UK's Largest Offshore Wind Farm Now Operational
March 28, 2005
Caister, Norfolk [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] The UK's largest offshore wind farm at Scroby Sands, off Caister, Norfolk, is now officially inaugurated and generating power for as many as 41,000 homes. The occasion marks the culmination of more than a decade of planning and development and reinforces the UK's increasing commitment to commercial-scale renewable energy projects.
"Connecting Scroby Sands to the grid establishes the UK as the world's second-biggest generator of offshore wind power."
- Patricia Hewitt, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry "Today is an exciting step in the UK's energy revolution," said Patricia Hewitt, Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. "Connecting Scroby Sands to the grid establishes the UK as the world's second-biggest generator of offshore wind power. Our plans for further offshore wind farms around the UK represent the world's biggest-ever expansion of renewable energy, plans that are good for the environment, good for Britain's energy needs and good for the economy."
The GBP 75 million (US$ 140 million), 60 MW project was developed and is owned and operated by E.ON UK and uses 30, 2 MW wind turbines from Danish wind turbine company Vestas. The site is located on a sand bank known as the Middle Scroby Sands, which lies approximately 3 km east of the Great Yarmouth Borough coastline, in the county of Norfolk.
E.ON UK and Vestas were also involved in the first offshore two turbine pilot project at Blyth Offshore, Northumberland, which helped provide the skills and experience to build Scroby Sands. The Blyth and Scroby projects were supported by European Commission Thermie funding. Timetable consent was granted in April 2002, and E.ON UK started offshore construction in Autumn 2003.
The Scroby Sands wind project is, by far, the most advanced UK utility-scale offshore wind farm, and through feedback of information via a European Union contract will provide valuable information to other developers planning more ambitious projects further offshore.
Most of the areas of seabed to be allocated by Crown Estate are likely to be further offshore than the Scroby Sands wind farm - possibly averaging 5 km as opposed to Scroby's 3 km offshore. As such, the wind turbines at Scroby will be more visible from the shore for a higher percentage of the year than those of future projects. This reflects the fact that the Scroby project is an appropriate 'next step' after Blyth, and will not be typical (in terms of distance from shore) of the majority of future UK offshore wind farms.
E.ON UK is one of the largest renewable generators in the UK. The company has stakes in 20 wind farms across the country, is co-firing biomass alongside coal at two of its power stations and owns the largest hydro power station in England and Wales. The company already has plans for using the experience gained from the construction and early operation of the Scroby Sands wind farm to harness wind energy from more harsh offshore environments in less sheltered waters, around the UK.
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Wednesday, March 30, 2005
99MW Wind Farm Planned for Lake Erie Shores
99 MW of GE Wind Power Planned for Lake Erie
March 30, 2005
The 1.5 MW turbine from GE Energy can be found in wind energy developments around the world, and 66 of the turbines will soon stand along the shores of Lake Erie in Canada.
Atlanta, Georgia [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] Canada's wind resources continue to grow, and GE Energy is there to supply the turbines. GE will supply 66 turbines, each rated at 1.5 MW installed capacity, to the Erie Shores Wind Farm, which should be one of the largest wind power projects in Canada when completed in early 2006. The project will add 99 MW of wind power capacity to the country's energy generation.
"GE has a presence in Canada that reaches back 112 years, and the Erie Shores project will benefit from the support of our Canadian businesses which employ more than 9,500 people."
- Mark Little, Vice President Power Generation for GE Energy Erie Shores Wind Farm Limited Partnership (ESWF) is developing the project, which is situated along the northern shoreline of Lake Erie in Ontario. The ESWF is a joint venture between the Clean Power Income Fund of North America and AIM PowerGen Corporation, a private Canadian developer of wind power projects.
Clean Power Income Fund provides stable, long-term cash flow to investors from the environmentally preferred generation of electricity. The Fund invests only in power generating assets that use renewable energy sources such as water, wind,
wood waste and landfill gas.
ESWF was a successful bidder in the Ontario government's recent request for proposals for 300 MW of new renewable energy capacity. Clean Power will own 100 percent of the project through the partnership, which holds a 20-year renewable energy supply contract with the Ontario Electricity Financial Corporation.
In addition to supplying the wind turbines, GE Energy will also operate and maintain the project during its first four years of operation.
"With its well recognized environmental benefits and competitive economics, wind energy has grown dramatically on a global basis over the past decade" said Mark Little, vice president-power generation for GE Energy. "We are pleased to support the Canadian Government's efforts to increase its use of wind power. GE has a presence in Canada that reaches back 112 years, and the Erie Shores project will benefit from the support of our Canadian businesses which employ more than 9,500 people."
The project also supports the Canadian government's recent decision to increase its original 1,000 MW Wind Power Production Incentive (WPPI) to 4,000 MW.
According to the Canadian Wind Energy Association, the WPPI increase indicates the federal government's willingness to partner with provincial governments to move forward with wind projects now under consideration or in the early stages to add between 4,500 and 5,000 megawatts of wind energy capacity by 2012.
As of September 2004, Canada's installed wind energy capacity was 439 megawatts.
March 30, 2005
The 1.5 MW turbine from GE Energy can be found in wind energy developments around the world, and 66 of the turbines will soon stand along the shores of Lake Erie in Canada.
Atlanta, Georgia [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] Canada's wind resources continue to grow, and GE Energy is there to supply the turbines. GE will supply 66 turbines, each rated at 1.5 MW installed capacity, to the Erie Shores Wind Farm, which should be one of the largest wind power projects in Canada when completed in early 2006. The project will add 99 MW of wind power capacity to the country's energy generation.
"GE has a presence in Canada that reaches back 112 years, and the Erie Shores project will benefit from the support of our Canadian businesses which employ more than 9,500 people."
- Mark Little, Vice President Power Generation for GE Energy Erie Shores Wind Farm Limited Partnership (ESWF) is developing the project, which is situated along the northern shoreline of Lake Erie in Ontario. The ESWF is a joint venture between the Clean Power Income Fund of North America and AIM PowerGen Corporation, a private Canadian developer of wind power projects.
Clean Power Income Fund provides stable, long-term cash flow to investors from the environmentally preferred generation of electricity. The Fund invests only in power generating assets that use renewable energy sources such as water, wind,
wood waste and landfill gas.
ESWF was a successful bidder in the Ontario government's recent request for proposals for 300 MW of new renewable energy capacity. Clean Power will own 100 percent of the project through the partnership, which holds a 20-year renewable energy supply contract with the Ontario Electricity Financial Corporation.
In addition to supplying the wind turbines, GE Energy will also operate and maintain the project during its first four years of operation.
"With its well recognized environmental benefits and competitive economics, wind energy has grown dramatically on a global basis over the past decade" said Mark Little, vice president-power generation for GE Energy. "We are pleased to support the Canadian Government's efforts to increase its use of wind power. GE has a presence in Canada that reaches back 112 years, and the Erie Shores project will benefit from the support of our Canadian businesses which employ more than 9,500 people."
The project also supports the Canadian government's recent decision to increase its original 1,000 MW Wind Power Production Incentive (WPPI) to 4,000 MW.
According to the Canadian Wind Energy Association, the WPPI increase indicates the federal government's willingness to partner with provincial governments to move forward with wind projects now under consideration or in the early stages to add between 4,500 and 5,000 megawatts of wind energy capacity by 2012.
As of September 2004, Canada's installed wind energy capacity was 439 megawatts.
30 MW Maui Wind Farm Gets Financing
March 30, 2005 12:46 PM US Eastern Timezone
UPC Wind Announces Financing of Maui Wind Farm
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 30, 2005--UPC Wind today announced that it has successfully concluded the financing of its 30 MW wind farm project on Maui, Hawaii. Through a wholly-owned affiliate, UPC Wind owns 51% of the project while Maui-based Makani Nui Associates owns the remaining 49%. Construction and term financing was arranged by HSH Nordbank, New York Branch. Headquartered in Germany, HSH Nordbank is active globally in financing wind projects. The project is expected to be in commercial operation in the first quarter of 2006.
"We are excited to have completed this important milestone," said Paul Gaynor, President & CEO of UPC Wind. "To date, this project has been an example of a constructive and fast-paced development effort among all of our partner constituents, including Maui Electric Company, Hawaiian Electric Company, State and County Government, the Maui community, and our lenders. We look forward to continuing this approach through construction and commissioning."
Mike Gresham, President of Makani Nui, stated: "As Maui-based partners we are proud to be sponsoring the development of this important renewable energy project with UPC Wind. We are excited about the benefits that this project will bring to our community and to our State. In addition to the direct environmental and economic benefits, there are many indirect benefits to be gained, such as lessening our dependence on imported oil, not just in our State but for our Country as well. We intend for this to be a model project that will demonstrate the benefits of renewable energy for our community."
Gresham added: "We also want to thank the Lingle administration for recognizing the importance of renewable energy to our State and to our island of Maui."
The Kaheawa Pastures project will be the first utility-scale wind farm put into service in Hawaii in the recent past. Last year, the State of Hawaii passed Renewable Portfolio Standard legislation, which supports the development of renewable energy sources. The State of Hawaii relies on imported petroleum for nearly 90% of its energy needs.
About UPC Wind (www.upcwind.com)
UPC Wind's professionals are experienced leaders in the wind industry. UPC Wind is based in Newton, Massachusetts, and has offices in Maine, Vermont, New York, California, and Hawaii.
About Makani Nui Associates
Makani Nui Associates is a Hawaii-based partnership formed by Kent Smith, who leads one of Maui's most respected real estate development companies, and Hilton Unemori, who heads ECM, Inc., a Maui-based electrical engineering consultancy.
Contacts
UPC Wind
Peter A. Gish, 617-964-3340 x11
UPC Wind Announces Financing of Maui Wind Farm
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 30, 2005--UPC Wind today announced that it has successfully concluded the financing of its 30 MW wind farm project on Maui, Hawaii. Through a wholly-owned affiliate, UPC Wind owns 51% of the project while Maui-based Makani Nui Associates owns the remaining 49%. Construction and term financing was arranged by HSH Nordbank, New York Branch. Headquartered in Germany, HSH Nordbank is active globally in financing wind projects. The project is expected to be in commercial operation in the first quarter of 2006.
"We are excited to have completed this important milestone," said Paul Gaynor, President & CEO of UPC Wind. "To date, this project has been an example of a constructive and fast-paced development effort among all of our partner constituents, including Maui Electric Company, Hawaiian Electric Company, State and County Government, the Maui community, and our lenders. We look forward to continuing this approach through construction and commissioning."
Mike Gresham, President of Makani Nui, stated: "As Maui-based partners we are proud to be sponsoring the development of this important renewable energy project with UPC Wind. We are excited about the benefits that this project will bring to our community and to our State. In addition to the direct environmental and economic benefits, there are many indirect benefits to be gained, such as lessening our dependence on imported oil, not just in our State but for our Country as well. We intend for this to be a model project that will demonstrate the benefits of renewable energy for our community."
Gresham added: "We also want to thank the Lingle administration for recognizing the importance of renewable energy to our State and to our island of Maui."
The Kaheawa Pastures project will be the first utility-scale wind farm put into service in Hawaii in the recent past. Last year, the State of Hawaii passed Renewable Portfolio Standard legislation, which supports the development of renewable energy sources. The State of Hawaii relies on imported petroleum for nearly 90% of its energy needs.
About UPC Wind (www.upcwind.com)
UPC Wind's professionals are experienced leaders in the wind industry. UPC Wind is based in Newton, Massachusetts, and has offices in Maine, Vermont, New York, California, and Hawaii.
About Makani Nui Associates
Makani Nui Associates is a Hawaii-based partnership formed by Kent Smith, who leads one of Maui's most respected real estate development companies, and Hilton Unemori, who heads ECM, Inc., a Maui-based electrical engineering consultancy.
Contacts
UPC Wind
Peter A. Gish, 617-964-3340 x11
Australia Wind Farm Begins Operation
Last Update: Thursday, March 31, 2005. 8:26am (AEST)
Official launch today for south-east wind farm
A new $92 million wind farm is being officially launched near Millicent in south-east South Australia today.
The 23-turbine Canunda wind farm will generate about 46,000 megawatts of electricity to power 30,000 local homes.
The wind farm is the region's second to become operational and Jim Kouts from International Power says it will make a significant contribution to cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
"It's similar to...like removing 30,000 cars from the road each year - we estimate that about 140,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide will be saved through the operation of this wind farm, so that equates to something like 30,000 cars from the road each year," he said.
Official launch today for south-east wind farm
A new $92 million wind farm is being officially launched near Millicent in south-east South Australia today.
The 23-turbine Canunda wind farm will generate about 46,000 megawatts of electricity to power 30,000 local homes.
The wind farm is the region's second to become operational and Jim Kouts from International Power says it will make a significant contribution to cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
"It's similar to...like removing 30,000 cars from the road each year - we estimate that about 140,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide will be saved through the operation of this wind farm, so that equates to something like 30,000 cars from the road each year," he said.
Sunday, March 27, 2005
McKenzie Bay Unveils Next Generation Wind Turbine Design
McKenzie Bay Unveils Next Generation Wind Turbine Design, Anticipates Commercial Installations This Summer
A significant departure from traditional, propeller-airplane-like wind turbines, this innovative design features three curving blades coming together at the top of the mast, combining grace, beauty, strength and efficiency. (Graphic: Business Wire)
FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 23, 2005--
Blending Function and Form, the WindStor(SM) Wind Turbine is Designed to be Safe and Economical On or Near Urban Buildings
McKenzie Bay International Ltd. (OTCBB:MKBY) today introduces the commercial production design of its WindStor(SM) Wind Turbine.
A significant departure from traditional, propeller-airplane-like wind turbines, this innovative design features three curving blades coming together at the top of the mast, combining grace, beauty, strength and efficiency. The design is believed to enjoy many advantages over other wind turbine technologies for urban applications, including innovative safety redundancies, noise reduction engineering and some say it is beautiful! Illustrations of the new design can be viewed at the company's website at www.mckenziebay.com ("About Us").
