Integrating Environmental, Engineering and Constructability ...

Integrating Environmental, Engineering and Constructability 

Considerations in Wind Power Development 

Anntonette Alberti, JD 

Tetra Tech, Inc. 

Wind Energy Services

Goals of the Presentation 

Provide an overview of the wind generating facility 

development process 

Describe the inter-relation of environmental, engineering 

and constructability data on each phase of wind farm 

development 

• Site Screening 

• Conceptual Design 

• Final Design 

• Permitting 

• Construction 

• Operations and Maintenance 

Stress the importance of designing and permitting 

constructable and economic wind projects 

Wind Energy Services 


Integrated Approach to Tt Wind Energy 

Services 



Overview of the Development Process 



Site Selection/Screening 

Two most basic questions: 

• Is the site windy? 

– Choose reputable met firm with track record of success 

– At least 18 months of wind resource study prior to conceptual 

layout 

• Is the site near adequate “take away” transmission? 

– “Stranded Resources” 

– Initial feasibility study 

– Transmission System Electrical Engineer conducts initial internal 

Electrical Analysis of local transmission system to determine 

lowest cost interconnection to existing transmission system 

(generally, closest substation or transmission line) 



Site Selection/Screening 

If you pass the basic questions then: 

• Investigate availability of land 

– Public/private 

– Is there competition for land rights 

– Split estates or other complications 

• Investigate public and local government acceptability 

– “Home rule” nature of wind 

• Investigate environmental and engineering considerations 

– Critical Issues Analysis 

– Regulatory Strategy 



Critical Issues Analysis 

Critical Issues Analysis is a study that: 

• Identifies conditions at the proposed project site 

• Identifies likely siting issues 

• Projects impacts on schedule/budget 

• Provides management strategies to reduce impacts on 

schedule/budget 

Components include: 

• Phase I - Desktop studies 

- Available a la carte (Biological, Cultural, Aesthetics, 

Geotechnical, Telecommunications, Aviation, Land Use and 

Permitting, etc.) 

• Phase II – Reconnaissance-level Field Studies 

• Critical Issues Analysis Report 

- Documents key issues that warrant special consideration 

- Provides: permit matrix, recommendations, and schedule 



Common Critical Issues Analysis Omissions 

Aviation Screening 

Telecommunications Screening 

Engineering/Constructability Issues 

• Steep slopes 

• Unstable geotechnical conditions 

• Inadequate work space 



Moving on to the Conceptual Layout 

You now know you have a potential wind site! 

Client should have an idea of the turbine technology that 

should be used in subsequent studies 

Move on to the conceptual layout 



What is the Conceptual Layout? 

Initial layout that includes turbine locations, access 

roads, electrical collection system, switchyard(s) and 

substation(s), transmission lines, O&M building, and 

construction work areas. 

Necessary for obtaining land rights, performing 

preliminary studies, beginning the regulatory process, 

etc. 

Typically the developer or the meteorological firm will 

take a first cut at the conceptual layout of turbines on a 

constraint map. 



Defining the Conceptual Layout 

Preliminary Selection of Turbine Technology 

• Important for turbine spacing 

• Important for defining setbacks 

Define Project Constraints 

• Wind 

• Land 

• Setbacks from Homes/Infrastructure 

• Engineering/Access 

• Environmental 

• Cultural 

• Political 

Create Conceptual Layout 



Constraints Map 



Typical Setbacks and Constraints 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Setbacks from sensitive buildings such as residences, schools, hospitals and 

churches; 

Setbacks from outbuildings such as barns, garages, and hunting camps; 

Setbacks from roads, trails, and recreational areas; 

Setbacks from transmission lines, oil and gas wells, oil and gas transmission, 

gathering and service lines, sub-surface mining operations and other such 

infrastructure/facilities; 

Setbacks from non-participating parcel boundaries; 

Wetlands, surface waters, and any regulatory buffers around them; 

Sensitive cultural resources and any regulatory boundaries around them; 

Locations of special status wildlife or vegetation species and/or critical habitat; 

Areas of known geotechnical instability; 

Fresnel zones and other communication/radar related constraints; 

Areas impacted by air traffic (both civilian and military); and 

Any other environmental and land use constraints identified for the site. 



