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Acciona Energy North America
ACCIONA is one of Spain's largest corporations, with activities in more than thirty countries on five continents with significant projects in renewable energies, infrastructures, and eco-efficient buildings, water resources, urban and environmental services, amongst others. It has a workforce of more than 38,000 worldwide and is quoted on the IBEX-35 (ANA.MC) index in Spain with a capitalization of more than US$16 billion.
AES
AES is one of the world's largest global power companies, with 2005 revenues of $11.1 billion from operations in 25 countries on five continents with a global workforce of 30,000 people at 128 generation facilities with generation capacity of over 44,000 megawatts. With more than 3,000 MW of wind generation projects in development worldwide, AES is actively pursuing projects in the United States, Europe, China, India, Pakistan, and Central and South America, with an emphasis on countries with existing AES businesses. In the U.S., AES operates over 600 MW of wind facilities, with another 200 MW currently under construction.
Ameron International
Ameron International Corporation is a multinational manufacturer of highly-engineered products and materials for the chemical, industrial, energy, transportation and infrastructure markets.
Babcock & Brown, LP
Babcock & Brown is a unique global merchant/investment banking firm that specializes in acquiring, managing, structuring and arranging financing for "big ticket" assets, projects and other opportunities around the world. B&B provides financial services and funding to the wind industry.
CalWind Resources
We are a clean, green power producing facility specializing in the development and operation of wind power plants. Incorporated in 1984, we own and operate more than 350 wind generators. Currently, we produce and sell over 40 GWHs of wind generated electricity annually from our Tehachapi plants.
Clipper Windpower, Inc.
Clipper Windpower, Inc. is a rapidly growing wind energy technology company which manufactures the 2.5 MW Liberty turbine and actively develops wind power generating projects in the Americas and Europe.
Coram Energy, LLC
At Coram Energy we are excited about the limitless possibilities for wind in the Western Regions of Canada and the United States. With sites located in Tehachapi, California, as well as in British Columbia, we are in an excellent position to capitalize on the world's fastest growing energy source.
CPV Renewable Energy Company
CPV Renewable Energy Company is the area of CPV focused on development of wind powered generation. CPV Renewable Energy Company is developing one of the broadest wind energy development programs in the industry. CPV Renewable Energy Company's focus is on developing economic as well as environmentally efficient wind energy projects in the continental United States and Canada.
enXco Development Corp
enXco develops, constructs, operates and manages wind energy projects throughout the United States. The strength of enXco is found in the Company's extensive experience and in the quality of its people. enXco is dedicated to creating real value from the power of the wind.
Eurus Energy
Eurus Energy (formerly Tomen Power) is one of the world’s oldest and largest wind power developers and owner/operators, with an ownership interest in over 25 projects worldwide representing over 1,000MW of installed capacity, more than 300MW of which is in the U.S.
First Wind
First Wind is an innovative American wind energy company that develops, owns and operates well-sited wind farms, producing clean power for greater energy independence. Working in partnership with communities, First Wind provides much-needed revenue to states and towns, building stronger local economies while protecting the environment for future generations. Wind energy isn't just our business. It's our passion.
Invenergy, LLC
Invenergy Wind LLC is a leading wind energy company focused on the development, acquisition and management of large-scale power generation assets in the North American and European markets, and is executing a large and regionally comprehensive wind energy development program. Currently, Invenergy Wind has active development in more than twenty states in the U.S. along with development programs in Canada and Europe.
Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy
Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP is a premier global law firm headquartered in New York, with offices in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Palo Alto and offices around the world. We are a leader in corporate finance and financial services law, transportation finance and other major legal fields.
Oak Creek Energy Systems
Oak Creek Energy is located in Mojave, California and pioneered one of the state’s first wind farms built in early 1982. Oak Creek has worked to advance major transmission improvements to the Tehachapi Wind Resource area and in late 2006 announced it will be spearheading development of the 1,500 MW Alta Wind Energy Center, making a major contribution to achieving California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard goals.
Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc.
Renewable Energy Systems (RES) is one of the fastest growing wind development companies in the world and has been at the forefront of the wind industry since it was founded in 1981. RES has been active in North America since 1997 and during this time has either developed or constructed over 10% of the installed capacity in the United States.
