landowners. A Definitive System Impact Study ("DISIS") was issued by the Southwest Power Pool
("SPP") January 31, 2013, with a revised DISIS issued with corrections February 8, 2013. An
Interconnection Facilities Study ("IFaS") Agreement was executed by Norvento USA and SPP effective
March 19, 2013, with SPP expected to use reasonable efforts to complete the IFaS and issue a draft
IFaS report by June 17, 2013. As of June 14, 2013, the IFaS had not been completed.
Other interconnection alternatives include the Grain Belt Express Clean Line, which will deliver 3,500
MW of wind power from western Kansas to Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and states farther east that have
strong demand for clean, reliable energy. The clean energy will be transported via an approximately
700-mile overhead, high-voltage direct current transmission (HVDC) line, with the western Kansas
converter station likely to be located in Ford County, perhaps not far from the Bloom Wind Power
Project.
Does the transmission owner (TO) or independent system operator (ISO) have a process to study the
project's impact on the local or regional grid and the subsequentcostto interconnect?: Yes,ITC Great
Plains (TO) is currently conducting the IFaS along with SPP (ISO).
Environmental Impact Statement status: No Project Environmental Impact Study is required. A series
of environmental studies have been completed,including but not limited to the following:
Critical Issues Analysis.
Assessment of Threatened and Endangered Species.
Whooping Crane and Bats Likelihood Assessment.
Spring and Avian Surveys.
Field-Verified Habitat Assessment.
Wetland and Surface Water Survey.
Kansas State Historic Preservation Office Consultation.
Telecommunication Interference Study and National Telecommunications and Information
Administration Consultation.
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These studies did not detect any environmentally or culturally significant resources that would
preclude the successful siting and permitting of the Project.
Additionally, a consultation process with the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism and
with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been conducted since 2010.
Norvento USA is currently undertaking additional environmental studies in order to address the
recommendations made by the State and Federal Wildlife Agencies, including but not limited to:
Longnose Snake Mitigation Plan and Action Permit.
Bird and Bat Conservation Strategy Plan.
USFWSWhooping Crane Consultation.
Cultural Resources Reconnaissance Survey.
USACE Wetlands Consultation.
These studies are expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2013.
Is any element of the project-technology or other-experimental or pilot-phase?: No,the Project will
use existing, proven wind energy technology. No part of the project will be experimental or pilot-
phase.
What is the long- and short-term operations program of the project? Does the renewable energy
technology manufacturer have a technical support team locally available?: The Project will source its
generation equipment from one of the leading utility-scale WTG manufacturers, each of whom has
significant amounts of capacity installed in the region. For the short- to mid-term, the operations plan
is that the WTGswill be under the manufacturer's warranty for two years after construction, operated
and maintained onsite by full-time WTG manufacturer technicians for at least 10 and up to 20 years.
If the initial operations and maintenance ("O&M") contract is for only 10 years, after 10 years the
Project will either elect to extend the manufacturer's O&M contract, or contract a reputable third- party
O&M contractor through the end of the life of the Project.
For wind projects, has a meteorological tower been installed, and when was the tower
installed/how much data has been collected?: An SO-meter meteorological tower was erected
within the Project area in September, 2011 with sensors at SOm, 60m, and 40m. A 60-meter
meteorological tower was erected within the Project area in November 2012 with sensors at 60m,
50m, and 30m. Calibrated anemometers, vanes, temperature and pressure sensors were installed in
order to assess the climatic conditions at the site.
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Who has analyzed the data and what is that person's experience with respect to projects that have
actually been financed?:
The initial wind resource assessment has been conducted by Norvento Enerxia's in-house Wind
Resource Department, which has managed and/or manages both wind data
and meteorological towers (83 in Spain and 14 abroad), and has carried out wind resource studies of
161 MW currently in operation in Spain, 362 MW in the development stage in Spain and 682 MW in
the development stage in the U.S., Brazil, Chile, and Poland . This totals 97 masts and wind resource
assessments of over 1,200 MW managed and/or analyzed. Additionally, a leading WTG manufacturer
has recently completed a Turbine Suitability Review of the site conditions based on the selected
wind turbine type and is of the opinion that the combination of the selected turbine type, layout
and site climatic conditions is acceptable. Finally, Norvento USA will soon retain an independent,
third-party consultant to conduct an energy assessment of the Project, the results of which
should be received in July or August 2013.
Can the turbine manufacturer be financed through "traditional" tax equity and debt in the U.S.?:
Yes, each of the WTG manufacturers being considered as an WTG supplier to the Project have had
their WTGs financed through tax equity and debt structures commonly used in U.S. wind power
project financings.
Provide a short summary of how the project views project finance and structure/ownership:
Norvento USA will consider various project finance structures, including but not limited to those
involving debt, tax equity, joint venture and a sale of an ownership interest in a portion of, or all of, the
Project.
What are your ideal types of prospective institutions/partners?:
In addition to seeking a purchaser or purchasers of approximately 800,000 MWh of clean energy
and all associated renewable energy credits and environmental benefits per year for up to 20
years, Norvento USA is also seeking a strategic partner who can assist with power marketing and
power transmission activities or an entity interested in purchasing an ownership interest in a portion
of, or all of, the Project.
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