According to Guy Battle, founding partner of London, England based Battle McCarthy Consulting Engineers and Landscape Architects, "The world is facing one of its sternest challenges in the coming years. How do we continue to grow, provide wealth, and yet respect and preserve the Earth? Part of the answer lies in creating buildings that are not only resource efficient, but also actually collect their own energy. This new approach by McKenzie Bay may be the perfect solution."
"WindStor(SM)offers the prospect for the best of all worlds," says McKenzie Bay President and CEO Gary Westerholm. "Assuming that WindStor(SM) performs as we anticipate, business owners should be able to retain the stability of utility power while enjoying energy cost savings without financial risks; utilities win because distributed energy reduces stress on the grid; our country's homeland security wins through diversification of our power supply; our shareholders win because we expect to be cost competitive and earn a profit; and the environment wins by reducing fossil fuel consumption and air pollution while helping to build a secure and sustainable future."
McKenzie Bay's building integrated wind turbine solution will produce power whenever there is sufficient wind. The turbine has been finely engineered and is a result of over 20 years of research. It is robust, efficient, safe, and is aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
Brian Douglas, Director of Business Development at the Association of Energy Engineers says, "This breakthrough design is one of the most innovative we have seen in years. We anticipate great things from this cutting edge wind power design and system, which seems to embody both renewable energy benefits and emerging technology advantages."
WindStor Power Co., a wholly owned McKenzie Bay subsidiary, intends to sell electricity to customers and, after negotiating power purchase agreements, begin to contract-manufacture and install WindStor Wind Turbines. WindStor Power Co.'s ability to contract manufacture and install WindStor(SM)is dependant upon sufficient wind power at specific sites, satisfactory resolution of all regulatory issues, approval of site plans and its ability to obtain adequate financial resources.
About McKenzie Bay: Michigan-based McKenzie Bay subsidiary WindStor Power Co is the owner and developer of WindStor(SM), a wind energy system designed to integrate distributed generation wind power installed on or near a building with grid power. WindStor(SM) will feature WindStor Wind Turbines, a proprietary system integrator and, if applicable, a battery.
This information statement contains statements that are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as 'estimates,' 'anticipates,' 'plans,' 'believes,' 'projects,' 'expects,' 'intends,' 'predicts,' 'future,' 'may,' 'potential,' 'contemplates,' 'will,' 'should,' 'could,' 'would' or the negative of such terms or other comparable terminology. These statements relate to the Company's future operations and financial performance or other future events. These statements are only predictions and not guarantees of future success. Many of the forward-looking statements are based on assumptions about future events that may prove inaccurate. Actual events, results, performance or achievements may differ materially from the events, results, performance or achievements discussed in the forward-looking statements. These differences may result from a variety of factors, including the following: lack of operating history; unavailability of future equity infusions and other financing alternatives; failure or delays in further developing proprietary processes or effectively commercializing such processes; dependence on the success of entering the energy production market; and concentration of ownership of the Company's common stock by directors and officers. These and other factors that may emerge could cause decisions to differ materially from current expectations. McKenzie Bay undertakes no obligation to revise, update or clarify forward-looking statements to reflect events or conditions after the date of this information statement.
Contacts
McKenzie Bay International Ltd.
Richard Kaiser, 800-631-8127
email: rich@yesinternational.com
A significant departure from traditional, propeller-airplane-like wind turbines, this innovative design features three curving blades coming together at the top of the mast, combining grace, beauty, strength and efficiency. (Graphic: Business Wire)
FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 23, 2005--
Blending Function and Form, the WindStor(SM) Wind Turbine is Designed to be Safe and Economical On or Near Urban Buildings
McKenzie Bay International Ltd. (OTCBB:MKBY) today introduces the commercial production design of its WindStor(SM) Wind Turbine.
A significant departure from traditional, propeller-airplane-like wind turbines, this innovative design features three curving blades coming together at the top of the mast, combining grace, beauty, strength and efficiency. The design is believed to enjoy many advantages over other wind turbine technologies for urban applications, including innovative safety redundancies, noise reduction engineering and some say it is beautiful! Illustrations of the new design can be viewed at the company's website at www.mckenziebay.com ("About Us").
According to Guy Battle, founding partner of London, England based Battle McCarthy Consulting Engineers and Landscape Architects, "The world is facing one of its sternest challenges in the coming years. How do we continue to grow, provide wealth, and yet respect and preserve the Earth? Part of the answer lies in creating buildings that are not only resource efficient, but also actually collect their own energy. This new approach by McKenzie Bay may be the perfect solution."
"WindStor(SM)offers the prospect for the best of all worlds," says McKenzie Bay President and CEO Gary Westerholm. "Assuming that WindStor(SM) performs as we anticipate, business owners should be able to retain the stability of utility power while enjoying energy cost savings without financial risks; utilities win because distributed energy reduces stress on the grid; our country's homeland security wins through diversification of our power supply; our shareholders win because we expect to be cost competitive and earn a profit; and the environment wins by reducing fossil fuel consumption and air pollution while helping to build a secure and sustainable future."
McKenzie Bay's building integrated wind turbine solution will produce power whenever there is sufficient wind. The turbine has been finely engineered and is a result of over 20 years of research. It is robust, efficient, safe, and is aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
Brian Douglas, Director of Business Development at the Association of Energy Engineers says, "This breakthrough design is one of the most innovative we have seen in years. We anticipate great things from this cutting edge wind power design and system, which seems to embody both renewable energy benefits and emerging technology advantages."
WindStor Power Co., a wholly owned McKenzie Bay subsidiary, intends to sell electricity to customers and, after negotiating power purchase agreements, begin to contract-manufacture and install WindStor Wind Turbines. WindStor Power Co.'s ability to contract manufacture and install WindStor(SM)is dependant upon sufficient wind power at specific sites, satisfactory resolution of all regulatory issues, approval of site plans and its ability to obtain adequate financial resources.
About McKenzie Bay: Michigan-based McKenzie Bay subsidiary WindStor Power Co is the owner and developer of WindStor(SM), a wind energy system designed to integrate distributed generation wind power installed on or near a building with grid power. WindStor(SM) will feature WindStor Wind Turbines, a proprietary system integrator and, if applicable, a battery.
This information statement contains statements that are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as 'estimates,' 'anticipates,' 'plans,' 'believes,' 'projects,' 'expects,' 'intends,' 'predicts,' 'future,' 'may,' 'potential,' 'contemplates,' 'will,' 'should,' 'could,' 'would' or the negative of such terms or other comparable terminology. These statements relate to the Company's future operations and financial performance or other future events. These statements are only predictions and not guarantees of future success. Many of the forward-looking statements are based on assumptions about future events that may prove inaccurate. Actual events, results, performance or achievements may differ materially from the events, results, performance or achievements discussed in the forward-looking statements. These differences may result from a variety of factors, including the following: lack of operating history; unavailability of future equity infusions and other financing alternatives; failure or delays in further developing proprietary processes or effectively commercializing such processes; dependence on the success of entering the energy production market; and concentration of ownership of the Company's common stock by directors and officers. These and other factors that may emerge could cause decisions to differ materially from current expectations. McKenzie Bay undertakes no obligation to revise, update or clarify forward-looking statements to reflect events or conditions after the date of this information statement.
Contacts
McKenzie Bay International Ltd.
Richard Kaiser, 800-631-8127
email: rich@yesinternational.com
Pennsylvania considers wind farms on forest land
Posted on Thu, Mar. 24, 2005
PENNSYLVANIA
State considers wind farms on forest land
By Marc Levy
The Associated Press
HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania has made more than half a billion dollars from logging and oil and gas exploration on state forest land since 1935. Now, the state's parks and forests department is considering using its land to harvest another natural resource, the wind, as a way to promote clean energy.
Officials have been discussing the idea for a few months and say they still are studying whether wind farms on state land will be feasible.
With 2.1 million acres of state forest land blanketing some of the state's highest ridge lines, forestry officials say there is plenty of possibility. The wind-power industry has noticed and approached the department in recent months, said Michael DiBerardinis, secretary for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
"I think we're attractive by the sheer size of what we own, but then where we own it," he said in a recent interview.
Plus, he said, wind energy can help reduce reliance on coal-fired power plants, a source of the acid rain that damages forests.
In this pursuit, Pennsylvania has plenty of company: At least a dozen other states are engaged in or discussing putting wind farms on public land. Most are in the western United States, where a handful of wind farms already dot state lands.
Plus, the federal Bureau of Land Management is hoping to multiply the 500 megawatts of wind power already generated on its land to more than 3,200 megawatts by 2025.
On private land, Pennsylvania has five wind farms producing 129 megawatts, enough to power almost 40,000 households, the most of any state east of the Mississippi River, with two more set to open this year.
For now, the department legally cannot authorize a wind farm on state land, so it would have to obtain the right from the General Assembly.
Pinpointing a suitable location for a wind farm could take awhile.
Officials have a long list of factors to consider, including the effect on animals and forests, the location of transmission lines, and the massive turbines' wind exposure and visibility.
They expect only a small fraction of state forest land will be suitable.
PENNSYLVANIA
State considers wind farms on forest land
By Marc Levy
The Associated Press
HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania has made more than half a billion dollars from logging and oil and gas exploration on state forest land since 1935. Now, the state's parks and forests department is considering using its land to harvest another natural resource, the wind, as a way to promote clean energy.
Officials have been discussing the idea for a few months and say they still are studying whether wind farms on state land will be feasible.
With 2.1 million acres of state forest land blanketing some of the state's highest ridge lines, forestry officials say there is plenty of possibility. The wind-power industry has noticed and approached the department in recent months, said Michael DiBerardinis, secretary for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
"I think we're attractive by the sheer size of what we own, but then where we own it," he said in a recent interview.
Plus, he said, wind energy can help reduce reliance on coal-fired power plants, a source of the acid rain that damages forests.
In this pursuit, Pennsylvania has plenty of company: At least a dozen other states are engaged in or discussing putting wind farms on public land. Most are in the western United States, where a handful of wind farms already dot state lands.
Plus, the federal Bureau of Land Management is hoping to multiply the 500 megawatts of wind power already generated on its land to more than 3,200 megawatts by 2025.
On private land, Pennsylvania has five wind farms producing 129 megawatts, enough to power almost 40,000 households, the most of any state east of the Mississippi River, with two more set to open this year.
For now, the department legally cannot authorize a wind farm on state land, so it would have to obtain the right from the General Assembly.
Pinpointing a suitable location for a wind farm could take awhile.
Officials have a long list of factors to consider, including the effect on animals and forests, the location of transmission lines, and the massive turbines' wind exposure and visibility.
They expect only a small fraction of state forest land will be suitable.
Saturday, March 26, 2005
Midwest Farmers Catch The Wind
Catch the wind: Midwest farmers are well-positioned to harvest and sell wind energy
By Gene Johnston
Successful Farming Managing Editor
3/25/2005, 3:27 PM CST
Farmers looking to diversify their income stream may find the answer blowing in the wind. Literally.
That message was delivered to a gathering of 50 farmers on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa, recently. At the Introduction to Wind Energy and Energy Crops; a Conference for Farmers seminar, several speakers said that farmers need to be active participants in the growing national interest in renewable, low-polluting energy sources, such as wind. Federal and state government programs are either in place, or being developed, that could help you pay for the hardware.
The conference was sponsored by the Iowa Farmers Union Foundation, the Iowa Energy Center, The Center for Energy and Environmental Education, and The CHS Foundation.
"A disproportionate share of renewable energy is going to happen here in our area," said Ed Woolsey, president of Green Prairie Energy, an Iowa-based renewable energy company, and conference leader. Renewable energy sources such as wind, methane from manure digestion, and biomass energy crops are well-suited to the Midwest. "If it's going to happen here, take advantage of it," he urged the farmers.
Some of the highlights from the meeting were:
- Farmers who participate in wind energy production passively by leasing land to energy companies for placing wind tower turbines may be leaving money on the table. Typical leases for a half-acre of land for turbine placement are around $2,000 per year. While that may sound pretty good to a farmer, there may be no provision for inflation in the lease contract, industry experts said. Leasing may be a good option if it is available to a farmer, and if he or she has no interest in being an active participant in alternative energy. But if he does want to be an active owner of a wind project, the returns he can achieve might be as much as 10 times the lease payment, said Woolsey.
- A farm family team on the panel, Larry Tjaden and his son, Scott, from Floyd county in Iowa, presented an example of how actually owning a wind turbine can be more lucrative than leasing land to an energy company. In 2001, the Tjadens built a 4,000-head hog finishing unit on their farm. "In January of 2004, the power bill for that hog site alone was about $600," said Larry Tjaden. "As I paid that bill, I told Scott that we need to start asking ourselves what we could do lower our utility costs. We started thinking about putting up a wind turbine to generate our own electricity."
Scott took off with the idea, and researched wind power on the Internet. One thing he discovered is that there are plenty of used and refurbished wind turbines available at a discounted price. Many of those machines come from either California, or Europe (Denmark is the acknowledged world leader in wind energy technology and production). Scott and his uncle, Dean Tjaden, went to California and found a used mid-size tower and turbine that fit their criteria, and bought the 100-foot tall unit. It took 5 trucks to haul it back to Iowa, and that alone cost about $30,000.
The Tjadens spent last summer and fall putting the project together. Dean did the legwork with the local zoning and public notice requirements for obtaining a construction permit. The unit was erected in a windy spot in the middle of one of their corn fields, and went on line and started producing electricity last November. The total investment was over $200,000. But a good share of the cost for such a project - 40% or more - can be covered by federal and state grants and tax incentives to promote renewable fuels development. (Even the 2002 farm bill has a provision whereby farmers can get grants - no payback - for this type of project. It's administered through local FSA offices.)
