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Wind Energy on the Horizon in British Columbia. a Review and Evaluation of the British Columbia Wind Energy Planning Framework

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Wind Energy on the Horizon in British Columbia. a Review and Evaluation of the British Columbia Wind Energy Planning Framework WIND ENERGY ON THE HORIZON IN BRITISH COLUMBIA. A REVIEW AND EVALUATION OF THE BRITISH COLUMBIA WIND ENERGY PLANNING FRAMEWORK. by Jason Day BSc, University of Calgary, 1996 PROJECT REPORT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF NATURAL RESOURCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA April 2011 ©Jason Day 2011 Library and Archives Bibliotheque et Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du 1+1 Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-87563-6 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-87563-6 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par I'lnternet, preter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans le loan, distrbute and sell theses monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non­ support microforme, papier, electronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in this et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. Ni thesis. Neither the thesis nor la these ni des extraits substantiels de celle-ci substantial extracts from it may be ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement printed or otherwise reproduced reproduits sans son autorisation. without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne sur la Privacy Act some supporting forms protection de la vie privee, quelques may have been removed from this formulaires secondaires ont ete enleves de thesis. cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires aient inclus dans in the document page count, their la pagination, il n'y aura aucun contenu removal does not represent any loss manquant. of content from the thesis. Canada ABSTRACT This study examines the wind energy planning frameworks from ten North American jurisdictions, drawing important lessons that British Columbia could use to build on its current model which has been criticized for its limited scope and restriction of local government powers. This study contributes to similar studies conducted by Kimrey (2006), Longston (2006), and Eriksen (2009). This study concludes that inclusion of wind resource zones delineated through strategic environmental assessment, programme assessment, and conducting research- oriented studies could improve the current British Columbia planning framework. The framework should also strengthen its bat impact assessment practices and incorporate habitat compensation. This research also builds upon Rosenberg's (2008) wind energy planning framework typologies. I conclude that the typology utilized in Texas should be employed in British Columbia in order to facilitate utilizing wind power. The only adaptation needed is the establishment of a cross-jurisdictional review committee for project assessment to address concerns about local involvement and site-specific environmental and social concerns. ii TABLE or CONTENTS lncRoouccion 1 Introduction to the Research 2 The Gap in Knowledge 3 The Goals and Objectives 6 The Research Question 7 Rationale for the Research 8 Contribution of this Study 9 Limitations of the Research 9 Organization of the Report 10 LiceRacune Revieiu 11 The Wind Energy Planning Framework 12 Defining 'Planning Framework' 12 Influence of Planning Frameworks on Wind Power Utilization 14 The Influence of General Characteristics 14 What are the Results? 16 An Example From Wales 21 What is a Wind Farm? 23 Introduction 23 Components of a Commercial Wind Farm 25 Land Requirements of Wind Farms 28 Key Environmental and Socio-Economic Issues 30 Beyond the Abstract Characterizations: What are the Actual Environmental and Social Impacts of Wind Power? 31 Wind Power Discourse 36 General Discourse Surrounding Wind Power 36 Wind Discourse In British Columbia 39 Lesson-Drawing 43 What is Lesson-Drawing? 43 What Jurisdiction Parameters Influence Policy Transferability? 46 Summary 48 ReseaRch Design ano mechoos 50 Research approach 51 Method 51 Literature Review 52 Comparative Policy Analysis 52 Content Analysis 53 Foreshadowing Questions 55 Planning Framework Documents 57 Companacive Policy analysis op Cen juRisoiccions 60 Introduction 61 Jurisdictional Factors 64 Typologies of Wind Energy Planning Frameworks 72 Comparative Policy Analysis Using Content Analysis 76 Introduction 76 Code 77 iii Description of the Wind Energy Planning Frameworks 78 Wind Resource Zones 79 Impacts to Bats 80 Impacts on Aesthetics 81 Electrical Rate Implications 82 Consideration of Post-Construction Reclamation 82 Strategic Environmental Assessment 83 Cumulative Effects Assessment 83 Local Powers 83 Other Features of the Planning Frameworks 84 Goals 84 Habitat and Wedand Compensation 84 Assessing the