Setbacks - continued 

 

 

 

Often setbacks are prescribed by-law. 

When they are not prescribed by law, 

the developer needs to set them. 

A good source for setbacks is the 

turbine manufacturer. 



Agricultural Siting Considerations 

Locate structures along field edges where possible 

Locate access roads along ridge tops where possible to 

eliminate the need for cut and fill and reduce the risk of 

creating drainage problems 

Avoid dividing larger fields by locating access roads along 

the edge of agricultural fields 

All existing drainage and erosion control structures such 

as diversions, ditches, and tile lines shall be avoided or 

appropriate measures taken to maintain the design and 

effectiveness of the existing structures 

Minimize loss production, crop damage and top soil 



Engineering Tasks for Conceptual Layout 

Perform desktop study to evaluate subsurface conditions 

and geologic hazards 

Desktop Transportation Analysis 

Initial Road/collection system Layout 

Initial Constructability review 



Moving from the Conceptual Layout to the 

Final Layout 

Wind projects have a lot of moving parts: wind resource, 

property, landowner preferences, setbacks, 

environmental constraints, cultural resources, 

engineering constraints, transportation issues, 

constructability, etc. influence where project facilities 

will be sited 

There must be communication among team members 

and impact on layout must be understood and 

incorporated 

The best team includes a meteorologist, a land man, an 

environmental scientist, an engineer, a constructability 

expert, and a lawyer 

Data management with multiple team members can be 

a challenge 



What is the Final Horizontal Layout? 

This layout depicts all project facilities for permitting and 

land acquisition purposes 

In many cases, permits must be obtained for exactly 

what will be built, so a certain amount of engineering 

must be done at an early stage 

In a perfect world, micrositing occurs prior to submitting 

major permit applications and conducting NEPA (or 

state equivalent) review 

• Failure to do so often means the need to do permit 

modifications, supplemental EISs, and/or variances during 

construction 

In the real world things aren’t that simple. 

• If possible, permit for flexibility 



Studies that Support Final Horizontal Layout 

Field Studies 

• Site specific environmental and cultural fieldwork 

• Site specific engineering field work 

• Constructability considerations 

Adjust Horizontal Layout and Review for: 

• Wind resource 

• Constructability 

• Engineering 

• Environmental/cultural resources 

• Land owner acceptability 

Final Horizontal Layout 



The Timing of Studies 

This is the hardest part of advising a wind client 

• Provide enough preliminary study for siting, but not 

waste money by providing detailed study on facilities 

that are not in their final location 

• If possible, only perform full wetland and cultural 

delineations on the exact locations of project 

facilities when they are in their final location 

• Consider timing when running visual simulation, 

shadow flicker analysis, writing up noise study, etc. 

• Because siting is an iterative process, there will 

always be some inefficiency in study 



Engineering Tasks for Final Layout 

If topo exists, may need to commission a fly-over to 

perform digital photography from which a topographic 

base map can be prepared 

Perform site walkdown of all project facilities to assess 

access feasibility (slope and terrain issues, etc.) 

Perform geotechnical investigations needed for design of 

roadway cross-sections, collection system routing and 

wind turbine foundations 



Transportation Study 

Perform traffic and transportation study, for oversized or 

heavy deliveries, to assess adequacy of existing offsite 

roadways, bridges, crossings over culverts, overpasses 

/underpasses, turning radii, utilities, etc. 

