Bureau of Land Management Wind Energy Applications and Training Symposium; DD: 08/10/2010

IB 2010-095
Information Bulletin

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORBUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENTWASHINGTON, D.C. 20240http://www.blm.govAugust 5, 2010In Reply Refer To: 2800 (350) PEMS TRANSMISSION 08/06/2010Information Bulletin No. 2010-095To: All Field OfficialsFrom: Assistant Director, Minerals and Realty ManagementSubject: Bureau of Land Management Wind Energy Applications and Training SymposiumDD: 08/10/2010The Wind Energy Applications and Training Symposium will be held from August 31 through September 2, 2010, at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado. NREL and the Department of Energy (DOE), in partnership with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), invite you to participate in the workshop developed by NREL specifically for BLM personnel processing wind energy applications.The workshop will cover a wide variety of technologies, impacts, and issues involved with wind farm development on BLM lands. NREL staff will explain the technologies currently employed and provide insight about future trends of the wind industry. Representatives from the wind industry, including developers and manufacturers, will describe project development, construction, operation, and maintenance of wind farms. The workshop will include a field visit to NREL's turbine testing facilities where technologies that will be discussed during the symposium are studied.This session is open to 44 participants and selections will be based on the justifications submitted for each nominee as to his or her need to attend the course. Eligible candidates are Realty Specialists, Natural Resource Specialists, and Project Managers that are presently working on wind energy projects or Met tower applications, or who anticipate doing so in the near future.Although the Minerals and Realty Management Directorate (WO-300) will cover the cost of the registration fees for this course, travel and per diem will be paid by the nominee's office. Each state should submit a consolidated list of nominees to the Washington Office 350 Wind Energy Program Lead, Victor Lozano, no later than August 10, 2010. The following information must be submitted for each nominee: name, title, address, phone, email, citizenship, and justification as to why the nominee should attend the training. Upon selection, additional information will be sent to the participants including the agenda, time schedules, and accommodations. Any remaining slots not filled by BLM employees will be offered to other Federal agencies.For over a decade, wind energy has been the fastest growing energy technology worldwide, achieving an annual growth rate of over 30 percent. In the United States, the current total installed capacity is approximately 35,000 megawatts from wind projects. Nearly 437 megawatts of this installed capacity is located on Federal lands in the western U.S. managed by the BLM. Secretary Salazar has made implementation of renewable energy resources on public lands a high priority for all Interior agencies.We remain committed to maintaining a current knowledge-base for BLM employees on this robust and still emerging renewable energy program, offering a proactive course for completing the multi-faceted requirements of processing applications, adhering to environmental requirements, and managing the urgent need to develop Wind Energy on BLM-administered lands. We appreciate your continued support and assistance.If you have any questions regarding this Information Bulletin, please call me at 202-208-4201, or your staff may contact Victor Lozano, Wind Energy Program Lead, WO-350, at 202-912-7085.Signed by: Timothy R. Spisak, Acting, Assistant Director, Minerals and Realty ManagementAuthenticated by: Robert M. Williams Division of IRM Governance, WO-560