2000 Wind Conference Presentations

SPEAKERS BIOGRAPHIES AND PRESENTATIONS

SOUTH DAKOTA WIND ENERGY CONFERENCE

October 18-19, 2000

JIM ASHLEY, XCEL ENERGY

ROBERT B. BERGSTROM, FLORIDA POWER AND LIGHT

Robert Bergstrom is Florida Power and Light's energy project director for wind business development in the midwest United States. Mr. Bergstrom is currently developing more than 200 MWs of new wind generating capacity to be installed in the midwest prior to the expiration of the production tax credits. Mr. Bergstrom is an attorney and holds a law degree from Drake Law School in Des Moines, Iowa and a BA degree from Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. From 1986 to 1998 Mr. Bergstrom was legal counsel to investor owned utilities, first in Iowa, and later to Florida Power & Light Company. His practice focused in large part on environmental matters. He retains an active but reduced legal practice. Mr. Bergstrom has held a variety of roles at FPL Energy and Florida Power and Light, most recently he did a two-year tour as plant general manager for Florida Power & Light's Putman plant, a 500 MW combined cycle gas fired generating plant.

LORI BIRD, NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY
(Presentation)

Ms. Bird is an energy analyst for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory specializing in the analysis of markets for green power and policies that support the development of renewables. She has co-authored several reports and articles on utility green pricing, competitive green power marketing, and renewable energy policy. She maintains the Green Power Network, a web-based clearinghouse of information on green power marketing activities and utility green pricing programs, both domestic and international. Before joining NREL, she worked as a consultant for DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Denver and Hagler Bailly Consulting in Boulder. Colorado. She holds a master's degree in Environmental Studies from Yale University’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

DAVID BLECKER, EARTH ENERGY SYSTEMS
(Presentation)

COMMISSIONER JIM BURG, SOUTH DAKOTA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION

Jim Burg is a farmer, businessman, soldier and a public servant. Jim is a 1963 graduate of South Dakota State University, a past state 4-H president, a past board member of the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and past board member and secretary-treasurer of the South Dakota Retailers Association. Jim served in the South Dakota National Guard from 1963 until 1990 when he retired with the rank of Lt. Colonel. Jim served in the South Dakota House of Representatives from 1975-1984 and the State Senate during the 1985-1986 term. He was elected to the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission in 1986, 1992 and 1998, and elected Chairman in 1989 and again in 1997. He is currently a member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Committee on Electricity, the Administration Subcommittee and the Board of Directors as well as Chairman of Washington Action. He is immediate past president of the Mid-American Regulatory Commissioners (MARC). Jim currently serves on the Advisory Board of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). Jim and his wife Bernice raised five children on their family farm just east of Wessington Springs, South Dakota (about midway between Sioux Falls and the State Capitol of Pierre).

ANGELA CHEN, IOWA DEPARTMENT OF NATUAL RESOURCES
(Presentation)

Ms. Chen is an Executive Officer for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources in Des Moines. Prior to become an Executive Officer in March of 1998, Ms. Chen was the Senior Engineer(from 1993 to 1998) and Environmental Engineer 2 (HVAC selective, 1991 to 1993) for the Energy Bureau of the Department. During her engineering career with the Department, Ms. Chen reviewed energy engineering studies, economic feasibility studies for both building energy efficiency projects and renewable energy projects, and life cycle cost analyses. She also authored grant proposals and established guidelines on how to conduct and review engineering studies for the Bureau. She is currently responsible for the development and implementation of Iowa's renewable energy programs, the state's energy emergency preparedness efforts, the residential energy management program, the agricultural energy management program, and energy related environmental impact assessment activities. Ms. Chen is a registered professional mechanical engineer. She received B.Sc., M. Sc. and Ph.D. degrees, all in engineering.

