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CalWEA Members

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.


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.


Cannon Power Group
Cannon Power Group is a San Diego-based developer of utility-scale wind and solar power projects. Cannon has over 26 years experience in developing, constructing, operating and maintaining wind turbine generating facilities in the United States and internationally. Since 1979, Cannon Power Group has developed and operated projects in California, Washington, and Oregon, as well as in Mexico, India, Italy, Switzerland, Poland, Spain, Turkey, and Croatia. In 2007, Cannon established its solar project division, Cannon Solar Partners, LLC. Today, Cannon is concentrating on the U.S. and selected European markets, where it has over 3,500 MW of wind and solar projects in various stages of development in the Western United States, Mexico, and Europe.


Champlin
Champlin/GEI Wind Holding, LLC ("Champlin") is a U.S. based wind energy development company focused on acquiring and developing renewable energy projects in North America. The Company is owned by Champlin Windpower, LLC and Good Energies, whose principals are seasoned wind industry leaders that are joined by a team of top wind industry professionals. Champlin/GEI Wind Holdings, LLC and its affiliates currently have in excess of approximately 4,500 MW of new wind energy projects under development in the west.


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.


Element Power
Element Power is a global independent power producer that develops, acquires, builds, owns, and operates utility-scale wind and solar power generation projects. Our focus on PV solar and wind generating assets is purposeful and disciplined. We create clean, renewable sources of energy to meet increasing demand and to serve the pressing challenges of global warming and energy security. Owned by Hudson Clean Energy Partners, a leading global private equity firm dedicated solely to investing in renewable power, alternative fuels, energy efficiency and storage, Element Power is pursuing projects in the North American, European, and South American energy markets. Element Power's principal offices are located in Portland, Oregon, London and Madrid.


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.


Gamesa Energy
As the U.S.-based development arm of Gamesa Corporación Tecnológica, S.A, Gamesa Energy USA is responsible for the development of wind farms in the United States and Northern Baja California. Gamesa has directly developed more than 150 individual wind projects, totaling more than 4,000 MW throughout the world and is also a world leader in wind turbine manufacturing, with 20,000 MW of Gamesa turbines installed in 27 countries over the past 15 years. Gamesa owns and operates 30 turbine manufacturing facilities in Europe, the US, China and India. This commitment to locally-based manufacturing allows Gamesa to sell wind turbines with a comparably higher percentage of U.S.-made components than any other wind turbine manufacturer.


Iberdrola Renewables
Iberdrola Renewables is headquartered in Portland, Oregon, with more than 850 employees at the end of 2010. It is part of the Iberdrola Renovables global group, the world's leading provider of wind power with more than 12,000 megawatts of renewable energy in operation around the world, and more than 4,600 megawatts of that wind power located in the U.S.


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.


KEMCO
Kern Maintenance and Construction Corporation has been an electrical contractor to the wind turbine industry for 25 years.


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 a pioneer wind energy owner, operator, and developer. Since 1982, Oak Creek Energy focused on the Tehachapi Wind Resource Area, now developing more widely across the region. Oak Creek Energy was the originating developer of the 3,000-MW Alta Energy Center, the 1,550-MW SCE PPA, and the originating proponent of the 4,500-MW Tehachapi Renewables Transmission Project. Oak Creek Energy was the originating developer of the 24-MW Alite Project, the largest wind energy project directly serving an industrial load without using the grid for energy delivery. The Oak Creek Energy pipeline of projects includes an additional 3,000 to 4,500 MW intended to serve the California RPS market.


Padoma Wind Power, LLC
Padoma Wind Power, LLC, is a subsidiary of Enel North America, Inc.


Pattern Energy Group LP
Pattern Energy is an independent, fully integrated energy company that develops, constructs, owns, and operates clean power projects and transmission assets across North America and parts of Latin America. Pattern Energy commenced operations in June of 2009 as one of the most experienced and best-capitalized clean energy and transmission development companies in the U.S. when Riverstone Holdings LLC purchased Babcock & Brown's thriving North American energy development team and development pipeline to form Pattern Energy.


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.


Sapphos Environmental, Inc.
Sapphos Environmental, Inc. is an environmental consulting firm specializing in resolving regulatory compliance issues involving the project applicant, regulatory agencies, environmental organizations and the public. Sapphos Environmental, Inc. has extensive experience supporting complex and controversial alternative energy projects with environmental compliance and documentation, environmental planning and geographic information systems, biological resources, cultural resources, and hazardous materials.


Siemens Energy
Siemens Energy is the world's leading supplier of a complete spectrum of products, services and solutions for the generation, transmission and distribution of power and for the extraction, conversion and transport of oil and gas. For the wind power industry, Siemens Energy provides highly advanced wind turbines and services for onshore and offshore wind farms. With decades of experience, the company has earned its reputation for robust equipment by delivering excellence in performance and availability. Recently announced, Siemens offers the new SWT-2.3-113 direct drive wind turbine for low to moderate wind conditions, featuring a permanent magnet generator and 50 percent fewer parts.


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.


Terra-Gen Power
Terra-Gen Power is a renewable energy company focused on geothermal, wind and solar generation. Terra-Gen Power owns 831 MW (net equity) in twenty-one operating renewable energy projects across the Western United States. Terra-Gen is actively developing wind energy projects, with an emphasis on the west and mid-west regions of the United States. We have a significant development effort underway in Tehachapi, California involving up to 3100 MW's of wind energy, with the first 1500 MW's committed to Southern California Edison under a long-term PPA.


Wind Stream Properties, LLC
Wind Stream Properties was formed in 1981 as one of the country's earliest developers of wind energy. The principals of Wind Stream have led the development of hundreds of MegaWatts of capacity, and have served the industry as senior officers of some of America's premier wind energy corporations.


