In this unit we’ve discussed four unique topics:
Endangered species and the Endangered Species Act
Cultural resources, historic preservation and the National Historic Preservation Act
State utility siting requirements
Local zoning issues
New energy development projects can involve any or all of these. New projects may include large stationary power plants, small distributed generation facilities, transmission lines, substations, oil or gas field development, underground gas or oil lines, wind farms, solar facilities, materials transport, handling, transfer and storage facilities (coal, oil and gas tank farms, biomass processing facilities, seaports, river loadouts, etc.), railroad spur development, energy waste disposal sites, water treatment systems for energy facilities, and other support facilities for energy extraction, conversion, storage and delivery.
Your assignment is to research one energy development project that was “derailed”, or faced apparently unexpected, unforeseen or unplanned-for obstacles associated with either: a) endangered species, b) cultural resources or historic sites, c) state siting and approval, or d) local planning, zoning or other local approvals. The project developers may have scrapped the project, redesigned it to continue moving forward, or took other steps to avoid delays and further costs. Your assignment is to:
Summarize the project briefly (location, type of development, timeline, processes involved).
Describe obstacles encountered related to one of the four topics we’ve discussed.
How the issues were addressed by project developers, supporters, opponents, regulators, local/state/federal agencies and others.
How the issues were resolved and the final end result.
What could have been done to make the process go more smoothly.
In other words, this assignment will help you learn from others’ mistakes so you won’t make the same mistakes in the future.
For the project you select, please prepare a minimum of 2 and maximum of 3 pages for the body length, with a title, your name and date on the previous page and add another page for references.
Instructor’s Tip:
To find a project, go to the Internet; there are hundreds of energy projects that have gone through the permitting and approval process, and you can find one by searching Google, using any variety of terms in combinations, such as: power plants, gas lines, opposition, protest, county commission, state utility commission, Fish and Wildlife Service, cultural resources, sacred sites, endangered animals, endangered plants, endangered species, migratory birds, transmission lines, local…, new…., (state names), (county names), (river or lake names), hurt, harm, destroy, mitigate, impact, permit, hearings, and on and on. If you find a local project that’s near to where you live you’ll be more interested. Do not stop at your first website result for all your information. Look at multiple websites that discuss the issue, and explore links off your first search result, to get as much insight as possible. Do not cut and paste narrative from the website into your paper (except brief highlighted, cited and referenced passages or quotes to support your point). You may also have local newspapers at your disposal, and may also know some individuals involved (they can be cited as “personal communication”).
Your paper will be graded on:
Whether the selected project and problems encountered meet the criteria described above.
The completeness and depth of your research (remembering to “boil it down” to a one-page summary).
The number and type of references you cite (more credible references are better than blogs or rambling Internet comments; agency documents and formal hearing testimony are better than opinions and editorials), and the ease with which I can quickly go to your references (give me a link, not just the Internet address, and make sure your links work properly).
Whether you read and interpreted the references, or just simply cut and pasted (this is not good).
Your conclusions: What did they do wrong? What could have been done better? What would you do different next time?
Endangered species and the Endangered Species Act
Cultural resources, historic preservation and the National Historic Preservation Act
State utility siting requirements
Local zoning issues
New energy development projects can involve any or all of these. New projects may include large stationary power plants, small distributed generation facilities, transmission lines, substations, oil or gas field development, underground gas or oil lines, wind farms, solar facilities, materials transport, handling, transfer and storage facilities (coal, oil and gas tank farms, biomass processing facilities, seaports, river loadouts, etc.), railroad spur development, energy waste disposal sites, water treatment systems for energy facilities, and other support facilities for energy extraction, conversion, storage and delivery.
Your assignment is to research one energy development project that was “derailed”, or faced apparently unexpected, unforeseen or unplanned-for obstacles associated with either: a) endangered species, b) cultural resources or historic sites, c) state siting and approval, or d) local planning, zoning or other local approvals. The project developers may have scrapped the project, redesigned it to continue moving forward, or took other steps to avoid delays and further costs. Your assignment is to:
Summarize the project briefly (location, type of development, timeline, processes involved).
Describe obstacles encountered related to one of the four topics we’ve discussed.
How the issues were addressed by project developers, supporters, opponents, regulators, local/state/federal agencies and others.
How the issues were resolved and the final end result.
What could have been done to make the process go more smoothly.
In other words, this assignment will help you learn from others’ mistakes so you won’t make the same mistakes in the future.
For the project you select, please prepare a minimum of 2 and maximum of 3 pages for the body length, with a title, your name and date on the previous page and add another page for references.
Instructor’s Tip:
To find a project, go to the Internet; there are hundreds of energy projects that have gone through the permitting and approval process, and you can find one by searching Google, using any variety of terms in combinations, such as: power plants, gas lines, opposition, protest, county commission, state utility commission, Fish and Wildlife Service, cultural resources, sacred sites, endangered animals, endangered plants, endangered species, migratory birds, transmission lines, local…, new…., (state names), (county names), (river or lake names), hurt, harm, destroy, mitigate, impact, permit, hearings, and on and on. If you find a local project that’s near to where you live you’ll be more interested. Do not stop at your first website result for all your information. Look at multiple websites that discuss the issue, and explore links off your first search result, to get as much insight as possible. Do not cut and paste narrative from the website into your paper (except brief highlighted, cited and referenced passages or quotes to support your point). You may also have local newspapers at your disposal, and may also know some individuals involved (they can be cited as “personal communication”).
Your paper will be graded on:
Whether the selected project and problems encountered meet the criteria described above.
The completeness and depth of your research (remembering to “boil it down” to a one-page summary).
The number and type of references you cite (more credible references are better than blogs or rambling Internet comments; agency documents and formal hearing testimony are better than opinions and editorials), and the ease with which I can quickly go to your references (give me a link, not just the Internet address, and make sure your links work properly).
Whether you read and interpreted the references, or just simply cut and pasted (this is not good).
Your conclusions: What did they do wrong? What could have been done better? What would you do different next time?