LISA DANIELS, WINDUSTRY
(Presentation)

Lisa Daniels is Director of Windustry, whose mission is to promote community-based wind energy by providing education, outreach and technical assistance to rural landowners, local communities and utilities, as well as state, regional and nonprofit group collaborations. Windustry focuses on economic development from wind energy, valuation of environmental benefits, and distributed generation. Ms. Daniels has been providing wind energy information and technical assistance to farmers, elected officials, rural utilities and other interested groups since 1995. Windustry started as a project of Sustainable Resources Center and is now affiliated with the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, a non-profit organization based in Minneapolis. Windustry is one of four founding partners of the Minnesota Sustainable Energy for Economic Development (SEED) coalition of more than 25 energy, environmental and rural economic interests. Currently, Ms. Daniels also serves as the Wind Energy Coordinator for the High Plains SEED, a coalition of energy and environmental advocates from seven states in the Midwest. From 1991 to 1995, Ms. Daniels worked as one of two staff to help launch Minnesotans for an Energy Efficient Economy. Ms. Daniels' background includes more than twelve years designing, developing and delivering methods to provide technical assistance for computers in corporate and community education settings, in the San Francisco Bay Area and in the Twin Cities. She came to the energy/environment work in the early 1980s volunteering to help create Econet with the Farrallones Institute, in Berkeley, California. Ms. Daniels received a B.S. in Business Management from Bentley College in Waltham, Massachusetts.

PHIL DOUGHERTY, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY / WIND POWERING AMERICA
(Presentation)

JOHN R. DUNLOP, AMERICAN WIND ENERGY ASSOCIATION

John Dunlop is the manager of the American Wind Energy Association's regional office located in Minneapolis, serving the nine northern plains states. He also has a renewable energy consulting firm, and is a former manager of renewable energy programs in the Minnesota state energy office. He is a licensed professional engineer, with degrees in mechanical engineering and physics.

JIM EDWARDS, EAST RIVER ELECTRIC POWER COOPERATIVE
(Presentation)

Jim Edwards is Assistant General Manager of Operations at East River Electric Power Cooperative in Madison, South Dakota. Jim is a native of Brookings, South Dakota. He is a professional engineer with a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from South Dakota State University and a Master's degree in Engineering from University of Colorado. Jim has eighteen years of experience working for electrical utilities around the country.

DEB FISCHER-CLEMENS, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE REPRESENTATIVE

Deb Fischer-Clemens is a South Dakota State Representative from District 20. She was first elected to the House in 1995. Deb serves on the House Commerce, House Retirement Laws and House State Affairs Committees in the Legislature. She is a nursing professional with over 20 years of experience in providing quality patient care. She is an active participant in many nursing, community and state organizations. Deb earned her MS degree from the College of St. Francis, Joliet, IL, and her BSN degree from Mt. Marty College, Yankton, SD. Deb resides in Mitchell, SD, and is the Director of Intensive Care, Medical Swingbed Units for the Queen of Peace Hospital in Mitchell, SD.

LARRY FLOWERS, NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY

Mr. Flowers is a team leader at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's National Wind Technology Center in Golden, CO, with principal responsibilities for Wind Powering America and International Village Power. He has been at NREL for 20 years, with responsibilities in solar, thermal, buildings, utility, industrial, international and wind applications. He has spent the last 8 years in wind technology with an emphasis on village and international systems. He was assigned the WPA national initiative lead in October of 1999. Prior to NREL, Mr. Flowers worked in the aluminum industry in manufacturing, applications engineering, and marketing. He has degrees in Engineering and Business Administration.

TROY GAGLIANO, NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF STATE LEGISLATURES
(Presentation)

Troy Gagliano is a Research Analyst in the Energy, Environment & Transportation department at the National Conference of State Legislatures. NCSL is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to improve the quality and effectiveness of legislatures of the nation's 50 states, its commonwealths, and territories. Mr. Gagliano provides valuable support to NCSL's Energy Project, where his work presently focuses on renewable energy and energy efficiency. He holds an M.A. in International Public Policy.