Ironically, the electricity produced by the Tjaden's turbine isn't used directly on their farm. Because of the 3-phase hookups required to tap into their local electric power grid, it works better for them to simply sell the power to their local utility, Dairyland Power, and that income offsets the farm's power bill. On the windy day that Larry and Scott spoke at this conference, their turbine had cranked out 8,000 kilowatts of electricity in the previous 48 hours. They estimate that the turbine will produce $20,000 to $24,000 a year in gross income, and that does not include the tax credits they will receive for their renewable energy investment. The turbine could pay for itself in 6 years or so, then still have several years of useful life of producing income for the farm.
The Tjadens have become strong supporters of renewable energy development by Midwest farmers. "We hope we can help influence additional privately owned wind turbines in Iowa," said Scott.
- Many of the smaller, on-farm renewable energy projects are being done in conjunction with local and regional power companies and cooperatives. They, too, have a strong interest in exploring new energy sources. In some cases they are being mandated by law to secure a certain portion of their power from renewable sources, and they may also be mandated to buy the excess power from on-farm projects like the Tjaden's. One speaker was Jacob Kvinlaug, manager of Consumers Energy Rural Electric Cooperative in Marshalltown, Iowa. That electric co-op has put up two wind turbines on its own property as a demonstration, and is actively encouraging farmers in its area to do the same.
Kvinlaug listed four things you need to know before moving forward with a wind turbine project:
What exactly is your wind resource?
You can find maps that will give averages, but you really need to run wind-speed tests on your own farm. That means putting an anemometer in place for several weeks to get an accurate record of wind speed at a height of 50-100 feet, where the turbine will actually be running. Consumers Energy has an anemometer that they rent to their customers for this purpose. Kvinlaug says they are not that expensive, about $400, and it might be a good investment for anyone getting serious about wind power.
What will it cost you to connect to your local electric grid?
Your local power company should be able to help you with this. You may have to lay some expensive underground lines to hook into a substation. "This may be simple, or maybe not," Kvinlaug said.
What will your local utility or electric co-op pay for energy buy-back from you?
In Minnesota, the law says that for small energy projects, the utility has to buy power at the full retail cost of electricity. That's not true in other states, and they may pay you the wholesale value, or the difference in wholesale and retail.
What wind machine will you put up and what will it cost?
Don't forget to research fully the cost for the foundation for your tower and turbine. "Companies that sell them don't always tell you a lot about the cost to build the foundation," said Kvinlaug. For instance, the Tjadens have a concrete foundation for their tower that is 35 feet across and 8 feet deep in the ground, with 98 big bolts anchoring the tower. They had to hire two huge cranes to set the tower and turbine in place.
"Once you know these 4 things, you're ready to go talk to your banker about financing," says Kvinlaug. "The co-op energy industry is waking up to this. Consumers Energy is really trying to help people get involved with it."
Gregg Heide is a fourth generation farmer at Pomeroy, Iowa. He's been visiting his state legislature this spring, trying to promote more state government incentives for farmers such as himself to invest in wind energy. He's considering putting wind turbines on his farm, and may try to form a farmer co-op with his neighbors to develop a wind farm that they would own together (some farmer groups have already done this in Minnesota).
Heide gave this example of the potential: On 160 acres of corn, at today's yields and prices he can generate about $60,000 in gross crop revenue. If he put two of the newest, biggest, and most efficient turbines on that ground, he might be able to generate five times that amount in gross revenue. "If I leased that ground to an energy company to put up the turbines, they might pay $4,000 per turbine for an annual lease payment. If you go that route, I think you could be leaving a lot of money on the table," Heide said.
He also said that if you are interested in pursuing wind energy development on your farm, start by going to your local utility company or co-op and see if they are interested in helping you. If they are, they will be able to provide you with lots of resources. Then, he said you should hire a consultant who knows the business. That person can help you find sources of equipment, and help you take advantage of all the government programs for technical help and financing.
Many sources offer help for people interested in developing wind energy projects. Here are some places to get started:
Iowa Energy Center
Next Generation Power Systems (Wind turbines: Minnesota)
Energy Maintenance Service (Wind turbines: South Dakota)
Energy Foundation
You can email Ed Woolsey, Green Prairie Energy at: Ed@ewoolsey.com
By Gene Johnston
Successful Farming Managing Editor
3/25/2005, 3:27 PM CST
Farmers looking to diversify their income stream may find the answer blowing in the wind. Literally.
That message was delivered to a gathering of 50 farmers on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa, recently. At the Introduction to Wind Energy and Energy Crops; a Conference for Farmers seminar, several speakers said that farmers need to be active participants in the growing national interest in renewable, low-polluting energy sources, such as wind. Federal and state government programs are either in place, or being developed, that could help you pay for the hardware.
The conference was sponsored by the Iowa Farmers Union Foundation, the Iowa Energy Center, The Center for Energy and Environmental Education, and The CHS Foundation.
"A disproportionate share of renewable energy is going to happen here in our area," said Ed Woolsey, president of Green Prairie Energy, an Iowa-based renewable energy company, and conference leader. Renewable energy sources such as wind, methane from manure digestion, and biomass energy crops are well-suited to the Midwest. "If it's going to happen here, take advantage of it," he urged the farmers.
Some of the highlights from the meeting were:
- Farmers who participate in wind energy production passively by leasing land to energy companies for placing wind tower turbines may be leaving money on the table. Typical leases for a half-acre of land for turbine placement are around $2,000 per year. While that may sound pretty good to a farmer, there may be no provision for inflation in the lease contract, industry experts said. Leasing may be a good option if it is available to a farmer, and if he or she has no interest in being an active participant in alternative energy. But if he does want to be an active owner of a wind project, the returns he can achieve might be as much as 10 times the lease payment, said Woolsey.
- A farm family team on the panel, Larry Tjaden and his son, Scott, from Floyd county in Iowa, presented an example of how actually owning a wind turbine can be more lucrative than leasing land to an energy company. In 2001, the Tjadens built a 4,000-head hog finishing unit on their farm. "In January of 2004, the power bill for that hog site alone was about $600," said Larry Tjaden. "As I paid that bill, I told Scott that we need to start asking ourselves what we could do lower our utility costs. We started thinking about putting up a wind turbine to generate our own electricity."
Scott took off with the idea, and researched wind power on the Internet. One thing he discovered is that there are plenty of used and refurbished wind turbines available at a discounted price. Many of those machines come from either California, or Europe (Denmark is the acknowledged world leader in wind energy technology and production). Scott and his uncle, Dean Tjaden, went to California and found a used mid-size tower and turbine that fit their criteria, and bought the 100-foot tall unit. It took 5 trucks to haul it back to Iowa, and that alone cost about $30,000.
The Tjadens spent last summer and fall putting the project together. Dean did the legwork with the local zoning and public notice requirements for obtaining a construction permit. The unit was erected in a windy spot in the middle of one of their corn fields, and went on line and started producing electricity last November. The total investment was over $200,000. But a good share of the cost for such a project - 40% or more - can be covered by federal and state grants and tax incentives to promote renewable fuels development. (Even the 2002 farm bill has a provision whereby farmers can get grants - no payback - for this type of project. It's administered through local FSA offices.)
Ironically, the electricity produced by the Tjaden's turbine isn't used directly on their farm. Because of the 3-phase hookups required to tap into their local electric power grid, it works better for them to simply sell the power to their local utility, Dairyland Power, and that income offsets the farm's power bill. On the windy day that Larry and Scott spoke at this conference, their turbine had cranked out 8,000 kilowatts of electricity in the previous 48 hours. They estimate that the turbine will produce $20,000 to $24,000 a year in gross income, and that does not include the tax credits they will receive for their renewable energy investment. The turbine could pay for itself in 6 years or so, then still have several years of useful life of producing income for the farm.
The Tjadens have become strong supporters of renewable energy development by Midwest farmers. "We hope we can help influence additional privately owned wind turbines in Iowa," said Scott.
- Many of the smaller, on-farm renewable energy projects are being done in conjunction with local and regional power companies and cooperatives. They, too, have a strong interest in exploring new energy sources. In some cases they are being mandated by law to secure a certain portion of their power from renewable sources, and they may also be mandated to buy the excess power from on-farm projects like the Tjaden's. One speaker was Jacob Kvinlaug, manager of Consumers Energy Rural Electric Cooperative in Marshalltown, Iowa. That electric co-op has put up two wind turbines on its own property as a demonstration, and is actively encouraging farmers in its area to do the same.
Kvinlaug listed four things you need to know before moving forward with a wind turbine project:
What exactly is your wind resource?
You can find maps that will give averages, but you really need to run wind-speed tests on your own farm. That means putting an anemometer in place for several weeks to get an accurate record of wind speed at a height of 50-100 feet, where the turbine will actually be running. Consumers Energy has an anemometer that they rent to their customers for this purpose. Kvinlaug says they are not that expensive, about $400, and it might be a good investment for anyone getting serious about wind power.
What will it cost you to connect to your local electric grid?
Your local power company should be able to help you with this. You may have to lay some expensive underground lines to hook into a substation. "This may be simple, or maybe not," Kvinlaug said.
What will your local utility or electric co-op pay for energy buy-back from you?
In Minnesota, the law says that for small energy projects, the utility has to buy power at the full retail cost of electricity. That's not true in other states, and they may pay you the wholesale value, or the difference in wholesale and retail.
What wind machine will you put up and what will it cost?
Don't forget to research fully the cost for the foundation for your tower and turbine. "Companies that sell them don't always tell you a lot about the cost to build the foundation," said Kvinlaug. For instance, the Tjadens have a concrete foundation for their tower that is 35 feet across and 8 feet deep in the ground, with 98 big bolts anchoring the tower. They had to hire two huge cranes to set the tower and turbine in place.
"Once you know these 4 things, you're ready to go talk to your banker about financing," says Kvinlaug. "The co-op energy industry is waking up to this. Consumers Energy is really trying to help people get involved with it."
Gregg Heide is a fourth generation farmer at Pomeroy, Iowa. He's been visiting his state legislature this spring, trying to promote more state government incentives for farmers such as himself to invest in wind energy. He's considering putting wind turbines on his farm, and may try to form a farmer co-op with his neighbors to develop a wind farm that they would own together (some farmer groups have already done this in Minnesota).
Heide gave this example of the potential: On 160 acres of corn, at today's yields and prices he can generate about $60,000 in gross crop revenue. If he put two of the newest, biggest, and most efficient turbines on that ground, he might be able to generate five times that amount in gross revenue. "If I leased that ground to an energy company to put up the turbines, they might pay $4,000 per turbine for an annual lease payment. If you go that route, I think you could be leaving a lot of money on the table," Heide said.
He also said that if you are interested in pursuing wind energy development on your farm, start by going to your local utility company or co-op and see if they are interested in helping you. If they are, they will be able to provide you with lots of resources. Then, he said you should hire a consultant who knows the business. That person can help you find sources of equipment, and help you take advantage of all the government programs for technical help and financing.
Many sources offer help for people interested in developing wind energy projects. Here are some places to get started:
Iowa Energy Center
Next Generation Power Systems (Wind turbines: Minnesota)
Energy Maintenance Service (Wind turbines: South Dakota)
Energy Foundation
You can email Ed Woolsey, Green Prairie Energy at: Ed@ewoolsey.com
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Goldman Sachs to buy Zilkha Renewable Energy
Goldman Sachs to buy Zilkha Renewable Energy
Tuesday, March 22, 2005 3:13:10 AM ET
newratings.com
NEW YORK, March 22 (newratings.com) – Banking major Goldman Sachs (GS.NYS) Monday announced its decision to purchase Zilkha Renewable Energy, a leading operator of several wind energy projects. The terms of the purchase were, however, not disclosed.
Goldman Sachs’ Chairman and CEO, Henry Paulson Jr, said in a statement that wind and other forms of renewable energy were expected to play an important role in the near future in the development of the high-growth industry. Golman Sachs currently has major holdings in energy development, energy finance, power marketing and commodities trading. The company also owns a number of power plants, besides having interests in several wind farms. According to The New York Times, the acquisition would give Goldman Sachs control of the 4,000 megawatt wind-energy projects, currently under development in 12 states
Tuesday, March 22, 2005 3:13:10 AM ET
newratings.com
NEW YORK, March 22 (newratings.com) – Banking major Goldman Sachs (GS.NYS) Monday announced its decision to purchase Zilkha Renewable Energy, a leading operator of several wind energy projects. The terms of the purchase were, however, not disclosed.
Goldman Sachs’ Chairman and CEO, Henry Paulson Jr, said in a statement that wind and other forms of renewable energy were expected to play an important role in the near future in the development of the high-growth industry. Golman Sachs currently has major holdings in energy development, energy finance, power marketing and commodities trading. The company also owns a number of power plants, besides having interests in several wind farms. According to The New York Times, the acquisition would give Goldman Sachs control of the 4,000 megawatt wind-energy projects, currently under development in 12 states
Flying Windmills?
National Post March 19/2005
Flying windmills by Lawrence Solomon
Don't like fossil fuels? Nuclear power? Hydro dams? Go fly a kite. Really. The next great energy technology may well involve implausible-sounding machines called Flying Electric Generators, windmills 30,000 feet high and tethered to the ground by power lines. These windmills would capture the plentiful power in the strong, steady winds that blow in the jet stream.
No pollution. No greenhouse gases. No hazard to birds. Enough energy to meet the world's needs many times over. And costs that are projected at one to two cents a kilowatt hour, far less than that of existing fuels.
The visionaries floating these ideas are no crackpots. Inventor Bryan Roberts, an Australian engineer with a PhD from Cambridge who teaches at the University of Western Sydney, has a long history of getting inventions off the ground, including a tethered four-rotor helicopter built under a collaborative agreement with Bell Helicopters' Australian agents. David Shepard, co-CEO with Roberts of Sky WindPower Corporation, the machine's corporate developer, patented the optical scanner in the 1950s and then formed a company that sold the world's first commercial OCR (optical character recognition) scanners, now at the Smithsonian Institute. Others at Sky WindPower, a San Diego-based corporation, also have impressive practical accomplishments in the corporate and military spheres to complement their flights of fancy.