Vestas
Vestas is the world leader in supplying high-tech wind power systems, and the preferred provider of wind turbines, services and solutions in North America. Since 1979, Vestas has supplied more than 41,000 wind turbines in 65 countries. Vestas sold its first wind turbine in North America in 1981 and since has supplied more than 11,000 turbines to the United States and Canada. The company's North American manufacturing operations are based in Colorado. Vestas has R&D offices in Texas, Massachusetts and Colorado, and the global headquarters is in Randers, Denmark.


Sponsors


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.


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Join CalWEA

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.


LevelType of CompanyDuesVotesNotes / Benefits
Tier 1Project owners and developers$35,0003Member of CalWEA; eligible to serve on all CalWEA committees. Receive all communications.
Tier 2Major equipment suppliers$20,0002"
Tier 3Small vendors, subcontractors and consultants$10,0001"
SponsorshipCompanies that wish to support our activities but whose internal policies do not allow membership or are otherwise unable to join at a higher level.Case-by-case as determined by Board.0Non-voting member of CalWEA. Participation in CalWEA committees as determined by the Board.



Note: Contributions or gifts to CALWEA are not tax deductible as charitable contributions. However, they may be tax deductible as ordinary and necessary business expenses.

CalWEA's PAC increases our influence in Sacramento. The expectation is that members will contribute an amount equal to 10% of their dues to our PAC.

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, 1700 Shattuck Ave., Box 17, Berkeley CA 94709-1636

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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Accomplishments and Goals

California Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS)
In 2002, CalWEA was integrally involved in negotiating and lobbying for California's RPS legislation, which requires the state's utilities to acquire 20% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2010, creating the largest state market for renewable energy. (See graphic, below.) For this work, 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."

As of 2nd quarter 2009, this legislation has produced nearly 10,000 MW of contracted renewable energy capacity, including 40 contracts for about 4,000 MW of wind energy, of which 900 MW are operational. Much of the rest of this capacity is awaiting the construction of transmission upgrades that have been spurred by the law.

CalWEA is currently engaged in advocating effective 33%-by-2020 RPS legislation.




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"; and to ensure the eligibility of out-of-state renewables that deliver power into the state.


Wind Integration Studies
CalWEA engages in all state agency and CAISO studies and proceedings to ensure that the grid-integration costs and capacity values attributed to wind energy resources are appropriately measured and valued. The CPUC has adopted values from CEC 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. CalWEA will continue to guard against the utilities assigning unduly low capacity credit values and unduly high integration costs on wind bidders in the RPS procurement process.


CAISO Issues
In 2001, CalWEA developed the framework underlying the Participating Intermittent Resources Program, adopted under Amendment 42 of the CAISO tariff. 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 were imposing significant costs on participating wind projects.
In 2007 and 2008, CalWEA was deeply in engaged in the CAISO's efforts to reform the dysfunctional generator interconnection process. CalWEA proposed several core elements of the policies that were ultimately adopted in the CAISO's Generator Interconnection Process Reform (GIPR) Initiative.


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Transmission
The 5,000+ MW Tehachapi wind resource will be central to meeting the state's RPS goals. 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 sought 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 Renewable Transmission Plan (TRTP), 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. The TRTP will be constructed in phases and completed in early 2013.

CalWEA is now deeply engaged in California's Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative (RETI) to study and develop a transmission upgrade plan to support the development of other renewable-rich areas of the state and bordering areas. CalWEA has been advocating that the RETI plan be provided to the CAISO for use in its existing transmission planning / generator interconnection process.


Siting & Permitting
CalWEA has been actively engaged in promoting rational siting laws and policies. CalWEA actively participated in the development of California's 2007 wind-avian Guidelines, and in 2008 documented the lack of scientific foundation for many of the recommendations in those Guidelines. In 2009, CalWEA will begin conducting CEC-funded research to improve the scientific basis for the Guidelines. CalWEA is also promoting CEQA streamlining for low-impact wind energy projects.


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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. The utilities are now actively seeking repowering agreements.


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. CalWEA has also engaged in how the CPUC will implement the federal PURPA going forward.


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Fast Facts about California Wind Energy

+ As a result of strong public policy, California was the first U.S. state in which large wind energy projects were developed, beginning in the early 1980's.

+ Wind energy projects totaling 3,141 MW of capacity are operating in California today, providing enough electricity to power about 829,000 California households. 1 This represents a near-doubling of capacity since California's RPS law was adopted in 2002.

+ Wind energy projects comprise most of the development that has occurred under California's renewable energy law as of 2010.

View figure larger >>>


Read More Fast Facts >>>





Highlights

An Editorial: CalWEA Executive Director Answers the Question: Is the RPS Working? Read more >>>

Nature Writer Bill McKibben -- “[W]hat we need to say is: every bird, and everything else that we know, is fundamentally at risk in the next few decades. In the name of birds, I want that windmill on my ridge. In the name of wild beauty, I want that windmill out my window……” Read more >>>

The Birds and The Breeze - from Sierra Magazine, “According to a 2003 study of 4,700 turbines located outside California, each killed 2.3 birds per year. That's a tiny number compared with the hundreds of millions of birds that fall prey to cats every year……and it pales in comparison to the number of birds and other creatures that would be killed by catastrophic global warming.” Read more >>>

CalWEA addresses wind energy’s reliability in this Energy Circuit Editorial – “The initial results from a California Energy Commission study show that the California grid has the technical capability to include 20 percent intermittent generation under a 33 per­cent renewable goal without the need for significant new resources to accommodate the variability of these intermittent renewables.” Read more >>>