BRENT GALE, MIDAMERICAN ENERGY COMPANY
(Presentation)

Brent Gale, Vice President-Legislation and Regulation for MidAmerican Energy Company, Des Moines, Iowa, has responsibility for strategic development and representation of MidAmerican's interests in North America regarding electric and gas industry restructuring. He has served in various legal, regulatory and strategic positions with MidAmerican and its predecessors since 1976. He attended Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, receiving a Juris Doctorate degree in 1976 and a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1972. He is licensed to practice law in all state courts in Iowa, before the Federal Court for the Southern District of Illinois and before the District of Columbia Circuit. He is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association and EEI Legal Committee and has served terms on the board of the Administrative Law Section of the Iowa State Bar Association. During his career, he has spoken before numerous consumer, industry, and national and international regulatory conferences, most recently upon the topics of electric industry restructuring, alternative regulation and unbundled services. Mr. Gale has participated extensively in the negotiation and drafting of electric and gas restructuring legislation in several states and at the federal level.

CLARE GIESEN, SPECIAL ADVISOR FOR RENEWABLE TECHNOLOGIES, RVS

CHARLES GOODMAN, FARMER/LAND-OWNER

Chuck Goodman is a retired small farm land owner from Alta, Iowa. He has three wind turbines on his farm. Chuck has given over 60 wind farm tours in his area and has spoken to over 1500 people on his tours.

ROBERT GOUGH, INTERTRIBAL COUNCIL ON UTILITY POLICY

Robert Gough is an attorney with graduate degrees in sociology and cultural anthropology, specializing in cultural ecology, who has worked with Indian Tribes on cultural and natural resource issues over the past twenty years. He was the 1997 Indian Law Fellow at the University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, specializing in research on energy and telecommunications utilities and tribal jurisdiction. In 2000, he is the El Paso Energy Research Fellow at the Natural Resources Law Center, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, working on technical and policy issues involved in connecting reservation based renewable generation onto the federal grid. Mr. Gough was the first Director of the Rosebud Sioux Tribal Utility Commission, and presently serves as a consulting attorney to that commission, participating in negotiations with the Western Area Power Administration for allocations of federal hydroelectric power to the MniSose Intertribal Water Rights Coalition of Tribes in the Missouri River basin. Mr. Gough currently serves as a Rosebud Sioux Tribe delegate to, and the Secretary of, the Intertribal Council On Utility Policy, an organization created to provide information on rights and resources for utility services on tribal lands with respect to regulatory authority, legislation, policy, and economic opportunity through partnerships in telecommunications and energy development. Intertribal COUP is composed of federally recognized Indian tribes in North and South Dakota and affiliates throughout the Great Plains. Mr. Gough is co-chair of the Native Peoples/Native Homelands Climate Change Workshop, part of the national assessment on climate change and variability through the United States Global Change Research Program. He also maintains a private practice in indigenous rights.

KENNETH HACH, CLIPPER WINDPOWER, LLC

Kenneth Hach has been in the wind energy field for over twenty years. He first joined Zond in 1985 and has worked in various capacities of project development and management for Zond and others since that time. Mr. Hach has installed wind systems in five Midwest states and has worked with over two dozen utilities on wind system's inteconnects. In addition to his work with Zond, Mr. Hach has developed seven hydro projects with a total capacity of 45 MW and completed the tax exempt bond financing for $20,780,000 on the last project in Illinois. He has developed two cogeneration projects with an installed capacity of 15MW. Mr. Hach received his B.A. in Business Administration from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and has completed additional advanced courses since then. Mr. Hach was the Midwest Regional Manager for Enron Wind where he headed up the largest three wind projects in the world: 107MW and 103MW in Minnesota and 194.5 MW in Iowa. The number of turbines installed due to Mr. Hach's development work since 1998 is 547 Zond 750kw turbines totaling 410.25 MW. Today, Mr. Hach is Vice President of Clipper Windpower, LLC, a new development company of very experienced people. Jim Dehlsen, the founder of Zond Systems is also the founder and chairman of Clipper Windpower, LLC.

RICK HALET, XCEL ENERGY

Rick Halet has been involved with NSP wind research and development activities since 1980 when he was project manager for the NSP wind resource assessment project. He is currently the account manager for NSP's largest wind developments and project manager of the NSP wind phase IV competitive bid process for up to 80 MW of additional wind generation. Rick's relevant wind related work responsibilities include: Instructor University of Wisconsin-Madison seminar titled "Developing Successful Wind Energy Farms; NSP Project Manager for the North Dakota Wind Resource Assessment Program; NSP Project Manager Battelle Wind Turbulence Characterization Study; Manager of NSP Wind Resource Assessment Program (WRAP); Speaker, American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) Windpower '93 "A Primer on Wind Technologies for Utilities" Pre-Conference Seminar; Speaker, "Independent Power Co-Generation Plant Operations & Maintenance" Conference; Speaker, "Prairie Wind Resource Conference" Bismarck, North Dakota; and Member, US Department of Energy Sponsored Joint Science and Trade mission to Poland.

