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Finding good places for wind towers with scores
WARM SPRINGS — Last month, the Bath County Board of Supervisors agreed to enter into a memorandum of understanding with James Madison University to field test the Virginia Renewables Site Scoring System, also known as VRS3, for wind energy utilities.
VRS3 is the result of a mandate in the Virginia Energy Plan, which was passed by the General Assembly in 2006, to develop numerical "scores" to analyze land as to its suitability for wind or solar energy systems.
Bath County attorney Michael Collins is reviewing the draft memorandum, and has not yet completed that work.
VRS3 is a screening tool that allows localities to assess sites and determine how suitable they are for wind plants. It consists of a workbook and Geographic Information System files provided by JMU. In order to complete the system, things like maps from a locality's comprehensive plan, zoning designations, and knowledge of scenic areas must come into the mix.
JMU prepared VRS3 under contract with the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy. That department is paying for the project.
VRS3 uses several criteria for scoring parcels of property. Under land use planning, these include compatibility with a county's comprehensive plan, consistency with local zoning ordinances, whether fragmentation would occur, and the degree of multi-party consultation that would be needed to put a wind energy plant on a parcel.
Under potential natural resource impacts, criteria include impacts to fish and wildlife, whether cold water streams exist on a property, impacts on plants, insects and natural heritage; and implications for forests, watersheds, special scenic vistas and overlooks.
The system is also designed to examine impacts on economically disadvantaged communities, environmental justice issues, what preferential land uses may be involved, whether cultural assets would be affected and the recreational value of the property involved,
According to a presentation made by Dr. Maria Papadakis of JMU June 18 at the Virginia Wind Energy Collaborative State Wind Symposium, the VRS3 must ac count for wind characteristics, proximity to power lines, potential impacts on natural and historic resources, compatibility with local land use plans, potential impacts on minority and disadvantaged communities and must allow standardized comparisons between scores. In addition, it must have an "ideal" or benchmark score.
VRS3 will help to determine which places are more or less suitable than others for constructing wind utilities, and why. Papadakis said it is designed primarily for land use planners.
She cited several limitations for the scoring system. These include the fact that someone will always be unhappy with the results, and that it's for guidance and not for actual siting. Also, there are major considerations not accounted for in the system, she said, such as Federal Aviation Administration regulations, view shed issues, and that the process could become rushed.
Scores obtained through VRS3 would allow tracts of land to be measured against an "ideal" maximum. That maximum will reflect a tract with no preliminary limitations for wind power facilities. Scores can be used to evaluate one tract compared with another; they would highlight strengths and weaknesses of different tracts for wind power development, allow communities to highlight sensitive places, and incorporate wind power into comprehensive plans and zoning.
There are three categories of wind power in the VRS3, according to Papadakis — Onsite facilities mainly for individual residential use, community facilities typically operated by individual communities, and larger, commercial facilities.
Winds are rated in classes one through six. Class one and two winds are rated as marginal for on-site facilities and unsuitable for others; class three winds are rated as appropriate for on-site, marginal to appropriate for community and unsuitable for utility; class four winds are appropriate for on-site and community and marginal for utility and class five or six winds are appropriate for all facilities.
Where only class one and two winds are present, the VRS3 is not needed.
— Mike Bollinger
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