Within project boundary, determine whether turning radii 

at existing intersections along the delivery route need to 

be modified 

Assess whether surface replacements or upgrades will 

be required 



Wildlife Studies 

Typically include: 

• Avian use surveys 

• Raptor nesting surveys 

• Habitat inventory 

• Threatened, endangered, sensitive species focused surveys if 

appropriate 

• Bat habitat inventory and/or risk analysis 

• State Natural Heritage database/USFWS T&E species inquiries 

• Plant and noxious weed surveys, if appropriate 

Studies will vary geographically and by state 



Wetland Studies 

It often makes sense to start with reconnaissance level 

study, saving complete delineation until the layout is 

final 

All project facilities must be cleared for wetlands 

• Public road improvements, especially public road culvert 

replacements, are often forgotten 

Good communication between wetland staff and design 

engineers is critical 

Data management is critical 

Keep a change log 



Cultural Resource Studies 

Consult with State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) 

Define the Study Area for Archeology and for Historic 

Architecture 

Define the Area of Potential Effects (in consultation with 

SHPO) as Project is more precisely defined 

• Archeology 

• Historical Architecture 



Transmission Interconnection Studies 

Feasibility Study – estimates cost of interconnection 

 

 

System Reliability Impact Study – determines cost and 

equipment for maintaining reliability of existing system 

Complete Facility Upgrade Study determines final cost of 

all interconnection and system upgrade equipment 

Negotiate Interconnection Agreement with transmission 

utility 



Other Important Studies 

Noise 

Shadow Flicker 

Visual Assessment 

Property Values 

Conduct Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ASTM 

AIA Standards) 

Etc. 



Permitting Phase -- Local 

Local 

• At most proposed wind energy project sites, one or more local 

approvals will be required. 

• The issuing authority may be a local planning commission, 

zoning board, town, city or village council, county board of 

supervisors or commissioners, or a similar entity. 

• Although some state siting boards are authorized to override 

local objections, most must first demonstrate that the proposed 

project would be consistent with local ordinances and that there 

is no reasonable objection to the development of the project. 



Permitting Phase -- Local 

Local 

• Similar to the state regulatory process, the need for local 

approvals and the process for obtaining approvals vary 

throughout the country. 

• In some areas, the local approval process will be time 

-consuming and the project will be subject to close scrutiny. 

contrast, some municipalities require only a building permit. 

• The development team should assess which local approvals will 

be required and consult with local counsel. 

In 



Permitting Phase -- State 

State 

• Numerous state regulatory programs are likely to be triggered by 

a proposed wind energy project. While such programs often 

mirror, implement (through delegated authority), or 

complement similar federal laws, the state version is typically 

more stringent than its federal counterpart. 

– Little NEPA 

– State Siting Statutes 

– Endangered Species 

– Wetland Permits 

– Stream Crossing Permits 

– Use Authorizations for State Owned Aquatic Land 

– Historic Preservation 

– Stormwater 

– Agricultural Protection 

– DOT (Roadway) Permitting 



Permitting Phase -- Federal 

National Environmental Policy Act 

Federal Wetland and Waterbody Laws 

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System 

(NPDES) permits for stormwater during construction and 

operation 

Endangered Species Act and other Wildlife Protection 

Laws 

National Historic Preservation Act 

Federal Aviation Administration Clearances 

Federal Land Use Authorizations 

Federal Transmission Line Interconnections 



Final Engineering Design – Outline 

Establish Design Team including 

Professional Engineer / (Engineer of Record) 

Develop Design Criteria 

• These should capture design requirements for permits and plans 

• Client should review 

Preliminary (Draft) Design 

• Drawings 

• Technical Specifications 

• Calculations 

Final Design 

• PE Sealed 

• Issued for Construction 



Design Disciplines 

Design Disciplines Capabilities - Civil 

• Site Civil 

– Site civil drawing is a base map which is topographic survey obtained from 

client, or TtEC commissions a survey to develop the base map 

– Usually perform a pre-design “constructability” walkdown of WTG locations 

and intended access road routes to consider site natural features and 

landowner impacts 

– Roadway design: layout / direction / cross section / radii 

– Perform stormwater drainage calculations: Size and locate new culverts and 

identify soil erosion controls (e.g., silt fencing, stone rip-rap, etc.) 