Programme and Research-Oriented Studies 85 Lesson-Drawing 85 Summary 86 Bmcish Columbia Lesson DROUJing 87 Introduction 88 Jurisdictional Factors 93 Deductive Content Analysis 94 Description of the Wind Energy Planning Framework 94 Opportunities for Lesson-Drawing 95 Wind Resource Zones 96 Impacts to Bats 97 Electrical Rate Implications 97 Strategic Environmental Assessment and Cumulative Effects Assessment 97 Habitat and Wedand Compensation 98 Assessing the Programme and Research-Oriented Studies 98 Summary 98 Conclusion ano Recommeoacion 100 Summary and Conclusion 101 Resolution of the Research Question 102 Recommendations for Lesson-Drawing in British Columbia 102 Future study 106 Repepences 107 Literature Cited 108 Appenoix 1. Cooing UJoRksheec 121 iv LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Natural, social, and systemic factors that will serve to characterize jurisdictions and possibly correlate to any convergence or divergence in planning frameworks 47 Table 2 List of documents that represent the provincial/state level wind energy planning framework of each of the eleven jurisdictions to be analyzed 57 Table 3 Natural, social, and systemic factors of ten North American jurisdictions 65 Table 4 List of bird and bat species present in British Columbia implicated to be at risk from wind farms in literature 92 Table 5 Natural, social, and systemic factors of British Columbia 93 Table 6 Presence/absence of planning framework features in the British Columbian wind energy planning framework that are to be considered for lesson-drawing 95 Table A.1 The coding worksheet of the inductive and deductive content analysis conducted on eleven Provincial-/State-level wind energy planning frameworks in North America. Table A.2 The initial coding and subsequent flocculation of codes, derived from content analysis, into mutually exclusive, but comprehensive categories for the administrative and goal mega- categories of eleven Provincial-/State-level wind energy planning frameworks in North America. Table A. 3 The initial coding and subsequent flocculation of codes, derived from content analysis, into mutually exclusive, but comprehensive categories for the ground rules mega-category of eleven Provincial-/State-level wind energy planning frameworks in North America. Table A.4 The initial coding and subsequent flocculation of codes, derived from content analysis, into mutually exclusive, but comprehensive categories for the main considerations mega- category of eleven Provincial-/State~level wind energy planning frameworks in North America. v LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Wind farm in Wales 23 Figure 2 Wind farm in different settings 24 Figure 3 Wind farm in different settings 25 Figure 4 Wind farms in different patterns and densities 26 Figure 5 Aerial view of a wind farm in eastern North America 27 Figure 6 Greenhouse gas emission sources in British Columbia, 2006 41 Figure 7 Schematic representing lesson-drawing methodology 45 Figure 8 Regions of wind farm operation in North America, 2008 62 Figure 9 One scenario in the United States of America, of wind power installation that may occur in order to meet the 20 x '30 initiative 64 Figure 10 Four wind energy planning framework typologies being utilized within North America 75 Figure 11 Installed wind power capacity (W/mz) and the planning framework typology of the jurisdiction studied. 76 vi ACKNO WLEDGEMENT AND DEDICA 1JON I would like to thank my wife, Deb, and kids, Ayla and Rhys, for the love, help and Apocalypse 21 support they provided to me over these 1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth. past years, as well as the patience they For the first heaven and the first earth was showed in sharing my time and our gone, and the sea is now no more. 2 And I money that went towards completing this John saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, program. Also, I would like to thank my coming down out of heaven from God, supervisors, Dr. Eric Rapaport and Dr. prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice from the throne, Orland Wilkerson, as well as my saying: Behold the tabernacle of God with committee member, Dr. Ken Otter, for men, and he will dwell with them. And they their guidance and advice over the past shall be his people; and God himself with few years. Thanks go out to Sea Breeze them shall be their God. 4 And God shall wipe Power and our federal government, via away all tears from their eyes: and death shall NSERC, for the generous financial support be no more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor they provided, as well as my former sorrow shall be any more, for the former employer, Stantec, for funding my trip out things are passed away. to Niagara Falls in order to present an early iteration of this research at CIPs Apocalypse 22 2009 conference. 1 And he shewed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
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