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Wind Energy Conversion Systems |
(WECS)The Marin County Planning Commission conducted its seventh public hearing on the Local Coastal Amendment on January 9, 2012. The staff report is available here.
MCL believes that any step toward implementing wind power in Marin County must adhere to strict environmental standards. Some call them “windmills,” but at 200 feet in height or more, wind turbines, or “WECS”, are not the iconic windmills that once pumped water from farm wells. They are more aptly illustrated by the extensive wind farms that dominate the hills of Altamont Pass, Montezuma Hills of Solano County, or San Gorgonio Pass near Palm Springs, three of the prime wind resource areas of California. Northern Marin County, while lacking wind speeds comparable to prime wind areas of the State, does include “wind corridors,” such as across the rolling ranchlands between Dillon Beach, Chileno Valley, and Petaluma.
Marin County’s WECS Ordinance: Status MCL has been tracking the County’s efforts to draft a WECS ordinance since 2008. After multiple hearings before the Planning Commission, the ordinance was provisionally approved by the Board of Supervisors on July 27, 2010, pending minor word refinements. The ordinance amends the County’s Development Code and sets standards for siting, design, and permit review for wind turbines varying from small (under 40 feet) to large WECS (over 200 feet), in all areas of the County except the Coastal Zone. In adopting the ordinance, the County has moved ahead of the timeline of AB 45, which requires that local governments adopt statewide standards for small wind energy systems outside urban areas. Although wind power may be attractive as a source of alternative green energy, wind turbines have environmental impacts which are well-documented and difficult to overcome. Birds of many species, as well as bats, are very susceptible to fatal strikes, depending on the technology and operation of turbines. The visual effects of individual turbines and wind farms are also well known. Whether these aesthetic impacts are seen as “positive” or “negative” depends on the eye of the beholder. Other issues include noise and safety, particularly near residential areas. Although wind power is considered the least costly form of alternative energy, the environmental impact per megawatt (MW) of power generated is high. Therefore, siting, size, environmental study, and design criteria – and the opportunity for public comment – are critical. MCL’s Concerns Throughout the development of the ordinance, Marin Conservation League supported the efforts of the County to ensure that Marin’s environmental values would be protected and provide clear guidelines as to how WECS projects might proceed. MCL focused on three particular needs in the ordinance: (1) adequate biological surveys of bird and bat populations and other sensitive resources prior to permitting; (2) provisions for discretionary review and opportunity for public comment on all but very minor WECS installations; and (3) review of post-installation performance to determine effects on birds and bats, the most vulnerable wildlife, and ability for the County to require change in operation where warranted. These concerns are fairly well addressed in the ordinance. Meterological Tower Application: NextEra Energy, the nation’s largest developer of wind energy, has applied to the County to install two 197.7-foot (60 meters) meteorological towers (met towers) for up to three years on ranch properties north of Tomales. Their purpose is to measure wind resources for possible future development of wind turbines in that area. County planning staff determined that the towers are exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and authorized the necessary permits. The towers will be by supported by a system of guy wires, a well-documented cause of bird deaths. Concerned over the possible impacts on birds and aesthetic resources in the Coastal Zone, MCL, Marin Audubon Society, Environmental Action Committee (EAC) of West Marin,, and several individuals appealed the decision to the County Planning Commission and requested that an Initial Study pursuant to CEQA be required. The Planning Commission concurred on a 5 - 2 vote. NextEra then appealed that decision to the Board of Supervisors. On December 14, 2010, the Supervisors granted NextEra the permit without an Initial Study, subject to a few conditions: that bird deterrent devices would be attached to the guy wires, and that monitoring of bird activity, including carcass surveys, would be conducted by qualified biologists and reported to the County quarterly for the three-year term of the permit. MCL believes that the record of proceedings, beginning with an incomplete staff report on August 26, 2010, followed by information submitted piecemeal by NextEra and not always offered to the public, is flawed – scattered among staff reports, resolutions, amendments, and applicant exhibits. This could have been corrected in an Initial Study and Negative Declaration of Impact with clearly stated mitigation measures. 2010 Documents and Correspondence
 Raptors such as this Red-Tailed Hawk are very susceptible to fatal strikes at WECS sites. Photo by Danny Perez, Flickr Creative Commons. |
Advocacy in action
New developments in Marin are closely monitored by the Land Use and Transportation Committee
Committee members of the North Marin Unit review a map at their monthly meeting
Pelicans in Point Reyes National Seashore - a park followed by the Parks and Open Space Committee
photo by Bob Grace