San Gorgonio Farms
San Gorgonio Farms, Inc. (SGF) has developed (148.42 MW’s - 447 turbines) (c/o Whitewater Energy Corporation) and operated (c/o SGF, Inc.) wind projects since 1981. We currently own and operate 43 MW’s of wind energy, consisting of 224 turbines. Whitewater Maintenance Corp. (our subsidiary) performs the service and maintenance. These turbines range from the first generation 65 kW units of the 80’s up to the 1.5 MW turbines of today, with permits to build the 3.0 MW turbines of tomorrow. Our current projects are in Riverside County, just 2 hours east of our corporate headquarters in Torrance, CA.
Stoel Rives, LLP
Stoel Rives LLP has offices throughout the western United States. Over 375 lawyers comprise one of the most experienced legal practices with emphasis in renewable energy, natural resources, the environment, energy law, real property, and government relations. Visit us online at www.stoel.com.
WindPro
The WindPro Insurance facility can provide complete and reliable solutions and real value to the wind industry. With nearly two decades of first-hand knowledge of the wind industry, WindPro can provide you with insurance and risk transfer solutions, which meet your needs cost-effectively.
KEMCO
Kern Maintenance and Construction Corporation has been an electrical contractor to the wind turbine industry for 25 years.
Knight & Carver Wind Group
Knight & Carver specializes in the production and repair of wind-turbine blades, utilized world-wide for cost-efficient renewable energy. With a production plant in Howard, South Dakota and corporate headquarters in National City, Calif., the Wind Group has an overall workforce of 150 employees, many of whom are regularly dispatched to wind-blade projects throughout the United States, Europe and Canada.
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Members of the wind industry are encouraged to join CalWEA to better enable us to effectively represent the wind industry. Companies of each type must subscribe at the tier level indicated, or a higher tier.
| Level | Type of Company | Dues | Votes | Notes / Benefits |
| Tier 1 | Project owners and developers | $30,000 | 3 | Member of CalWEA; eligible to serve on all CalWEA committees. Receive all communications. |
| Tier 2 | Major equipment suppliers | $20,000 | 2 | " |
| Tier 3 | Small vendors, subcontractors and consultants | $10,000 | 1 | " |
| Sponsorship | Companies that wish to support our activities but whose internal policies do not allow membership or are otherwise unable to join at a higher level. | $5,000 | 0 | Member of CalWEA; not eligible to serve on committees. Receive periodic communications. |
We ask CalWEA members to also support our PAC, to increase our influence in Sacramento.
To date, all decisions have been made by consensus and we hope to continue that practice. However, if decisions have to be made, those companies paying more will enjoy greater voting strength.
Download our pledge form or mail dues to:
CalWEA Administrator, 5307 E. Mockingbird Lane, Suite 710, Dallas TX 75206
For additional information, email the CalWEA Administrator.
* Be sure to change (at) to @ and remove the space before "org" in the email address. We're doing our part to help reduce spam.
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20% Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS)
In 2002, CalWEA negotiated RPS legislation with Southern California Edison (SCE) and the consumer group, TURN, creating a 6,000-MW market for renewable energy. (See graphic, below.) As of March 2007, the legislation has produced 2,200 MW of new wind contracts -- 170 MW of which are operational. (An additional 225 MW of IOU wind contracts resulted from "interim" solicitations issued just prior to the adoption of the RPS, plus various contracts with municipal utilities, which are also loosely obligated under the RPS.) For this effort, CalWEA won a "Special Achievement Award" from the American Wind Energy Association for "effective advocacy that will result in substantial amounts of new clean energy serving the state of California."
RPS Implementation
CalWEA has engaged in RPS implementation at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and California Energy Commission (CEC) to: advocate for utility requests-for-offers and contracts that promote least-cost renewables development and avoid terms that are incompatible with the nature of wind energy; ensure the fair treatment of wind in bid evaluation processes; ensure the soundness of the methodology underlying the "market price referent," promote the availability of tradable Renewable Energy Credits (RECs); and ensure that out-of-state renewables deliver power (not just tradable credits) into the state in order to be eligible for the RPS.