The flying wind generator, drawing power from the local electric company through its tether, uses helicopter-like rotors to climb skyward and GPS technology to keep its bearings. Once at its desired altitude, the generator drifts in the wind while the rotors generate electricity and send power down the same tether that had powered its ascent. When it needs to come down to Earth, the flying machine can either come down on its own power, as helicopters do, or be winched in.
Sky WindPower plans to raise clusters of these aircraft – perhaps 600 at a time – above lands not far from metropolitan centres. Each cluster would have a capacity of 12,000 megawatts – equivalent to roughly 24 Pickering-sized nuclear reactors – and produce 90 million megawatt-hours a year – 25% more than those 20 Pickering plants would produce. Two of these clusters could more than meet Ontario's entire power needs; seven Canada's, not that it would ever be necessary or desirable to eliminate all other electricity technologies.
On land, the flying wind generator's requirement is negligible. Floating above forests or farmers' fields, the tethers would cost next to nothing in land or agricultural production while providing farmers with a bit of revenue for the use of their land. If a flying generator ever fell from the sky, as would be inevitable, it would crash in an unpopulated area and so represent minimal threat to human safety.
Above land, there is a cost – airplanes would need to be excluded from these areas, to avoid collisions with the flying generators or their tethers. But there is nothing new here. At 15 sites along the U.S.-Mexico border, the U.S. government for decades has tethered balloons carrying radar equipment to detect illegal flights by drug smugglers. These sites, which occur at altitudes up to 15,000 feet, appear on aeronautical charts and are well known to pilots, who in any case routinely deal with restricted air space. Sky WindPower calculates that less than one-quarter of 1% of U.S. airspace would need to be reserved, all away from populated areas, to meet all U.S. energy needs. That is far less than the amount of air space now restricted to civilian aviation.
Flying windmills have many advantages over their land-based counterparts which, because of factors such as contours of the land and daily heating and cooling patterns, often face either inadequate wind or turbulent winds, necessitating expensive designs. No such impediments occur in the jet stream, where air moves near-constantly and at several times the speed that it does at 100 feet off the ground, allowing much more energy to be captured from each square meter of wind.
While the wind blows well almost everywhere in the world, Canada is especially suited to flying turbines. The very best winds, 30,000 feet up, happen to blow along the Canada-U.S. border, where most of our population resides. At Montreal, Toronto, Windsor, Winnipeg or Regina, or Vancouver, a flying windmill will typically operate at 85% to 90% of its full capacity, about 50% higher than at many lower latitudes – and also higher than at more northerly latitudes. The skies above Gagetown, N.B., where a windmill would operate at 92% of its capacity, has one of the world's best-recorded wind readings.
Roberts first began working on his concept in 1979. He has successfully flown prototypes in wind tunnels and in the sky. Sky WindPower now wants to scale up – its next prototype is designed and has the government permissions necessary for it to be tested in the California desert. It awaits only the $3-million needed to proceed.
Will investors take a flyer on this technology? So far, the big boys have stayed away, and for understandable reason. The smart money is moving to Arctic pipelines, nuclear plants, tar sands, LNG facilities and other government-subsidized energy systems that are with us in a big way only because government decrees it. The world's energy entrepreneurs have all vanished, aside from a small band tilting at windmills in the sky.
Lawrence Solomon is executive director of Urban Renaissance Institute and Consumer Policy Institute, divisions of Toronto-based Energy Probe Research Foundation. www.Urban-Renaissance.org.
Flying windmills by Lawrence Solomon
Don't like fossil fuels? Nuclear power? Hydro dams? Go fly a kite. Really. The next great energy technology may well involve implausible-sounding machines called Flying Electric Generators, windmills 30,000 feet high and tethered to the ground by power lines. These windmills would capture the plentiful power in the strong, steady winds that blow in the jet stream.
No pollution. No greenhouse gases. No hazard to birds. Enough energy to meet the world's needs many times over. And costs that are projected at one to two cents a kilowatt hour, far less than that of existing fuels.
The visionaries floating these ideas are no crackpots. Inventor Bryan Roberts, an Australian engineer with a PhD from Cambridge who teaches at the University of Western Sydney, has a long history of getting inventions off the ground, including a tethered four-rotor helicopter built under a collaborative agreement with Bell Helicopters' Australian agents. David Shepard, co-CEO with Roberts of Sky WindPower Corporation, the machine's corporate developer, patented the optical scanner in the 1950s and then formed a company that sold the world's first commercial OCR (optical character recognition) scanners, now at the Smithsonian Institute. Others at Sky WindPower, a San Diego-based corporation, also have impressive practical accomplishments in the corporate and military spheres to complement their flights of fancy.
The flying wind generator, drawing power from the local electric company through its tether, uses helicopter-like rotors to climb skyward and GPS technology to keep its bearings. Once at its desired altitude, the generator drifts in the wind while the rotors generate electricity and send power down the same tether that had powered its ascent. When it needs to come down to Earth, the flying machine can either come down on its own power, as helicopters do, or be winched in.
Sky WindPower plans to raise clusters of these aircraft – perhaps 600 at a time – above lands not far from metropolitan centres. Each cluster would have a capacity of 12,000 megawatts – equivalent to roughly 24 Pickering-sized nuclear reactors – and produce 90 million megawatt-hours a year – 25% more than those 20 Pickering plants would produce. Two of these clusters could more than meet Ontario's entire power needs; seven Canada's, not that it would ever be necessary or desirable to eliminate all other electricity technologies.
On land, the flying wind generator's requirement is negligible. Floating above forests or farmers' fields, the tethers would cost next to nothing in land or agricultural production while providing farmers with a bit of revenue for the use of their land. If a flying generator ever fell from the sky, as would be inevitable, it would crash in an unpopulated area and so represent minimal threat to human safety.
Above land, there is a cost – airplanes would need to be excluded from these areas, to avoid collisions with the flying generators or their tethers. But there is nothing new here. At 15 sites along the U.S.-Mexico border, the U.S. government for decades has tethered balloons carrying radar equipment to detect illegal flights by drug smugglers. These sites, which occur at altitudes up to 15,000 feet, appear on aeronautical charts and are well known to pilots, who in any case routinely deal with restricted air space. Sky WindPower calculates that less than one-quarter of 1% of U.S. airspace would need to be reserved, all away from populated areas, to meet all U.S. energy needs. That is far less than the amount of air space now restricted to civilian aviation.
Flying windmills have many advantages over their land-based counterparts which, because of factors such as contours of the land and daily heating and cooling patterns, often face either inadequate wind or turbulent winds, necessitating expensive designs. No such impediments occur in the jet stream, where air moves near-constantly and at several times the speed that it does at 100 feet off the ground, allowing much more energy to be captured from each square meter of wind.
While the wind blows well almost everywhere in the world, Canada is especially suited to flying turbines. The very best winds, 30,000 feet up, happen to blow along the Canada-U.S. border, where most of our population resides. At Montreal, Toronto, Windsor, Winnipeg or Regina, or Vancouver, a flying windmill will typically operate at 85% to 90% of its full capacity, about 50% higher than at many lower latitudes – and also higher than at more northerly latitudes. The skies above Gagetown, N.B., where a windmill would operate at 92% of its capacity, has one of the world's best-recorded wind readings.
Roberts first began working on his concept in 1979. He has successfully flown prototypes in wind tunnels and in the sky. Sky WindPower now wants to scale up – its next prototype is designed and has the government permissions necessary for it to be tested in the California desert. It awaits only the $3-million needed to proceed.
Will investors take a flyer on this technology? So far, the big boys have stayed away, and for understandable reason. The smart money is moving to Arctic pipelines, nuclear plants, tar sands, LNG facilities and other government-subsidized energy systems that are with us in a big way only because government decrees it. The world's energy entrepreneurs have all vanished, aside from a small band tilting at windmills in the sky.
Lawrence Solomon is executive director of Urban Renaissance Institute and Consumer Policy Institute, divisions of Toronto-based Energy Probe Research Foundation. www.Urban-Renaissance.org.
Saturday, March 19, 2005
430MW Wind Farm Plans in Illinois
March 19, 2005
Wind power: From hot air to real deal?
Tax credits, new rules help spur investment
By Steve Daniels
After years of being perceived as the slightly daffy pipe dream of environmentalists, wind energy is now poised to power up in Illinois.
The catalysts include rising fuel prices that are making wind power cost-competitive with coal- and natural gas-fired electricity. Most important is Gov. Rod Blagojevich's recent proposal to require electric utilities to buy a percentage of their power from wind farms.
Still, Illinois has just two wind farms — in Downstate Lee and Bureau counties — producing a collective 100 megawatts of power. Another 3,000 megawatts are on the drawing board. To put that in perspective, in Commonwealth Edison Co.'s Northern Illinois service territory alone, peak-demand days can require more than 20,000 megawatts.
But wind developers are convincing skeptics that renewable energy is good economics — a generator of jobs and taxes for rural counties, as well as a cash crop for farmers who lease land for windmills.
The toughest audience of all is weighing in positively. An industry that a few years ago was short on capital today is swimming in financing from deep-pocketed institutions such as J. P. Morgan Chase & Co., as well as private investors such as Chicago energy entrepreneur Michael Polsky.
"The business basically took off, and we sort of found it a few years ago," says John Eber, managing director of energy investments for J. P. Morgan in Chicago. The bank has financed seven wind farms, at an estimated $400 million, outside Illinois. It expects to bankroll another five or six this year.
J. P. Morgan's wind-energy financing — a legacy of Bank One Corp., which J. P. Morgan acquired — is part of a unit that invests in tax-advantaged projects like aircraft leases and affordable housing. Mr. Eber says his group has shifted from aircraft deals, scarcer because of airline woes, to wind power, which benefits from a federal tax credit.
"Right now, there's more money chasing projects than projects," says Michael Skelly, vice-president of business development for Zilkha Renewable Energy of Houston, a leading U.S. wind developer. Zilkha plans to build the nation's largest wind farm — a 430-megawatt project — in Downstate Bloomington.
Wind farms are becoming common in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin. These states, like 15 others, require utilities to buy wind power.
"Where the utilities are required to buy a certain percentage of resources from renewable energy, (wind power) is booming. Where they're not, it's not," says Howard Learner of the Environmental Law and Policy Center in Chicago.
That Illinois doesn't have such a mandate is attributable to past utility opposition. But that's changed. ComEd is backing the governor's plan, which would require electric utilities to buy an increasing percentage of their power from renewable sources, capped at 8% by 2012. Three-quarters of that would have to come from wind farms.
Key to ComEd's support is that the utility won't have to eat the potentially higher costs of wind power. Ratepayers will. "It's important that we have cost recovery as part of this," says Arlene Juracek, ComEd's vice-president of energy acquisition.
PLUG PULLED ON PLAN
Utilities' past unwillingness to pay wind developers more than 4 cents a kilowatt-hour stymied wind development in Illinois. For example, FPL Energy LLC of Florida, the nation's largest wind generator, pulled the plug a year ago on a proposed 50-megawatt farm in Lee County when it couldn't reach a purchase agreement with ComEd.
After accounting for the federal tax credit of 1.8 cents a kilowatt-hour for wind power, the farms can make a profit at 4 to 5 cents a kilowatt-hour, depending on the site's windiness. That's roughly equal to Chicago-area spot-market power prices, so ratepayers may not have to pay extra for wind power.
Wind power: From hot air to real deal?
Tax credits, new rules help spur investment
By Steve Daniels
After years of being perceived as the slightly daffy pipe dream of environmentalists, wind energy is now poised to power up in Illinois.
The catalysts include rising fuel prices that are making wind power cost-competitive with coal- and natural gas-fired electricity. Most important is Gov. Rod Blagojevich's recent proposal to require electric utilities to buy a percentage of their power from wind farms.
Still, Illinois has just two wind farms — in Downstate Lee and Bureau counties — producing a collective 100 megawatts of power. Another 3,000 megawatts are on the drawing board. To put that in perspective, in Commonwealth Edison Co.'s Northern Illinois service territory alone, peak-demand days can require more than 20,000 megawatts.
But wind developers are convincing skeptics that renewable energy is good economics — a generator of jobs and taxes for rural counties, as well as a cash crop for farmers who lease land for windmills.
The toughest audience of all is weighing in positively. An industry that a few years ago was short on capital today is swimming in financing from deep-pocketed institutions such as J. P. Morgan Chase & Co., as well as private investors such as Chicago energy entrepreneur Michael Polsky.
"The business basically took off, and we sort of found it a few years ago," says John Eber, managing director of energy investments for J. P. Morgan in Chicago. The bank has financed seven wind farms, at an estimated $400 million, outside Illinois. It expects to bankroll another five or six this year.
J. P. Morgan's wind-energy financing — a legacy of Bank One Corp., which J. P. Morgan acquired — is part of a unit that invests in tax-advantaged projects like aircraft leases and affordable housing. Mr. Eber says his group has shifted from aircraft deals, scarcer because of airline woes, to wind power, which benefits from a federal tax credit.
"Right now, there's more money chasing projects than projects," says Michael Skelly, vice-president of business development for Zilkha Renewable Energy of Houston, a leading U.S. wind developer. Zilkha plans to build the nation's largest wind farm — a 430-megawatt project — in Downstate Bloomington.
Wind farms are becoming common in Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin. These states, like 15 others, require utilities to buy wind power.
"Where the utilities are required to buy a certain percentage of resources from renewable energy, (wind power) is booming. Where they're not, it's not," says Howard Learner of the Environmental Law and Policy Center in Chicago.
That Illinois doesn't have such a mandate is attributable to past utility opposition. But that's changed. ComEd is backing the governor's plan, which would require electric utilities to buy an increasing percentage of their power from renewable sources, capped at 8% by 2012. Three-quarters of that would have to come from wind farms.
