Senior Project Leader-Urban and Regional Planning National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Denver, CO
Planners across the country are struggling with increasing pressure from wind- and solar-energy deployment and community opposition. Seeing varying scales of wind-energy generation up close and learning from experts about wind noise, light flicker, wildlife interactions, and materials research and recyclability will prepare planners to engage communities, overcome misinformation, and better plan for clean energy transitions that deliver community benefits.
This tour includes a single-axis tracking solar facility, where revegetation research demonstrated sustainable approaches for soil stabilization through native, deep-rooted plantings.
Prior knowledge of or experience with clean energy technology is not required. Rural planners with limited to no experience with solar or wind energy and who may experience development pressures in the near future may benefit most.
* NREL is a secure federal facility. All visitors must be pre-registered and provide a US government-issued ID to receive a visitor badge and enter the facility.
Learning Objectives:
Understand the scale of distributed and utility-scale, wind energy-generation turbines and see the land use implications first-hand.
Understand the scale, aesthetics, and sounds of a ground-mount, tracking photovoltaic electricity-generation facility and see the results of reestablishing native vegetation.
Obtain an introductory-level understanding of wind turbine materials and recyclability and find Department of Energy and National Renewable Energy Laboratory resources on siting and planning for wind energy.