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The Renewable Energy Atlas of the West,
produced by the Land and Water Fund of the Rockies and NW
Seed, is designed as a
resource for policy makers, advocates, landowners, developers
and others interested in furthering the production of
electricity from renewable wind, solar, geothermal and biomass
energy resources. Utilizing state-of-the-art GIS
technology, it brings together the best existing renewable resource maps and
data into a single comprehensive, publicly available document and
interactive Web site. It does not provide a new regional assessment of
renewable resources, but rather shows the current understanding of these
resources throughout the West and highlights the issues affecting their
development. In addition, it identifies areas where new data are needed in
order to more accurately represent the region’s renewable energy
resources.
While the maps contained in this Atlas do not
eliminate the need for on-site resource measurement, they can
help developers gain a better understanding of where the best
renewable resource areas are found and screen out the less
promising areas. This can significantly minimize the cost and
time involved in prospecting. Landowners can use the
information for a first-cut feasibility analysis of using
renewable resources to supply electrical power to their homes,
farms, ranches and businesses, while policymakers will find it
a useful tool for broader planning purposes.
The Atlas begins with an overview of regional
maps of the wind, solar, biomass and geothermal resources. The
second section describes the current status of renewable
energy development, including a summary of the region’s
current electricity supply mix and a map of the locations and
installed capacity of existing renewable energy facilities. A
regional map shows state-level policies, including tax
incentives, system benefits charges and portfolio standards,
which have been implemented in several states to stimulate the
development of renewable energy. The final section in the
overview addresses important issues to consider in developing
new renewable energy projects, including transmission
capacity, load growth, land use and environmental impacts.
The Atlas continues with individual sections
for each of the eleven Western states: Arizona, California,
Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah,
Washington and Wyoming. Each state section features success
stories of renewable energy development, state level maps of
wind, solar, biomass and geothermal resources and summaries of
existing policies, installed renewable energy facilities and
the current electricity supply mix. The final sections of the
Atlas include a glossary, a technical notes section, and a
list of resources for further information.
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