Expert Interview 

Anntonette Alberti, JD, Commercial Energy Expert and Co-Author of the AWEA Wind Energy Project Siting Handbook

Anntonette Alberti is Tetra Tech’s Vice President of Commercial Energy Program Development. She is a member of the Washington State Bar and has substantial experience in energy and natural resources law, as well as project management.

Ms. Alberti leads Tetra Tech’s Commercial Energy Initiative, which has worked on more than 450 wind projects across North America for 20 of the top 25 American wind developers and owners. A recognized regulatory expert, Ms. Alberti is a co-author of the American Wind Energy Association’s Wind Energy Project Siting Handbook.

Learn more about Tetra Tech's wind construction expertise in this related Expert Interview with Tim Delaney.

Q:  What has spurred the growth in the development of wind energy?

A:  Most people think that wind energy has been growing in popularity because of concerns about climate change and energy independence. While that is partly true, the larger reason that investors really jumped at wind was because, due to record high energy prices and technological advances in wind turbine technology, it has begun to be a cost-competitive form of energy, supported by attractive federal and state incentives. There’s also a big economic development component to wind energy. Turbine manufacturing, wind farm lease payments, construction dollars, and long-term jobs at facilities create economic benefits.

Q:  What sets Tetra Tech apart from other wind energy firms?

A:  Tetra Tech first targeted wind as a focus area in 2003. Since that time, we have developed a full-service approach to wind energy. We bundle environmental, engineering, and construction services for the development, construction, and operation and maintenance (O&M) phases of projects. This is a unique service offering in the industry, but it makes a lot of sense for our clients.

Tetra Tech helps our clients understand how the environmental and engineering process they choose for project development can affect profitability across the life of a project. We assist our clients in getting permits that reflect a project that can actually be economically built and profitably operated. We provide construction cost estimates that help determine how much the project needs to charge for its power. We also provide final design, either as an individual service or as part of an engineer-procure-construct (EPC) package. We have the capability to do the whole package or just pieces of it.

Q:  What’s the benefit to the client of using Tetra Tech for the full turnkey EPC package?

A:  It is often cheaper in the long run to go with a turnkey contractor because the project is managed more efficiently. Constructing something as complex as a wind farm, on time and on budget, is an elaborate process. Having one company accountable for the whole process streamlines the responsibility and risk on a project. Also, lenders often feel more comfortable with a project in the hands of an experienced, responsible, financially strong company like Tetra Tech.

Q:  What is one of the signature projects Tetra Tech has supported for a top wind power developer?

A:  Maple Ridge was Tetra Tech’s first wind farm engineering design project and the first time we worked with The Delaney Group, which is now a Tetra Tech company. Maple Ridge is still one of the largest wind farms east of the Mississippi and has brought a lot of economic development and positive community benefits to rural upstate New York. The Delaney Group received kudos from the State of New York for the restoration methods they used on farm land. Crop yields three years after the project was completed were the same (or better) in the restored areas as in areas we had never touched. The Delaney Group did a beautiful job protecting the environment and agricultural uses during construction, and Maple Ridge is a fabulous wind farm.

Q:  What was your role in developing the American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) Siting Handbook?

A:  Tetra Tech and our partner Nixon Peabody worked for the AWEA Siting Committee to create the Siting Handbook, which is intended for use by developers, regulators, and other interested parties.  The Handbook explains environmental and regulatory siting for wind projects. It focuses on environmental issues such as permits, layout, required studies, environmental impacts and mitigation. AWEA wanted to help new developers understand the process and raise the standard of development so that the wind industry could remain green and responsible. I drafted several of the sections in Chapters 2, 3, and 4 of the Handbook.

Q:  What kind of nontraditional sites are being developed for wind energy projects?

A:  Offshore projects in the US have been gaining momentum for the past few years. There have been several successful offshore wind projects built in Europe. Although offshore projects are typically more expensive to build, they generate more power and can be situated directly off the coast of major power-hungry cities. So you’re generating more power and you are able to sell it to markets that are willing to pay more to meet demands. Tetra Tech is now providing early stage environmental and conceptual engineering services for offshore projects on the east coast of North America and in the Great Lakes.

Another exciting example of a nontraditional wind project that Tetra Tech was involved with is the work we’ve done for the Asian Development Bank in Afghanistan with our meteorological partner, AWS Truepower. AWST interpreted the wind map of Afghanistan and modeled various turbine heights and power curves. Tetra Tech examined land use, specifically at the proximity of potential wind farm sites to transmission lines and demand centers, and the proximity to sensitive environmental, cultural, and religious sites. We also studied security concerns and unexploded ordnance or mining concerns.  Our study resulted in a list of the best sites that could support wind farms of around 20 megawatts. The study provided the Asian Development Bank with information that could be used by the government of Afghanistan or individual investors as a starting point for building wind projects in Afghanistan.

Q:  What is the future of wind energy in the United States?

A:  The long-term outlook for wind is good. Although low power prices and a slowly recovering economy have sobered wind investors, analysts show the industry adding 7 to 10 gigawatts per year over the next several years. And I think there’s still a lot of public concern about global warming and environmental issues – especially with the recent focus on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Polls show that wind energy remains overwhelmingly popular with North Americans.

The future of wind energy remains dependent, in large part, upon maintaining good federal incentives. The wind industry is hoping that the U.S. federal government will pass a Renewable Energy Standard (RES) requiring that a percentage of all power used come from a qualified renewable source. It is very important that we understand and support legislative efforts to keep current incentives in place, while working toward new incentives like the RES.

State renewable energy portfolio programs have also been very powerful for the wind industry. These programs mandate that utilities provide a certain percentage of their power from approved renewable sources. Some states have not yet met their goals, and wind development remains strong in those areas. Many other states are ahead of schedule, so this is a good time for them to consider increasing their renewable energy percentages.