– Geotextile Use 

• Structural 

– Foundation Design 

– Bridge Improvements 




Design Disciplines Capabilities 

• Geotechnical 

– May need to perform a geotechnical investigation, as a pre-design 

task, to obtain site specific information at WTG locations and some 

locations along access roads 

– Detailed geotechnical investigation report serves as a basis for 

access road and WTG foundation design 

– Field Investigations 

– Geotechnical Reports as design input 




Design Disciplines Capabilities 

• Electrical 

– WTG collector system, 

– Substation(s) 

– Transmission Line 



Final Engineering Design - PE 

Design requires supervision by licensed civil, structural 

and electrical PEs (if applicable) 

PEs typically need to be licensed in State where project is 

located 



Preconstruction 

Finalize Turbine and Long-Lead-Time Item Procurement 

• Identify and requisition long lead time purchased items, such as 

wind turbines and transformers 

Approvals for the later plans and permits (Storm Water 

Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), Spill Prevention, 

Containment and Countermeasure Plan (SPCCP) and 

State DOT and US Army Corps wetlands permits) 

Final Construction Plans and Drawings 

Secure Construction Contractor 

Develop Environmental Construction Compliance Plan 

Develop Mobilization Plan 



Construction 

Mobilization – Make sure you have obtained the right 

pre-construction permissions: 

Construction Trailers 

Initial Laydown Areas 

Sediment and Erosion Control 

Safety and Environmental Training 

Send out construction start notifications as required in 

permits 



Construction 

After the Notice to Proceed -- 

• Clearing and Grading 

• Access Roads and Public Road Improvements 

• Foundations 

• Electrical Collection System 

• Transmission Line 

• Substation and Interconnection Facilities 

• Tower and Turbine Erection 

• O&M Building/Visitor Kiosks 

• Commissioning 

• Mitigation Areas 

• Reclamation 



Construction 

Engineering support during construction 

• Provide home office support of construction activities following 

construction release of design drawings, to review contractor 

submittals and administer Field Change Requests (FCRs) and 

/or issue Design Change Notices (DCNs) 

• Provide field engineer, preferably from the design team, to assist 

with construction activities and ensure compliance with the 

design 




Tetra Tech, Inc. is a leading, U.S.-based national and 

international firm delivering solutions in, consulting, 

construction, engineering, remediation and restoration 

Publicly traded company (TTEK) 

– Chosen by Smart Money magazine as one of the “10 Stocks for the 

Next 10 Years” 

Annual revenues in excess of $1.4 billion; financial 

strength to stand behind large wind energy projects, 

including EPC & BOP 

Over 8,500 employees in 250 offices world-wide 

Consistently ranked in Engineering News Record as one 

of the top ten 




 

 

 

 

 

Acquisition of The Delaney Group – a well-respected leader in 

renewable energy construction 

Experienced energy staff in all disciplines 

More than 6 million hours without a lost work day over past two 

years 

• Injury rate is ¼ the national average 

• 70+ National Safety Council awards 

• Employee health and safety perception rating in top 2% nation-wide 

ISO 14001 Certification for all services 

• First major full-service firm to earn certification with such broad 

coverage 

ISO 9001 Certification for Wind Engineering 

• Documented quality procedures and systems to meet global standards 

and expectations 



Full-Service Energy Solutions 



Recognized Expertise 

Tetra Tech and Nixon Peabody chosen to write American 

Wind Energy Association (AWEA) Wind Facility Siting 

Manual 

Frequent speaker on energy topics at AWEA, World Wind 

Energy Association and other renewable energy industry 

events 

Papers on environmental compliance during construction 

• Included in New York Energy Research and Development 

Authority (NYSERDA) Wind Energy Tool Kit 

• Published in North American Windpower Journal 

Through our Energy Management Services Supporting 

Energy Programs at More Than 60 DoD Installations 

World-Wide 



Contact 

Anntonette Alberti, JD 

• 518-488-8588 

• Anntonette.Alberti@tteci.com

Integrating Environmental, Engineering and Constructability ...

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