Key to ComEd's support is that the utility won't have to eat the potentially higher costs of wind power. Ratepayers will. "It's important that we have cost recovery as part of this," says Arlene Juracek, ComEd's vice-president of energy acquisition.
PLUG PULLED ON PLAN
Utilities' past unwillingness to pay wind developers more than 4 cents a kilowatt-hour stymied wind development in Illinois. For example, FPL Energy LLC of Florida, the nation's largest wind generator, pulled the plug a year ago on a proposed 50-megawatt farm in Lee County when it couldn't reach a purchase agreement with ComEd.
After accounting for the federal tax credit of 1.8 cents a kilowatt-hour for wind power, the farms can make a profit at 4 to 5 cents a kilowatt-hour, depending on the site's windiness. That's roughly equal to Chicago-area spot-market power prices, so ratepayers may not have to pay extra for wind power.
Wind Energy Plans in India
ONGC, HPCL, REL bet big on wind energy
Saturday, 19 March , 2005, 09:42
New Delhi: Mega companies Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Reliance Energy and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) are among those betting big on the potential of the wind energy sector and, along with equipment major Suzlon, are toying with the idea of setting up large capacity wind parks in the country.
HPCL is planning to roll out a 100-MW wind park project across the country in three to four phases.
The company is looking at Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh for setting up the project and would kick-start full-fledged commercial operations by selling the power to the grid or to state electricity boards through bilateral contracts, industry players said. It is looking to float tenders inviting developers to execute the project on a turnkey basis, they added. ONGC is also betting heavily on the wind energy sector and is planning to replace nearly half of the 350-MW of electricity that it draws from the grid, for operations in six States, with wind power. The company is looking at setting up two wind farms of around 150 MW for captive consumption in Gujarat, industry sources said.
It has already launched a pilot project for harnessing wind energy at select rigs and wells on the west coast. Reliance Energy Ltd, which has already commissioned an 8.37-MW Wind Farm Project at Jogimatti in Karnataka, is looking to give a bigger impetus to wind energy generation, an industry source said.
Equipment manufacturer Suzlon is also planning a wind park in Gujarat. The company has already commissioned Asia's largest wind park - the 201-MW Vankusawade Wind Park in Satara, Maharashtra.
With action on the wind energy sector picking up, equipment major GE has also entered the business in the country. GE Energy is supplying 18 1.5-MW units for Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd's wind power project.
Saturday, 19 March , 2005, 09:42
New Delhi: Mega companies Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Reliance Energy and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) are among those betting big on the potential of the wind energy sector and, along with equipment major Suzlon, are toying with the idea of setting up large capacity wind parks in the country.
HPCL is planning to roll out a 100-MW wind park project across the country in three to four phases.
The company is looking at Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh for setting up the project and would kick-start full-fledged commercial operations by selling the power to the grid or to state electricity boards through bilateral contracts, industry players said. It is looking to float tenders inviting developers to execute the project on a turnkey basis, they added. ONGC is also betting heavily on the wind energy sector and is planning to replace nearly half of the 350-MW of electricity that it draws from the grid, for operations in six States, with wind power. The company is looking at setting up two wind farms of around 150 MW for captive consumption in Gujarat, industry sources said.
It has already launched a pilot project for harnessing wind energy at select rigs and wells on the west coast. Reliance Energy Ltd, which has already commissioned an 8.37-MW Wind Farm Project at Jogimatti in Karnataka, is looking to give a bigger impetus to wind energy generation, an industry source said.
Equipment manufacturer Suzlon is also planning a wind park in Gujarat. The company has already commissioned Asia's largest wind park - the 201-MW Vankusawade Wind Park in Satara, Maharashtra.
With action on the wind energy sector picking up, equipment major GE has also entered the business in the country. GE Energy is supplying 18 1.5-MW units for Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd's wind power project.
Thursday, March 17, 2005
150MW Puget Sound Wa. Wind Project Begins
Thursday, March 17, 2005 · Last updated 11:51 a.m. PT
Puget Sound Energy begins construction on wind project
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BELLEVUE, Wash. -- Puget Sound Energy has purchased and started construction on a wind energy project in southeastern Washington.
The 150-megawatt Hopkins Ridge Wind Project will be on 11,000 acres of wheat fields about 15 miles northeast of Dayton. The more than 80 wind turbines will provide enough energy to power 50,000 homes, the company said in a news release Thursday.
"The Hopkins Ridge Wind Project will be an excellent addition to our portfolio of electric resources," said Eric Markell, senior vice president of energy resources. "It will provide more control over our power supply and minimize the risk to our customers from a volatile short-term energy market."
PSE bought the wind farm from Blue Sky Wind LLC, an affiliate of United Kingdom-based Renewable Energy Systems Ltd. The utility expects to spend up to $200 million on the project, including $180 million to buy and construct the wind farm and $10 million to upgrade the transmission systems of the Bonneville Power Administration and other energy providers, the release said.
Dwight Robanske, a Columbia County commissioner, welcomed the new project, saying it will provide new jobs and as much as $1.3 million in tax revenue for schools and other services.
PSE serves nearly 1 million electric customers and more than 668,000 natural gas customers primarily in the Puget Sound region. The utility also has signed a letter of intent to buy the proposed 230-megawatt Wild Horse Wind Power Project in central Washington's Kittitas County.
Puget Sound Energy begins construction on wind project
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BELLEVUE, Wash. -- Puget Sound Energy has purchased and started construction on a wind energy project in southeastern Washington.
The 150-megawatt Hopkins Ridge Wind Project will be on 11,000 acres of wheat fields about 15 miles northeast of Dayton. The more than 80 wind turbines will provide enough energy to power 50,000 homes, the company said in a news release Thursday.
"The Hopkins Ridge Wind Project will be an excellent addition to our portfolio of electric resources," said Eric Markell, senior vice president of energy resources. "It will provide more control over our power supply and minimize the risk to our customers from a volatile short-term energy market."
PSE bought the wind farm from Blue Sky Wind LLC, an affiliate of United Kingdom-based Renewable Energy Systems Ltd. The utility expects to spend up to $200 million on the project, including $180 million to buy and construct the wind farm and $10 million to upgrade the transmission systems of the Bonneville Power Administration and other energy providers, the release said.
Dwight Robanske, a Columbia County commissioner, welcomed the new project, saying it will provide new jobs and as much as $1.3 million in tax revenue for schools and other services.
PSE serves nearly 1 million electric customers and more than 668,000 natural gas customers primarily in the Puget Sound region. The utility also has signed a letter of intent to buy the proposed 230-megawatt Wild Horse Wind Power Project in central Washington's Kittitas County.
GE Wind Energy Gets New General Manager
March 17, 2005 11:38 AM US Eastern Timezone
Gleitz Named to Head GE Energy's Wind Segment
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 17, 2005--Robert Gleitz has been named General Manager of GE Energy's wind segment, reporting to Mark Little, Vice President-Power Generation for GE Energy.
"Robert brings 20 years of extensive global experience and outstanding execution skills to his new role," said Little. "In his previous position, he was instrumental in driving outstanding financial performance, teamwork and excellence in leading GE initiatives, and success in delivering new products."
Previously led by Steven Zwolinski, a 23-year veteran who will be leaving the company to pursue other business opportunities, GE Energy's wind unit increased its revenue from $500 million in 2002 to more than $1 billion in 2004.
"With the support of the U.S. production tax credit (PTC) in 2005, we're looking at another record-breaking year for our wind unit, which is expected to double its sale of wind turbines in 2005," said Little.
"Led by Robert, our wind segment will continue to focus on high quality, reliable and cost-effective technology," he added. "We have integrated our energy products, wind and hydro groups to better support our growth initiatives, including increased customer value through business synergies and best practice sharing. We have also elevated our focus on service to better support our wind customers' needs."
A graduate of Institut National des Sciences Appliquees de Lyon (INSA) in France, Gleitz holds a diploma in science and energy engineering. He began his career at GE in 1999, following the company's acquisition of Alstom. During his tenure, he has provided leadership within a variety of energy technologies. He has served as Director of GE Energy's European projects group, as well as Commercial Director supporting sales and commercial operations for GE. More recently, Gleitz served as Managing Director of GE Energy Products Europe, based in Belfort, France.
"I welcome this opportunity to lead one of GE Energy's most dynamic businesses," said Gleitz. "Wind energy will be an increasingly important part of the global energy mix of the future, and GE intends to play a major role in that on-going effort."
About GE Energy
GE Energy (www.gepower.com) is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technology, with 2004 revenues of $17.3 billion. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, GE Energy provides equipment, service and management solutions across the power generation, oil and gas, transmission and distribution, distributed power and energy rental industries.
With wind turbine design, manufacturing and/or assembly facilities in Germany, Spain and the United States, GE Energy's current wind energy portfolio includes wind turbines with rated outputs ranging from 1.5 to 3.6 megawatts, and support services ranging from project development assistance to operation and maintenance. The company's knowledge base includes the development and/or installation of more than 7,100 wind turbines with a total rated capacity of 5,600 megawatts. GE Energy employs 30,000 people globally, including 1,700 in wind energy.
Gleitz Named to Head GE Energy's Wind Segment
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 17, 2005--Robert Gleitz has been named General Manager of GE Energy's wind segment, reporting to Mark Little, Vice President-Power Generation for GE Energy.
"Robert brings 20 years of extensive global experience and outstanding execution skills to his new role," said Little. "In his previous position, he was instrumental in driving outstanding financial performance, teamwork and excellence in leading GE initiatives, and success in delivering new products."
Previously led by Steven Zwolinski, a 23-year veteran who will be leaving the company to pursue other business opportunities, GE Energy's wind unit increased its revenue from $500 million in 2002 to more than $1 billion in 2004.
"With the support of the U.S. production tax credit (PTC) in 2005, we're looking at another record-breaking year for our wind unit, which is expected to double its sale of wind turbines in 2005," said Little.
"Led by Robert, our wind segment will continue to focus on high quality, reliable and cost-effective technology," he added. "We have integrated our energy products, wind and hydro groups to better support our growth initiatives, including increased customer value through business synergies and best practice sharing. We have also elevated our focus on service to better support our wind customers' needs."
A graduate of Institut National des Sciences Appliquees de Lyon (INSA) in France, Gleitz holds a diploma in science and energy engineering. He began his career at GE in 1999, following the company's acquisition of Alstom. During his tenure, he has provided leadership within a variety of energy technologies. He has served as Director of GE Energy's European projects group, as well as Commercial Director supporting sales and commercial operations for GE. More recently, Gleitz served as Managing Director of GE Energy Products Europe, based in Belfort, France.
"I welcome this opportunity to lead one of GE Energy's most dynamic businesses," said Gleitz. "Wind energy will be an increasingly important part of the global energy mix of the future, and GE intends to play a major role in that on-going effort."
About GE Energy
GE Energy (www.gepower.com) is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technology, with 2004 revenues of $17.3 billion. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, GE Energy provides equipment, service and management solutions across the power generation, oil and gas, transmission and distribution, distributed power and energy rental industries.
With wind turbine design, manufacturing and/or assembly facilities in Germany, Spain and the United States, GE Energy's current wind energy portfolio includes wind turbines with rated outputs ranging from 1.5 to 3.6 megawatts, and support services ranging from project development assistance to operation and maintenance. The company's knowledge base includes the development and/or installation of more than 7,100 wind turbines with a total rated capacity of 5,600 megawatts. GE Energy employs 30,000 people globally, including 1,700 in wind energy.
Xcel to Add 129 MW in Colorado
Xcel unveils two wind energy projects
Two wind power developers will add 129 megawatts of wind energy to the Xcel Energy Inc.'s Colorado power portfolio by the end of the year, the company said Wednesday.
The two developers, Prairie Wind Energy LLC, formed by local landowners in Prowers County in southeastern Colorado, and Chicago-based Invenergy LLC, are the two survivors of a competitive bidding process that at one point included 12 companies offering 17 projects amounting to 2,000 megawatts of wind power.
Prairie Wind will build a 69-megawatt wind facility near Lamar, and Invenergy will build a 60-megawatt wind facility near Peetz in Logan County. Wind farms already exist in those areas. One megawatt of power generally serves about 1,000 people, although wind energy is intermittent because the wind doesn't blow all the time.
Two other projects were under consideration by Xcel. One of these selected projects, however, was downsized due to transmission constraints and another withdrew from negotiations, according to the company.
"The development of these two wind facilities will increase our Colorado wind generation by more than 50 percent and further our plan of aggressively pursuing the development of wind power in Colorado. We believe wind energy will continue to be an increasingly important generation resource for our customers," said David Eves, Xcel Energy vice president of resource planning and acquisition, in a statement.
The two survivors were able to get their projects online by the end of the year, when a federal tax credit that lowers the cost of wind power expires.
If Congress extends the tax credit beyond Dec. 31, 2005, other companies could get contracts, said Mark Stutz, a spokesman for Xcel.
Xcel (NYSE: XEL) is based in Minneapolis. It supplies electricity and natural gas to 1.2 million Coloradans.
"We were aware that it was a short time frame and given developments in the wind energy industry we knew we may not get [the Request for Proposals] fully subscribed. There are still additional avenues to add more wind power later," Stutz said.
Xcel received approval from state regulators last year to fast-track its Request for Proposals for up to 500 megawatts of power. Last month the company issued an RFP for up to 2,500 megawatts of power. Bids are due May 17.
With the addition of these two wind generation projects, Xcel Energy will have 351 megawatts of wind energy production in Colorado serving its customers, which represents more than 4.5 percent of the company's generating capacity.
© 2005 American City Business Journals Inc.
Two wind power developers will add 129 megawatts of wind energy to the Xcel Energy Inc.'s Colorado power portfolio by the end of the year, the company said Wednesday.