JAY HALEY, EAPC ARCHITECTS ENGINEERS
(Presentation)

Jay is a Mechanical Engineer and Associate with EAPC Architects Engineers, a full service architectural and engineering firm in Grand Forks, ND. He spent six years as Engineering Director for an aerospace manufacturing firm, and then nine years as an energy research engineer. He's been involved in wind energy since 1983. Jay has worked on wind energy projects with every tribe in North Dakota. He helped organize statewide windsmith training workshops for the people involved in maintaining the five utility-scale wind turbines currently operating in North Dakota. Jay recently assisted the Griggs-Steele Wind Development Group in North Dakota in the planning and preparation of a bid for an 80 MW wind farm in response to Xcel Energy's upcoming requirement. He is currently assisting communities throughout North Dakota in their plans to develop wind energy. Over the last year Jay has presented to more than 1000 landowners at 22 community meetings.

HENNING HANSEN

DON JONES, XCEL ENERGY
(Presentation)

RONALD LEHR, ATTORNEY

Ronald L. Lehr practices law and consults clients about energy and telecommunications regulation and business matters. Current assignments include work for a national laboratory, national trade organizations, and private firms on renewable energy and distributed resources strategies, commercialization, and collaboration. He also provides expert testimony in utility merger, anti-trust, and government claim litigation. He served for seven years, from 1984 to 1991, as Chairman and Commissioner of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. He serves on corporate and foundation boards of directors and boards of advisors. He recently completed terms as an appointed member of a panel charged to make recommendations on electric industry restructuring to the Colorado General Assembly, and as President and Commissioner of the Denver Board of Water Commissioners, the water utility for Denver and surrounding suburban areas.

STEVE MACKEN, NATIONAL WIND POWER
(Presentation) and AWEA 2000 Paper - NWP GM

Steve graduated in Electrical and Electrical Engineering from City University, London, in 1986, where he was sponsored by British Aerospace. He worked there as an aircraft systems engineer, then project manager until 1993, when he joined the development team at National Wind Power (NWP) in the UK. He moved to Oakland, California last year with NWP, where he works with Orion Energy, NWP's US development partners since 1998. He is responsible throughout the process of developing a wind farm, from site identification and acquisition through permitting and financing to the establishment of an operational wind farm. National Wind Power is the UK's most successful wind farm developer, and currently owns and operates 150MW (over 40%) of the UK's wind capacity. In the US, it completed the 30MW Delaware Mountain Wind Farm in Texas in June 1999, the 10.4MW Green Mountain Wind Farm in Pennsylvania, and has just started work on its 82.5MW Indian Mesa Wind Farm in west Texas. In working together in the US, the NWP/Orion Energy team jointly draws upon the expertise of over 40 dedicated staff and 10 years developing, building, financing and operating wind farms world wide.

CRAIG MOSER, SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF SENATOR TIM JOHNSON

JIM NICHOLS, DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, LAKE BENTON, MN

Jim Nichols is the Director of Economic Development for the City of Lake Benton. Mr. Nichols is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, Morris, and has also completed graduate work at South Dakota State University. He has served as both a Minnesota State Senator and as the Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner. Mr. Nichols has also acted as the Director of Economic Development for Sibley County, Springfield, and Lincoln County.

DALE OSBORN

SCOTT PARSLEY, EAST RIVER ELECTRIC POWER COOPERATIVEScott started his career at East River Electric Power Cooperative in January of 1986. He has held positions as Rural Development Specialist, Staff Assistant and his current position as Assistant General Manager for Member Systems. Scott has held this position since December of 1990. In this position he is responsible for the marketing, communications, economic development and legislative activities of the cooperative.

