Based upon the extensive experience of Atlantic Renewable's principals developing wind projects in Europe, Central and North America, in combination with guidelines established by the National Wind Coordinating Committee, the American Wind Energy Association and the European Wind Energy Association, Atlantic Renewable has developed its own comprehensive and practical methodology for site selection. In applying this methodology on the East Coast, Atlantic Renewable’s main selection criteria are as follows:

Environmental appropriateness

The wind project needs to fit into the entire local environment. The project location needs to be consistent with existing land uses on the prospective site as well as on neighboring lands; it cannot compromise sensitive conservation lands or unique wildlife habitats. Only by serious and careful consideration of the project's impact on local wildlife and vegetation, as well as on the region's scenic and recreational resources, can a wind project be successfully permitted, designed and built.

Community acceptance

No energy project can be built in a town where the community is opposed. The active participation of the local community in the development process is essential for a successful wind project.

Documented wind resource

For wind projects to be economically feasible on the East Coast, the mean wind speed at 50 m (164 ft) agl needs to be at least in the 15 – 16 mph range. If wind data exists — preferably for speed, direction, shear and turbulence collected over at least a twelve-month time period — for the prospective site, or for a nearby reference site, the project development process will be accelerated tremendously.

Grid-interconnection

The wind power plant needs to have good proximity to the grid (utility transmission lines and/or 3-phase utility distribution lines), and preferably not on the periphery of the grid where local voltage stability can be a problem (e.g., at the end of smaller radial distribution circuits). It is also preferable to be close to an existing substation, which might simplify the grid-interconnection, and close to load centers or utility generating stations, if possible.

Accessibility

The site needs to be accessible for construction equipment and heavy machinery, such as 300 ton-cranes, and of course to the special-purpose trailers which transport 30m tower sections, nacelles and other components. In order to limit the construction of new roads and to minimize environmental impacts, Atlantic Renewable mainly selects sites with good existing road access.

Competitive economics

Competitive project economics will be achieved with sites that have the best combination of key attributes, of which a strong wind resource and ease of permitting are necessary but not sufficient. Economic feasibility also depends on the presence of interested and willing landowners, for both the site and the interconnection right-of-way, making land acquisition and total transaction costs reasonable. In addition, suitable soil conditions - and in some cases the potential for expansion - are among other considerations.

Based on extensive desk and field research, combined with the expertise of certain independent, outside consultants, Atlantic Renewable uses these selection criteria to create a scoring formula matrix to rank prospective sites on a scale of 1 to 50.

During the period May 1998 until December 1999 Atlantic Renewable has screened more than thirty sites in the East Coast region, and has prepared site selection matrices for New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Based upon this methodology Atlantic Renewable has selected more than ten project sites, which it is currently developing.