As part of the P21 – Power for the 21st Century program, Holland BPW invited community groups and stakeholders to participate in a second Risk Analysis Process, or RAP session, yesterday.
Panelists were invited to add, change, or remove costs and benefit categories from the analysis that will be done by HDR – an engineering and consulting firm. The gathered local experts were also asked for their opinion on the values for variables that will be used in the analysis. For example, panelists were asked to judge the baseline for possible improvements to Lake Macatawa based on a scale that included boatable, fishable, swimmable, and drinkable. This was the focus of yesterday’s RAP session with twenty five panelists providing technical and local expertise to help HDR and Holland BPW frame the generation decision.
The first RAP session, held a couple of weeks ago, covered the generation options under consideration, the Sustainable Return on Investment (SROI) methodology that will be used, and the preliminary list of costs and benefits. SROI is a risk-based cost-benefit analysis process that opens up and makes transparent the models and data used for decision making. SROI aims to reveal the value of the projects under consideration by combining, for example, capital costs with environmental emissions cost and community benefits into an overall societal rate of return. The SROI process allows stakeholders to have significant input into the analysis that will support the decision.
A wide range of costs and benefits were discussed over the day. The benefits of low electricity rates to the community and how the BPW’s impressive reliability has influenced businesses to locate in the area were two major topics. The vitality that has been restored to the downtown as a result of the snow melt system was talked and possible extensions to the system reviewed. The health, crop and building damages of emissions and the possible benefits of cleaning up Lake Macatawa were also on the agenda.
Representatives were present from the Council, the BPW Board, Holland City, the Sustainability Committee, the Holland Chamber of Commerce, Haworth, Herman Miller, Riverview Group, Macatawa Area Coordinating Council, Hope College, Holland Hospital, West Michigan Environmental Action Council, Holland Historic District, the Sierra Club, Hope College, the League of Women Voters, Holland Public Schools, Ottawa County Michigan Works, and Holland BPW. Also, approximately twelve observers were also present at the RAP session that ran for most of the day. Panelists and observers had a chance over lunch and breaks to discuss the important energy decisions facing the community.
Holland Board of Public Works is facing a decision regarding its need for new electricity generation. It is asking for the community’s input on which group of generation options is best for Holland. Other P21 community information sessions have been scheduled on: Conservation; Fuels; Regulatory Matters; Generation technologies and options; Transmission; and District Heating.
The SROI results will be presented to the community at a charette that is tentatively scheduled for February 8th.