The two developers, Prairie Wind Energy LLC, formed by local landowners in Prowers County in southeastern Colorado, and Chicago-based Invenergy LLC, are the two survivors of a competitive bidding process that at one point included 12 companies offering 17 projects amounting to 2,000 megawatts of wind power.
Prairie Wind will build a 69-megawatt wind facility near Lamar, and Invenergy will build a 60-megawatt wind facility near Peetz in Logan County. Wind farms already exist in those areas. One megawatt of power generally serves about 1,000 people, although wind energy is intermittent because the wind doesn't blow all the time.
Two other projects were under consideration by Xcel. One of these selected projects, however, was downsized due to transmission constraints and another withdrew from negotiations, according to the company.
"The development of these two wind facilities will increase our Colorado wind generation by more than 50 percent and further our plan of aggressively pursuing the development of wind power in Colorado. We believe wind energy will continue to be an increasingly important generation resource for our customers," said David Eves, Xcel Energy vice president of resource planning and acquisition, in a statement.
The two survivors were able to get their projects online by the end of the year, when a federal tax credit that lowers the cost of wind power expires.
If Congress extends the tax credit beyond Dec. 31, 2005, other companies could get contracts, said Mark Stutz, a spokesman for Xcel.
Xcel (NYSE: XEL) is based in Minneapolis. It supplies electricity and natural gas to 1.2 million Coloradans.
"We were aware that it was a short time frame and given developments in the wind energy industry we knew we may not get [the Request for Proposals] fully subscribed. There are still additional avenues to add more wind power later," Stutz said.
Xcel received approval from state regulators last year to fast-track its Request for Proposals for up to 500 megawatts of power. Last month the company issued an RFP for up to 2,500 megawatts of power. Bids are due May 17.
With the addition of these two wind generation projects, Xcel Energy will have 351 megawatts of wind energy production in Colorado serving its customers, which represents more than 4.5 percent of the company's generating capacity.
© 2005 American City Business Journals Inc.
New Zealand Wind Power Growing Fast
Wind is NZ's fastest growing energy industry: Glennie
15.03.05 4.50pm
The wind industry is New Zealand's fastest growing energy industry and recorded growth of 360 per cent in the past year, a power summit in Auckland was told today.
Wind Energy Association chief executive James Glennie said the last 12 months had also seen 130 megawatts (MW) of capacity commissioned.
Moreover, 70MW of new capacity had been commissioned in the past four months, and 170MW was currently in the consent process.
"There is today about 1000MW of wind energy developments that could be built at prices very competitive with any other form of generation, and without subsidies," Mr Glennie said in his speech notes for the Power Summit in Auckland today.
"Most importantly, however, the cost of electricity produced from a wind turbine is largely known for a 20 year period from the day the turbine is switched on," he said.
"The opposite is true for fossil fuels which are being traded on an increasingly volatile market."
"When it comes to stability of price and, increasingly, supply, wind is the winner hands down,"
However, he cautioned that while wind energy could be efficiently produced, it did not hold "all the answers."
Mr Glennie said the energy industry in New Zealand needed to stop its in-fighting and look to a balanced energy generation portfolio, one that involved hydro, wind, geothermal, coal, natural gas and maybe others as well.
"What has changed is that wind energy can now compete on every front with any other form of electricity generation, and we plan on doing just that," Mr Glennie said.
He added that New Zealand has the best wind energy resource in the world and could produce electricity at prices second to none.
- NZPA
15.03.05 4.50pm
The wind industry is New Zealand's fastest growing energy industry and recorded growth of 360 per cent in the past year, a power summit in Auckland was told today.
Wind Energy Association chief executive James Glennie said the last 12 months had also seen 130 megawatts (MW) of capacity commissioned.
Moreover, 70MW of new capacity had been commissioned in the past four months, and 170MW was currently in the consent process.
"There is today about 1000MW of wind energy developments that could be built at prices very competitive with any other form of generation, and without subsidies," Mr Glennie said in his speech notes for the Power Summit in Auckland today.
"Most importantly, however, the cost of electricity produced from a wind turbine is largely known for a 20 year period from the day the turbine is switched on," he said.
"The opposite is true for fossil fuels which are being traded on an increasingly volatile market."
"When it comes to stability of price and, increasingly, supply, wind is the winner hands down,"
However, he cautioned that while wind energy could be efficiently produced, it did not hold "all the answers."
Mr Glennie said the energy industry in New Zealand needed to stop its in-fighting and look to a balanced energy generation portfolio, one that involved hydro, wind, geothermal, coal, natural gas and maybe others as well.
"What has changed is that wind energy can now compete on every front with any other form of electricity generation, and we plan on doing just that," Mr Glennie said.
He added that New Zealand has the best wind energy resource in the world and could produce electricity at prices second to none.
- NZPA
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
DESC To Install Wind/Hydrogen Station in Vermont
Distributed Energy Systems' Operating Units to Engineer and Install Hydrogen Fueling Station in Vermont
Tuesday March 15, 10:43 am ET
- Efficient Hydrogen Production System Demonstrates Renewable Capability
WAITSFIELD, Vt., March 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Distributed Energy Systems Corp. (Nasdaq: DESC - News) announced today that its wholly owned subsidiaries, Northern Power Systems and Proton Energy Systems, will build an advanced hydrogen fueling station through a partnership with EVermont, a non-profit organization that supports cleaner and more energy-sustainable vehicles. The grid-connected system will utilize locally generated renewable energy. This was made possible by a nearly $1 million Department of Energy (DOE) grant secured by Congressman Bernie Sanders (I-VT). The grant will be administered by the DOE's Hydrogen, Fuel Cell, and Infrastructure Technologies Program.
Subject to local approvals, this advanced system will be located at the Department of Public Works in Burlington, Vermont. The system will convert electric energy and water into clean hydrogen fuel, which will be stored on-site and then dispensed into clean and efficient hydrogen-fueled vehicles. Electricity for the project will be supplied by Burlington Electric Department, which generates a significant portion of its power from renewable sources, including a wind turbine located adjacent to the Public Works site. Vermont's harsh winter climate will provide valuable information about the effects of cold weather on the electrolyzer, hydrogen compression, and storage and delivery systems, as well as on hydrogen-fueled vehicles in general.
As the overall project manager, Northern Power Systems will act as coordinator between all participating entities including EVermont, DOE, Proton, and the Burlington Department of Public Works. In addition, Northern will provide turnkey services including project design, equipment procurement, site preparation, and installation and commissioning. Northern's SmartView(TM) monitoring system will enable the program to collect data and conduct analysis and reporting for DOE.
Proton Energy Systems is providing its hydrogen expertise to the project and will supply the fueling station with a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) H Series electrolyzer. Capable of producing 12 kg of hydrogen per day, the H Series electrolyzer is expected to validate numerous efficiency and cost-reduction concepts. First, Proton is developing a new power converter for the electrolyzer; the advanced power electronics are being designed to improve cost, functionality and efficiency. This project represents the first field test of this technology. Second, an advanced, lower cost, higher efficiency PEM cell stack will be implemented under the project. Third, new packaging concepts will advance technology for outdoor environments and reduce the cost of manufacturing. Finally, the development of controls and packaging for Proton's electrolyzer product line will advance that program's entry into fueling station applications.
"We anticipate that the Vermont station will validate a number of DOE hydrogen objectives, including reducing the cost of production, improving efficiency, and engineering an integrated system design and control," says Rob Friedland, senior vice president of Proton's Hydrogen Technology Group. "At the same time, the project results should help reduce some of the technical barriers to widespread application of a hydrogen fueling infrastructure."
Harold Garabedian, Project Manager of EVermont and Assistant Director of the Air Pollution Control Division at the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, agrees. "This project is an important demonstration of the potential of 'wind to wheels,'" he states. "It provides a viable link between renewable energy and the transportation industry."
Jonathan Lynch, CTO of Distributed Energy Systems, is optimistic about the cooperation between the agencies involved. "This project will combine Proton's hydrogen and Northern's renewable integration expertise in a way that both supports the R&D mission of the DOE and provides a state-of-the-art hydrogen fueling facility in Vermont," states Lynch. "We thank Congressman Sanders for his vision and support of this important program."
About EVermont
EVermont Inc., started in 1993 by then-governor Howard Dean, is a public-private partnership of entities interested in documenting and advancing the performance of advanced technology vehicles that are sustainable and less burdensome on the environment, especially in areas with cold climates, hilly terrain and rural settlement patterns.
About Northern Power Systems, Inc.
Northern Power Systems, Inc. designs, builds and installs reliable power solutions for commercial, industrial, government, and military customers. The company also conducts research and development in the areas of renewable energy, distributed generation and hydrogen technology. Since its founding in 1974, Northern has installed over 800 systems in 45 countries on all seven continents. Northern Power Systems, Inc. is headquartered in Waitsfield, Vermont with field offices in the New York metropolitan area and San Francisco. The company employs 150 people with turnkey design, engineering, construction, and customer-support capabilities. Northern Power Systems is a wholly owned operating unit of Distributed Energy Systems Corp. For more information, visit http://www.northernpower.com.
About Proton Energy Systems, Inc.
Proton Energy Systems, Inc. designs, develops, and manufactures Proton Exchange Membrane, or PEM, electrochemical products that it employs in hydrogen generating devices and in regenerative fuel cell systems that function as power generating and energy storage devices. Proton's HOGEN® hydrogen generators produce hydrogen from electricity and water in a clean and efficient process using its proprietary PEM technology. For more information visit http://www.protonenergy.com
About Distributed Energy Systems Corp.
Distributed Energy Systems Corp. (Nasdaq: DESC - News) creates and delivers products and solutions to the emerging decentralized energy marketplace, giving users greater control over their energy cost, quality, and reliability. As the parent company of Proton Energy Systems, Inc. (http://www.protonenergy.com) and Northern Power Systems, Inc., Distributed Energy Systems delivers a combination of practical, ready-today energy solutions and the solid business platforms for capitalizing on the changing energy landscape. For more information, visit http://www.distributed-energy.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact, including statements concerning future projects, may be deemed to be forward-looking information. Without limiting the foregoing, words such as "anticipates," "believes," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "might," "should," "will," and "would" and other forms of these words or similar words are intended to identify forward-looking information. Northern's and Distributed Energy's actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors. Northern Power Systems and Distributed Energy each disclaim any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause results to differ materially from those contained in Northern's and Distributed Energy's forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, failure of our products and systems to perform as specified or achieve commercial acceptance, the impact of competitive products and systems, and other factors detailed in Distributed Energy's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2004, and other filings Distributed Energy may make from time to time with the SEC.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Distributed Energy Systems Corp.
Tuesday March 15, 10:43 am ET
- Efficient Hydrogen Production System Demonstrates Renewable Capability
WAITSFIELD, Vt., March 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Distributed Energy Systems Corp. (Nasdaq: DESC - News) announced today that its wholly owned subsidiaries, Northern Power Systems and Proton Energy Systems, will build an advanced hydrogen fueling station through a partnership with EVermont, a non-profit organization that supports cleaner and more energy-sustainable vehicles. The grid-connected system will utilize locally generated renewable energy. This was made possible by a nearly $1 million Department of Energy (DOE) grant secured by Congressman Bernie Sanders (I-VT). The grant will be administered by the DOE's Hydrogen, Fuel Cell, and Infrastructure Technologies Program.
Subject to local approvals, this advanced system will be located at the Department of Public Works in Burlington, Vermont. The system will convert electric energy and water into clean hydrogen fuel, which will be stored on-site and then dispensed into clean and efficient hydrogen-fueled vehicles. Electricity for the project will be supplied by Burlington Electric Department, which generates a significant portion of its power from renewable sources, including a wind turbine located adjacent to the Public Works site. Vermont's harsh winter climate will provide valuable information about the effects of cold weather on the electrolyzer, hydrogen compression, and storage and delivery systems, as well as on hydrogen-fueled vehicles in general.
As the overall project manager, Northern Power Systems will act as coordinator between all participating entities including EVermont, DOE, Proton, and the Burlington Department of Public Works. In addition, Northern will provide turnkey services including project design, equipment procurement, site preparation, and installation and commissioning. Northern's SmartView(TM) monitoring system will enable the program to collect data and conduct analysis and reporting for DOE.
Proton Energy Systems is providing its hydrogen expertise to the project and will supply the fueling station with a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) H Series electrolyzer. Capable of producing 12 kg of hydrogen per day, the H Series electrolyzer is expected to validate numerous efficiency and cost-reduction concepts. First, Proton is developing a new power converter for the electrolyzer; the advanced power electronics are being designed to improve cost, functionality and efficiency. This project represents the first field test of this technology. Second, an advanced, lower cost, higher efficiency PEM cell stack will be implemented under the project. Third, new packaging concepts will advance technology for outdoor environments and reduce the cost of manufacturing. Finally, the development of controls and packaging for Proton's electrolyzer product line will advance that program's entry into fueling station applications.
"We anticipate that the Vermont station will validate a number of DOE hydrogen objectives, including reducing the cost of production, improving efficiency, and engineering an integrated system design and control," says Rob Friedland, senior vice president of Proton's Hydrogen Technology Group. "At the same time, the project results should help reduce some of the technical barriers to widespread application of a hydrogen fueling infrastructure."
Harold Garabedian, Project Manager of EVermont and Assistant Director of the Air Pollution Control Division at the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, agrees. "This project is an important demonstration of the potential of 'wind to wheels,'" he states. "It provides a viable link between renewable energy and the transportation industry."
Jonathan Lynch, CTO of Distributed Energy Systems, is optimistic about the cooperation between the agencies involved. "This project will combine Proton's hydrogen and Northern's renewable integration expertise in a way that both supports the R&D mission of the DOE and provides a state-of-the-art hydrogen fueling facility in Vermont," states Lynch. "We thank Congressman Sanders for his vision and support of this important program."