Wind Integration Studies
As a result of CalWEA's efforts, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) adopted California Energy Commission (CEC)-sponsored integration cost studies documenting that the regulation and load following costs associated with wind are too small to measure, and that wind projects provide significant capacity value - deserving capacity credit in the range of at least 25% of nameplate capacity. These studies guard against the utilities assigning unduly low capacity credit values in the RPS procurement process.
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Repowers
Since 2001, CalWEA has sought to overcome the contractual and institutional obstacles to repowering. Those efforts, combined with the RPS requirements, have fostered the first repower agreements (mostly with CalWEA members) since the federal Production Tax Credit "California Fix" went into effect in 1999. Since fall, 2004, six repower agreements have been signed, totaling about 100 MW. The utilities are now actively seeking repowers.
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Transmission
The 5,000+ MW Tehachapi wind resource will be central to meeting the state's RPS goals, but it requires major transmission upgrades. CalWEA successfully sought a CPUC order that, in June 2003, made a finding of "need" for the first phase of the upgrade, and required SCE to file a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. The order also established a study group to develop a complete transmission plan.
In that study effort, CalWEA pushed for a plan that was fully integrated into the network and upfront utility financing to enable traditional cost-recovery through transmission rates as opposed to upfront funding by generators. CalWEA promoted the implementation of PU Code Section 399.25, adopted as part of the RPS legislation, which provides utilities cost-recovery assurance if they choose to upfront fund transmission upgrades necessary to meet RPS goals. The Tehachapi Transmission Plan (TTP), adopted by the CAISO in January 2007, is fully integrated into the network, and SCE has agreed to upfront fund the upgrade based on the availability of the 399.25 cost recovery provision. CalWEA is now promoting the expeditious development of the TTP upgrades, and is promoting the study and development of the transmission upgrades necessary to support the development of other wind-rich areas of the state and bordering areas.
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Support of Existing Wind Projects
CalWEA has successfully advocated at FERC that utilities should not treat existing, interconnected generation facilities as new interconnections merely because of a change in the status of their Qualifying Facility power purchase contract, even if the facility is repowered. FERC made this clarification in its 2003 large generator interconnection rules and, in 2005, in its small generator interconnection rules. CalWEA is currently seeking a similar rule from the CPUC for CPUC-jurisdictional interconnections.
In 2000 (when gas prices were low), CalWEA secured an amendment in the legislative reauthorization of the state's Public Goods Charge (PGC) fund making existing wind energy projects eligible for continued price-support payments from the CEC. In 2000-2001, CalWEA successfully advocated that the CEC continue the "Tier 2" program supporting existing wind projects. In 2003, CalWEA won $3.8 million in retroactive price support payments to existing wind projects that the CEC had slated for confiscation due to a program gap created by legislative inaction.
The CPUC is determining how payments will be made under existing Qualifying Facility contracts. CalWEA is advocating (a) a second round of five-year fixed energy prices, and (b) a revision of Southern California Edison's low as-available capacity payment. In a parallel proceeding on how the CPUC will implement PURPA going forward, CalWEA is advocating that existing projects with expiring contracts and new projects be able to obtain an as-available capacity contract based upon the current Standard Offer 1 ("SO1") contract, with as-available capacity and short-run avoided cost energy pricing, and a term of at least 15 years.
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Intermittency Issues
In 2001, CalWEA developed the framework underlying the Participating Intermittent Resources Program, adopted under Amendment 42 of the CAISO tariff, now a national model. The PIR program protects wind projects against uncontrollable risks from scheduling imbalances during high-cost hours. CalWEA has worked to preserve and enhance this program in the years since, by participating in the CAISO's "PIRP Initiative" and by sponsoring a design change to provide monthly netting treatment for two deviation-based GMC charges that are not currently covered under the program, which are imposing significant costs on participating wind projects.
As a result of CalWEA's efforts soon after passage of the RPS, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) adopted California Energy Commission (CEC)-sponsored integration cost studies documenting that the regulation and load following costs associated with wind are too small to measure, and that existing wind projects provide significant capacity value - deserving capacity credit in the range of at least 25% of nameplate capacity (values for new projects using new technology will be higher). CalWEA has supported and participated in subsequent studies that evaluate the actual costs of integrating high levels of wind energy into the grid. These studies have and will continue to guard against the utilities assigning unduly low capacity credit values and integration costs on wind bidders in the RPS procurement process.
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