Scott has been married to his wife Valerie, a high school principal, for 25 years. They have three children: Nick 14, Caitie 11, and Chrissy 5. Scott is a graduate of Dordt College and holds a degree in Political Science. He and his family live in Madison, South Dakota.

GABRIEL PETLIN, NATIONAL WIND COORDINATING c/o RESOLVE, INC.
(Presentation)

As Policy Analyst/Senior Outreach Coordinator for the National Wind Coordinating Committee (NWCC) at RESOLVE, Gabe Petlin identifies and communicates with stakeholders to assess their needs and identify events or opportunities for the NWCC to work with individuals and stakeholder groups on wind energy issues. He assists as needed in design and facilitation of NWCC plenary meetings, regional forums, work group meetings and conference calls where wind policy and technical issues are discussed. Mr. Petlin conducts research and analysis of wind transmission issues, prepares materials on key wind topics for NWCC members to use in the regions, and assists with the management and facilitation of NWCC consensus documents. He maintains a calendar of wind-related regional events and arranges opportunities for NWCC members to attend regional events and share NWCC products and ideas. Mr. Petlin maintains an awareness of wind energy activity in the US and prepares outreach presentation materials describing the work of the NWCC.

Prior to joining RESOLVE, Mr. Petlin served as an associate with CONCUR, Inc.(Berkeley, CA), an environmental mediation firm specializing in natural resource and land use planning disputes. At CONCUR, he provided services in research, policy analysis, business development, and dispute resolution training. Mr. Petlin has worked in Mozambique, Paraguay and Mexico and speaks Spanish and Portuguese. Mr. Petlin received a Master of Arts in Urban and Environmental Policy from Tufts University and a Masters of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy from Tufts University. He also received a Bachelor of Science from the University of California at Berkeley in Conservation and Resource Studies.

CHRISTOPHER Y. REED, MOORHEAD PUBLIC SERVICE

Christopher Reed is the Director of Energy Services and Marketing for Moorhead Public Service, the municipal electric and water utility for Moorhead. Prior to holding this position, Reed directed energy programs for the cities of Moorhead and Wolverton, Minnesota. Christopher has received several awards from the U. S. Department of Energy and the State of Minnesota for his work in energy conservation. Reed holds a BS in Energy Management from Moorhead State University and a MS in Building Science/Forest Products from the University of Minnesota. Reed, his son Tom and daughter Lilias live on a small farm near Wolverton, Minnesota.

MIKE ROPP, SDSU

Mike Ropp is an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at SDSU. A South Dakota native, he holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in Atlanta, where his doctoral work included integration of renewable energy into utility grids. He is presently working in the area of distributed generation, particularly photovoltaics and windpower.

JIM SCHADE, FORMER DIRECTOR OF PROPERTY AND TAX MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE
(Presentation)

Jim Schade served as Deputy Commissioner of School and Public Lands in Pierre from 1986-1990. From 1990-1993 Jim was the Taxpayer Advocate for the South Dakota Department of Revenue. In 1993 Jim was appointed Division Director of the Property Tax Division in the Department of Revenue, where he served until January 1998. Since then Jim has served as the Development Counselor for the South Dakota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located at Augustana College, Sioux Falls, SD.

EDWARD WEBER, WESTERN AREA POWER ADMINISTRATION

Mr. Ed Weber has worked for Western Area Power Administration for over 20 years in the areas of System Planning, Engineering, and Operations and is presently the Transmission System Planning Manager for the Upper Great Plains Region. Mr. Weber is very active in Regional planning groups and has served on several committees of the Mid-continent Area Power Pool. He is presently serving as the Chairman of the North American Electric Reliability Council, Reliability Subcommittee. Mr. Weber has published numerous articles and papers on transmission planning and reliability. He is a senior member of IEEE and NSPE.

JIM WILCOX, XCEL ENERGY

DAN ZIEBARTH, EAST RIVER ELECTRIC POWER COOPERATIVE
(Presentation)

Mr. Ziebarth was raised in Madison, SD. He attended SDSU and received his BS in Civil Engineering. He joined East River Electric Cooperative in 1997 and works as an engineering aide, surveyor, and draftsman.