About EVermont
EVermont Inc., started in 1993 by then-governor Howard Dean, is a public-private partnership of entities interested in documenting and advancing the performance of advanced technology vehicles that are sustainable and less burdensome on the environment, especially in areas with cold climates, hilly terrain and rural settlement patterns.
About Northern Power Systems, Inc.
Northern Power Systems, Inc. designs, builds and installs reliable power solutions for commercial, industrial, government, and military customers. The company also conducts research and development in the areas of renewable energy, distributed generation and hydrogen technology. Since its founding in 1974, Northern has installed over 800 systems in 45 countries on all seven continents. Northern Power Systems, Inc. is headquartered in Waitsfield, Vermont with field offices in the New York metropolitan area and San Francisco. The company employs 150 people with turnkey design, engineering, construction, and customer-support capabilities. Northern Power Systems is a wholly owned operating unit of Distributed Energy Systems Corp. For more information, visit http://www.northernpower.com.
About Proton Energy Systems, Inc.
Proton Energy Systems, Inc. designs, develops, and manufactures Proton Exchange Membrane, or PEM, electrochemical products that it employs in hydrogen generating devices and in regenerative fuel cell systems that function as power generating and energy storage devices. Proton's HOGEN® hydrogen generators produce hydrogen from electricity and water in a clean and efficient process using its proprietary PEM technology. For more information visit http://www.protonenergy.com
About Distributed Energy Systems Corp.
Distributed Energy Systems Corp. (Nasdaq: DESC - News) creates and delivers products and solutions to the emerging decentralized energy marketplace, giving users greater control over their energy cost, quality, and reliability. As the parent company of Proton Energy Systems, Inc. (http://www.protonenergy.com) and Northern Power Systems, Inc., Distributed Energy Systems delivers a combination of practical, ready-today energy solutions and the solid business platforms for capitalizing on the changing energy landscape. For more information, visit http://www.distributed-energy.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements contained herein that are not statements of historical fact, including statements concerning future projects, may be deemed to be forward-looking information. Without limiting the foregoing, words such as "anticipates," "believes," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "might," "should," "will," and "would" and other forms of these words or similar words are intended to identify forward-looking information. Northern's and Distributed Energy's actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors. Northern Power Systems and Distributed Energy each disclaim any obligation to update these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause results to differ materially from those contained in Northern's and Distributed Energy's forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, failure of our products and systems to perform as specified or achieve commercial acceptance, the impact of competitive products and systems, and other factors detailed in Distributed Energy's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2004, and other filings Distributed Energy may make from time to time with the SEC.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Distributed Energy Systems Corp.
Friday, March 11, 2005
The Global Wind Energy Council Launches
Wind Power Goes Global
BRUSSELS, Belgium, March 10, 2005 (ENS) - The wind turbines of the world are spinning in sync. The Global Wind Energy Council, launched Wednesday, is the new global forum for the wind energy sector, uniting the wind industry and its representative associations. Members operate in more than 50 countries and represent over 1,500 organizations involved in hardware manufacture, project development, power generation, finance and consultancy, as well as researchers and academics.
Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) members represent all the world’s major wind turbine manufacturers and 99 per cent of the world’s 47,317 megawatts (MW) of installed wind power capacity.
The global wind power industry increased its total installed generating capacity by 20 percent in 2004 installing 7,976 MW, according to figures released today by the Global Wind Energy Council.
The countries with the highest total installed wind power capacity are Germany (16,629 MW), Spain (8,263 MW), the United States (6,740 MW), Denmark (3,117 MW) and India (3,000 MW).
The top five countries account for over 67 percent of 2004 installation and nearly 80 percent of total wind energy installation worldwide. A number of countries, including Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, and the UK, are above or near the 1,000-MW mark.
Europe continued to dominate the global market in 2004, accounting for 72.4 percent of new installations (5,774 MW). Asia had a 15.9 percent installation share (1,269 MW), followed by North America (6.4 percent; 512 MW) and the Pacific Region (4.1 percent; 325 MW).
Latin America + the Caribbean (49 MW) and Africa (47 MW) had a 0.6 percent market share respectively.
Located about 10 kilometers off the coast of Arklow, Ireland, the Arklow Bank offshore wind park consists of seven GE Wind 3.6-MW wind turbines. Construction was completed in 2003. This is the world's first commercial application of offshore wind turbines over 3 MW in size. “Europe is the global leader in wind energy, but we are witnessing the globalization of the wind energy markets. In Europe, the market has experienced average annual growth rates of 22 percent over the past six years; however, the further rapid progress that the industry is capable of delivering is constrained by barriers such as grid access and administrative hurdles,” said EWEA President Arthouros Zervos.
“Renewed political initiatives by the G8 could boost wind power; the industry is well positioned and ready for a more rapid roll out given the right political signals."
Growth in the U.S. market was predictably slow because of the long delay in extending the federal production tax credit (PTC) for wind energy, which had expired in December 2003 and was extended in October 2004. Proposed projects are now back on the fast track and the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) expects that over 2,000 MWwill be installed nationwide during 2005.
Uncertainty continues to loom over the U.S. market, however, since the PTC will expire again in December 2005 unless Congress moves quickly to extend the incentive. The U.S. wind energy industry is calling for a long-term extension so that companies can plan for steadier, stronger growth over the coming years.
GE Wind's 1.5 megawatt wind turbine installed in Tehachapi, California, in 2001. the turbine has a 70.5 meter rotor, advance airfoils, independent blade pitch controls, and a water-cooled generator. "Wind energy technology has bolted out of the starting gate in the U.S. and is delivering clean, safe, inexhaustible power to customers nationwide, but its deployment remains hobbled by the intermittency and uncertainty of the federal incentive for wind and other renewable energy sources," said AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher. "For wind energy to contribute a substantially larger share to the nation’s electricity, companies need a stable planning horizon, comparable at least to that available for conventional technologies."
“Wind energy capacity in Australia almost doubled in the last 12 months with 380 MW of wind energy capacity installed at the close of 2004. Wind energy is one of the fastest growing clean energy sources because it is proven, quick to build and economically viable." said Ian Lloyd-Besson, president of AusWEA, the Australian Wind Energy Association.
“Besides being clean and green, wind energy brings investment, drought-proof farming income and jobs to rural communities. Australia has some of the most powerful and abundant untapped wind resource on the planet and a grid capacity that can potentially accommodate up to 8,000 MW of wind energy with minor adjustments," said Lloyd-Besson. "Even if we were to develop just half of this, the regional employment benefits and export opportunities would be enormous.”
"2004 was a record year for the Canadian wind energy industry with 122 MW of new installed capacity. It is certain that this record will be shattered in 2005 and recent developments in federal and provincial energy policy promise a 10-fold increase in Canada's total installed wind energy capacity over the next five years," said CanWEA President Robert Hornung.
Wind turbine in China “China’s anticipated entry into the global renewable energy market is expected to have a profound impact on the global industry. We have spent a lot of time and energy learning from the successes and failures of our partners in Europe and around the world." said Li Junfeng, secretary general, CREIA, Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association.
”India has witnessed unprecedented growth in the wind energy sector. During the last fiscal year, 2003-2004, wind energy capacity in India grew by more than 35 percent. Wind power is today recognized in the Asian hemisphere and more particularly in India as being a cost effective, economic, mature and well proven form of clean, environmentally friendly and green energy production – a source of energy much needed in India," said Sarvesh Kumar, chairman of the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association.
“Japan plans to attain the wind power target of 3,000 megawatts by the year 2010 after the Kyoto Protocol. We have installed about 936 MW to date which is 20 times in comparison to five years ago and one third of the national target." said Hikaru Matsumiya, representative of the Japanese Wind Energy and Japanese Wind Power Associations.
GWEC, the global forum for the wind energy sector, includes representative associations from the EU-25 Member States, Russia, Africa, Asia, South America, New Zealand and many other countries.
The organization is calling for stronger national and international policies to support the expansion of wind energy as part of the range of policy options required to tackle climate change.
According to the GWEC report Wind Force 12, boosting investment in wind energy to a level where it would provide 12 percent of world electricity generation by 2020 would result in annual reductions of 1,813 million tons of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in 2020 from 1,245,000 MW of wind energy installed.
Quote of Note
"Become intimate with your own backyard, with a bit of riverbank, with a pond or hill. The rest of the watershed, the meta-landscape, the continent, planet and universe will be naturally drawn into this intimacy."-- John McClellan, in "The Many Voices of the Boulder Creek Watershed"
Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2004. All Rights Reserved.
BRUSSELS, Belgium, March 10, 2005 (ENS) - The wind turbines of the world are spinning in sync. The Global Wind Energy Council, launched Wednesday, is the new global forum for the wind energy sector, uniting the wind industry and its representative associations. Members operate in more than 50 countries and represent over 1,500 organizations involved in hardware manufacture, project development, power generation, finance and consultancy, as well as researchers and academics.
Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) members represent all the world’s major wind turbine manufacturers and 99 per cent of the world’s 47,317 megawatts (MW) of installed wind power capacity.
The global wind power industry increased its total installed generating capacity by 20 percent in 2004 installing 7,976 MW, according to figures released today by the Global Wind Energy Council.
The countries with the highest total installed wind power capacity are Germany (16,629 MW), Spain (8,263 MW), the United States (6,740 MW), Denmark (3,117 MW) and India (3,000 MW).
The top five countries account for over 67 percent of 2004 installation and nearly 80 percent of total wind energy installation worldwide. A number of countries, including Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, and the UK, are above or near the 1,000-MW mark.
Europe continued to dominate the global market in 2004, accounting for 72.4 percent of new installations (5,774 MW). Asia had a 15.9 percent installation share (1,269 MW), followed by North America (6.4 percent; 512 MW) and the Pacific Region (4.1 percent; 325 MW).
Latin America + the Caribbean (49 MW) and Africa (47 MW) had a 0.6 percent market share respectively.
Located about 10 kilometers off the coast of Arklow, Ireland, the Arklow Bank offshore wind park consists of seven GE Wind 3.6-MW wind turbines. Construction was completed in 2003. This is the world's first commercial application of offshore wind turbines over 3 MW in size. “Europe is the global leader in wind energy, but we are witnessing the globalization of the wind energy markets. In Europe, the market has experienced average annual growth rates of 22 percent over the past six years; however, the further rapid progress that the industry is capable of delivering is constrained by barriers such as grid access and administrative hurdles,” said EWEA President Arthouros Zervos.
“Renewed political initiatives by the G8 could boost wind power; the industry is well positioned and ready for a more rapid roll out given the right political signals."
Growth in the U.S. market was predictably slow because of the long delay in extending the federal production tax credit (PTC) for wind energy, which had expired in December 2003 and was extended in October 2004. Proposed projects are now back on the fast track and the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) expects that over 2,000 MWwill be installed nationwide during 2005.
Uncertainty continues to loom over the U.S. market, however, since the PTC will expire again in December 2005 unless Congress moves quickly to extend the incentive. The U.S. wind energy industry is calling for a long-term extension so that companies can plan for steadier, stronger growth over the coming years.
GE Wind's 1.5 megawatt wind turbine installed in Tehachapi, California, in 2001. the turbine has a 70.5 meter rotor, advance airfoils, independent blade pitch controls, and a water-cooled generator. "Wind energy technology has bolted out of the starting gate in the U.S. and is delivering clean, safe, inexhaustible power to customers nationwide, but its deployment remains hobbled by the intermittency and uncertainty of the federal incentive for wind and other renewable energy sources," said AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher. "For wind energy to contribute a substantially larger share to the nation’s electricity, companies need a stable planning horizon, comparable at least to that available for conventional technologies."
“Wind energy capacity in Australia almost doubled in the last 12 months with 380 MW of wind energy capacity installed at the close of 2004. Wind energy is one of the fastest growing clean energy sources because it is proven, quick to build and economically viable." said Ian Lloyd-Besson, president of AusWEA, the Australian Wind Energy Association.
“Besides being clean and green, wind energy brings investment, drought-proof farming income and jobs to rural communities. Australia has some of the most powerful and abundant untapped wind resource on the planet and a grid capacity that can potentially accommodate up to 8,000 MW of wind energy with minor adjustments," said Lloyd-Besson. "Even if we were to develop just half of this, the regional employment benefits and export opportunities would be enormous.”
"2004 was a record year for the Canadian wind energy industry with 122 MW of new installed capacity. It is certain that this record will be shattered in 2005 and recent developments in federal and provincial energy policy promise a 10-fold increase in Canada's total installed wind energy capacity over the next five years," said CanWEA President Robert Hornung.
Wind turbine in China “China’s anticipated entry into the global renewable energy market is expected to have a profound impact on the global industry. We have spent a lot of time and energy learning from the successes and failures of our partners in Europe and around the world." said Li Junfeng, secretary general, CREIA, Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association.
”India has witnessed unprecedented growth in the wind energy sector. During the last fiscal year, 2003-2004, wind energy capacity in India grew by more than 35 percent. Wind power is today recognized in the Asian hemisphere and more particularly in India as being a cost effective, economic, mature and well proven form of clean, environmentally friendly and green energy production – a source of energy much needed in India," said Sarvesh Kumar, chairman of the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association.
“Japan plans to attain the wind power target of 3,000 megawatts by the year 2010 after the Kyoto Protocol. We have installed about 936 MW to date which is 20 times in comparison to five years ago and one third of the national target." said Hikaru Matsumiya, representative of the Japanese Wind Energy and Japanese Wind Power Associations.
GWEC, the global forum for the wind energy sector, includes representative associations from the EU-25 Member States, Russia, Africa, Asia, South America, New Zealand and many other countries.
The organization is calling for stronger national and international policies to support the expansion of wind energy as part of the range of policy options required to tackle climate change.
According to the GWEC report Wind Force 12, boosting investment in wind energy to a level where it would provide 12 percent of world electricity generation by 2020 would result in annual reductions of 1,813 million tons of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide in 2020 from 1,245,000 MW of wind energy installed.
