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Colorado Renewables & Conservation CollaborativeThe Colorado Renewables and Conservation Collaborative (CRCC) is an informal collaborative effort between the renewable energy industry and the conservation community to constructively address conservation concerns related to renewable energy development in Colorado. Specifically, the group wishes to develop tools to assist the renewable energy industry to reach its project development and transmission goals while simultaneously enabling the conservation community to meet its goals. Ultimately, the participants in the CRCC hope the collaboration will result in a high-performing renewable energy industry and the preservation of the opportunity to conserve vibrant prairie and mountain ecosystems in Colorado. Success of the CRCC effort will provide the renewable energy community with cost-effective tools, a predictable and consistent development environment, and enhancement of the industry’s brand equity. For the environmental community, the benefits of the CRCC effort will include reduced impacts to important plants, animals, and habitats and an enhanced ability for the conservation community to achieve its landscape-level goals. The CRCC was launched initially by the Interwest Energy Alliance and The Nature Conservancy in August 2008 with assistance from the American Wind Wildlife Institute, and the group meets roughly every six weeks to review work plans and progress toward goals. The CRCC is currently focused on wind energy. PARTICIPANTS Renewables Industry:
Conservation Community:
Other organizations observing the effort and providing important contributions include the Colorado Division of Wildlife, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, utilities, and consulting firms. CURRENT GOALS
STRUCTURE The CRCC and four subject area work groups are all co-led and staffed by members of the conservation and wind energy communities. The work groups are:
ACTIONS AND RESULTS Site Selection and Mitigation Framework: CRCC is developing a science-based site selection and mitigation framework that describes avoidance, minimization, and/or mitigation actions appropriate to a range of environmental impacts that have a nexus with wind energy development. CRCC reached consensus on a set of species and ecosystems/habitats that may be impacted by wind development in eastern Colorado and is drafting best conservation practices for them. Final determinations on species and habitats to include in the framework will be made based on the scientific merits of the nexus between wind energy and the species or ecosystems of concern. An iterative review and refinement of the best practices by all parties will strive to deliver a framework that is scientifically robust and financially feasible. The Framework work group is also seeking to develop an internet-based decision tree that would enable developers to quickly access natural resource maps and information and then step through a set of questions that would guide them to best practices for species and habitats associated with their development sites. Implementation: In December 2009 and February 2009, members of CRCC including Interwest Energy Alliance jointly submitted comments to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) under a renewable energy rulemaking docket. The comments were designed to promote the development of rules that would reduce environmental impacts associated with wind developments through the development of best conservation practices for renewable energy development in the state. The PUC is expected to issue revised rules under the current docket before the end of 2009. In the interim, outreach efforts are ongoing with utilities and the PUC to explore concepts for an incentive-oriented system for implementing the site selection and mitigation framework. Research: The Research work group is working to identify important questions that relate to wind and wildlife issues and in developing projects and partnerships to answer those questions. Development members have supported research proposals submitted by conservation members, and relationships are developing that should lead to pertinent research projects that will help all participants advance the state of understanding of wind and wildlife issues. Education and Outreach: CRCC meetings frequently feature brown-bag presentations given by members and partner organizations. Past brown bags have included discussions of mitigation projects supported by the wind industry, The Nature Conservancy’s “Energy by Design” tool, and “Biology 101s” on eastern Colorado plants and animals. These and other programs are intended to educate all members about the objectives, philosophies, tools, and methods of participant organizations. Programs are also being developed to educate other important stakeholders. CRCC CO-LEADERS:
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