Quote of Note
"Become intimate with your own backyard, with a bit of riverbank, with a pond or hill. The rest of the watershed, the meta-landscape, the continent, planet and universe will be naturally drawn into this intimacy."-- John McClellan, in "The Many Voices of the Boulder Creek Watershed"
Copyright Environment News Service (ENS) 2004. All Rights Reserved.
McKenzie Bay & Sterling Market Certificates
Wind Energy Firm McKenzie Bay Announces Agreement with Sterling Planet to Sell and Market Renewable Energy Certificates
MICHIGAN, March 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - McKenzie Bay International Ltd
(OTCBB:MKBY) http://www.mckenziebay.com wholly owned subsidiary, WindStor Power Co.,
has engaged Sterling Planet Inc. http://www.sterlingplanet.com as a source to sell
and market carbon dioxide and all other bundled environmental attributes which
are expected to be generated from the production of renewable energy at
WindStor(SM) installations.
Master terms and conditions for nationwide site-specific sales agreements
were recently agreed upon. When installed, WindStor Power Co. wind turbines
have been designed to generate renewable energy that Sterling Planet intends
to sell to customers as bundled environmental attributes, commonly known as
Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), under Sterling Planet Sales Agreements.
Sterling Planet is the nation's leading retail provider of renewable
energy. To date, Sterling Planet has sold to homes and businesses nationwide
more than 1 billion kilowatt hours of renewable energy, representing enough
energy to offset 1.5 billion pounds of carbon dioxide, a key greenhouse gas.
The environmental benefit compares to not driving 1.7 billion miles or taking
132,000 cars off U.S. roads. Sterling Planet is also the nation's leader in
partnering with electric utilities, businesses, colleges and non-profit
organizations in the renewable energy arena. Currently, Sterling Planet has 22
utility partners nationwide, from California to Massachusetts and south to
Florida. Sterling Planet's mission is to lead the migration to sustainable
energy that is good for the environment, the economy, and all current and
future generations.
"Everyone knows renewable energy's primary source of revenue is from the
sale of electricity, and most understand that production tax credits are not a
true revenue source but merely an offset against income taxes when they are
tax code active. Few people realize that renewable energy's second largest
source of revenue is from the sale of RECs," said Gary Westerholm, CEO and
President of McKenzie Bay. "Sterling Planet's depth of experience in marketing
RECs at the highest possible price is very comforting towards achieving this
significant component of our revenue generation model."
McKenzie Bay is the Michigan-based owner and developer of WindStor(SM), a
wind energy system designed to generate, distribute and store electricity at
urban and off-grid locations with ground or rooftop mounted WindStor Wind
Turbines, a proprietary 'System Integrator' and a battery.
"Sterling Planet is pleased to be named the REC marketer for WindStor
Power Co.," said Mel Jones, Sterling Planet President and Chief Executive
Officer. "We welcome this opportunity to help this progressive renewable
energy provider, WindStor Power Co, sell and market its RECs nationwide, plus
further expand our already broad portfolio of renewable energy solutions for
homes and businesses nationwide."
WindStor Power Co.'s ability to contract manufacture and install
WindStor(SM) is dependant upon sufficient wind power at specific sites,
satisfactory resolution of all regulatory issues, approval of site plans, its
ability to obtain adequate financial resources, completion of design and
production of components of WindStor(SM) and negotiation of contractual terms
and conditions with prospective customers.
This information statement contains statements that are forward-looking
statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by
terminology such as 'estimates,' 'anticipates,' 'plans,' 'believes,'
'projects,' 'expects,' 'intends,' 'predicts,' 'future,' 'may,' 'potential,'
'contemplates,' 'will,' 'should,' 'could,' 'would' or the negative of such
terms or other comparable terminology. These statements relate to the
Company's future operations and financial performance or other future events.
These statements are only predictions and not guarantees of future success.
Many of the forward-looking statements are based on assumptions about future
events that may prove inaccurate. Actual events, results, performance or
achievements may differ materially from the events, results, performance or
achievements discussed in the forward-looking statements. These differences
may result from a variety of factors, including the following: lack of
operating history; unavailability of future equity infusions and other
financing alternatives; failure or delays in further developing proprietary
processes or effectively commercializing such processes; dependence on the
success of entering the energy production market; and concentration of
ownership of the Company's common stock by directors and officers. These and
other factors that may emerge could cause decisions to differ materially from
current expectations. McKenzie Bay undertakes no obligation to revise, update
or clarify forward-looking statements to reflect events or conditions after
the date of this information statement.
Contact: Richard Kaiser 800-631-8127, rich@yesinternational.com
SOURCE WindStor Power Co.
MICHIGAN, March 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - McKenzie Bay International Ltd
(OTCBB:MKBY) http://www.mckenziebay.com wholly owned subsidiary, WindStor Power Co.,
has engaged Sterling Planet Inc. http://www.sterlingplanet.com as a source to sell
and market carbon dioxide and all other bundled environmental attributes which
are expected to be generated from the production of renewable energy at
WindStor(SM) installations.
Master terms and conditions for nationwide site-specific sales agreements
were recently agreed upon. When installed, WindStor Power Co. wind turbines
have been designed to generate renewable energy that Sterling Planet intends
to sell to customers as bundled environmental attributes, commonly known as
Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), under Sterling Planet Sales Agreements.
Sterling Planet is the nation's leading retail provider of renewable
energy. To date, Sterling Planet has sold to homes and businesses nationwide
more than 1 billion kilowatt hours of renewable energy, representing enough
energy to offset 1.5 billion pounds of carbon dioxide, a key greenhouse gas.
The environmental benefit compares to not driving 1.7 billion miles or taking
132,000 cars off U.S. roads. Sterling Planet is also the nation's leader in
partnering with electric utilities, businesses, colleges and non-profit
organizations in the renewable energy arena. Currently, Sterling Planet has 22
utility partners nationwide, from California to Massachusetts and south to
Florida. Sterling Planet's mission is to lead the migration to sustainable
energy that is good for the environment, the economy, and all current and
future generations.
"Everyone knows renewable energy's primary source of revenue is from the
sale of electricity, and most understand that production tax credits are not a
true revenue source but merely an offset against income taxes when they are
tax code active. Few people realize that renewable energy's second largest
source of revenue is from the sale of RECs," said Gary Westerholm, CEO and
President of McKenzie Bay. "Sterling Planet's depth of experience in marketing
RECs at the highest possible price is very comforting towards achieving this
significant component of our revenue generation model."
McKenzie Bay is the Michigan-based owner and developer of WindStor(SM), a
wind energy system designed to generate, distribute and store electricity at
urban and off-grid locations with ground or rooftop mounted WindStor Wind
Turbines, a proprietary 'System Integrator' and a battery.
"Sterling Planet is pleased to be named the REC marketer for WindStor
Power Co.," said Mel Jones, Sterling Planet President and Chief Executive
Officer. "We welcome this opportunity to help this progressive renewable
energy provider, WindStor Power Co, sell and market its RECs nationwide, plus
further expand our already broad portfolio of renewable energy solutions for
homes and businesses nationwide."
WindStor Power Co.'s ability to contract manufacture and install
WindStor(SM) is dependant upon sufficient wind power at specific sites,
satisfactory resolution of all regulatory issues, approval of site plans, its
ability to obtain adequate financial resources, completion of design and
production of components of WindStor(SM) and negotiation of contractual terms
and conditions with prospective customers.
This information statement contains statements that are forward-looking
statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by
terminology such as 'estimates,' 'anticipates,' 'plans,' 'believes,'
'projects,' 'expects,' 'intends,' 'predicts,' 'future,' 'may,' 'potential,'
'contemplates,' 'will,' 'should,' 'could,' 'would' or the negative of such
terms or other comparable terminology. These statements relate to the
Company's future operations and financial performance or other future events.
These statements are only predictions and not guarantees of future success.
Many of the forward-looking statements are based on assumptions about future
events that may prove inaccurate. Actual events, results, performance or
achievements may differ materially from the events, results, performance or
achievements discussed in the forward-looking statements. These differences
may result from a variety of factors, including the following: lack of
operating history; unavailability of future equity infusions and other
financing alternatives; failure or delays in further developing proprietary
processes or effectively commercializing such processes; dependence on the
success of entering the energy production market; and concentration of
ownership of the Company's common stock by directors and officers. These and
other factors that may emerge could cause decisions to differ materially from
current expectations. McKenzie Bay undertakes no obligation to revise, update
or clarify forward-looking statements to reflect events or conditions after
the date of this information statement.
Contact: Richard Kaiser 800-631-8127, rich@yesinternational.com
SOURCE WindStor Power Co.
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Novera Energy Joins UK Wind Venture
Novera Energy joins UK wind venture
March 10, 2005 - 7:09PM
Novera Energy Ltd has formed a joint venture with Scottish firm Renewable Energy Development Group Ltd (RED) to co-develop wind energy sites in Scotland and northern England.
Novera chairman Don Stammer said most of the sites have already secured binding land option agreements, making them a valuable development portfolio for the company.
He said the joint venture's initial development portfolio has the potential to deliver more than 200 megawatts (MW) of new wind power capacity over the next three to four years.
"The initial portfolio is comprised of nine sites offering potential for small and medium scale wind projects of up to 40MW each," Dr Stammer said.
"At the successful completion of each project, the site may be offered for sale to Novera Macquarie Renewable Energy (NMRE), the 50:50 joint venture established by Novera Energy and Macquarie Bank in December 2004.
"Securing the sites enhances Novera's growing project development portfolio, creating a sizeable pipeline of wind projects in the UK."
Shares in the renewable energy company jumped 3.5 cents or 12.5 per cent to 31.5 cents on Thursday.
Novera also has interests in landfill gas power generators and biomass energy in Britain.
Dr Stammer said the deal with RED enhances Novera's wind development capabilities and growth potential following the recent successful completion of the 14.5 MW Mynydd Clogau wind farm in Wales.
"Novera completed development of that project jointly with Renewable Energy Systems and sold the project to NMRE in December 2004, with construction commencing on 10 January 2005," he said.
"Mynydd Clogau is expected be commissioned in April 2006."
© 2005 AAPBrought to you by
March 10, 2005 - 7:09PM
Novera Energy Ltd has formed a joint venture with Scottish firm Renewable Energy Development Group Ltd (RED) to co-develop wind energy sites in Scotland and northern England.
Novera chairman Don Stammer said most of the sites have already secured binding land option agreements, making them a valuable development portfolio for the company.
He said the joint venture's initial development portfolio has the potential to deliver more than 200 megawatts (MW) of new wind power capacity over the next three to four years.
"The initial portfolio is comprised of nine sites offering potential for small and medium scale wind projects of up to 40MW each," Dr Stammer said.
"At the successful completion of each project, the site may be offered for sale to Novera Macquarie Renewable Energy (NMRE), the 50:50 joint venture established by Novera Energy and Macquarie Bank in December 2004.
"Securing the sites enhances Novera's growing project development portfolio, creating a sizeable pipeline of wind projects in the UK."
Shares in the renewable energy company jumped 3.5 cents or 12.5 per cent to 31.5 cents on Thursday.
Novera also has interests in landfill gas power generators and biomass energy in Britain.
Dr Stammer said the deal with RED enhances Novera's wind development capabilities and growth potential following the recent successful completion of the 14.5 MW Mynydd Clogau wind farm in Wales.
"Novera completed development of that project jointly with Renewable Energy Systems and sold the project to NMRE in December 2004, with construction commencing on 10 January 2005," he said.
"Mynydd Clogau is expected be commissioned in April 2006."
© 2005 AAPBrought to you by
Southern California Edison Lines UP Wind Energy
March 10, 2005
CALIFORNIA
Edison Lines Up New Energy Sources
From Bloomberg News
Southern California Edison Co. said Wednesday that it would seek regulatory approval for contracts to provide as much as 427 megawatts of electricity from renewable sources, or enough to serve about 320,000 typical homes. Turbines that generate power from wind and biodegradable or geothermal sources would be built starting next year if the six contracts are approved by the California Public Utilities Commission, said the Rosemead utility, a subsidiary of Edison International. The contracts represent about as much electricity as one large natural-gas-fired power plant would produce.The state Legislature in 2002 directed Southern California Edison, PG&E Corp.'s Pacific Gas & Electric and Sempra Energy's San Diego Gas & Electric to obtain 20% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2017. State energy officials later accelerated the target date to 2010.Last year, about 18% of the electricity that Edison delivered to its customers, or more than 13,000 gigawatt-hours, came from renewable sources — more than any other U.S. utility, Edison said. Terms of the contracts aren't being disclosed, Edison spokesman Paul Klein said. Western Wind Energy Corp., a wind turbine developer based in Coquitlam, Canada, agreed to sell as much as 120 megawatts to the utility over 20 years from wind farms in Tehachapi in Kern County, Edison said. Other projects include expansion to as much as 100 megawatts of a wind farm in Tehachapi by closely held Coram Energy Group, as well as construction of a 50-megawatt wind farm in San Gorgonio in Riverside County by SeaWest Windpower Inc., a 22.5-megawatt biomass generator in the western Sierra by Silvan Biomass and a 120-megawatt geothermal plant in western Nevada by Vulcan Power Co. Shares of Edison International fell 3 cents to $33.32 on the New York Stock Exchange. They have gained 42% in the last year.
If you want other stories on this topic, search the Archives at latimes.com/archives.Article licensing and reprint options
CALIFORNIA
Edison Lines Up New Energy Sources
From Bloomberg News
Southern California Edison Co. said Wednesday that it would seek regulatory approval for contracts to provide as much as 427 megawatts of electricity from renewable sources, or enough to serve about 320,000 typical homes. Turbines that generate power from wind and biodegradable or geothermal sources would be built starting next year if the six contracts are approved by the California Public Utilities Commission, said the Rosemead utility, a subsidiary of Edison International. The contracts represent about as much electricity as one large natural-gas-fired power plant would produce.The state Legislature in 2002 directed Southern California Edison, PG&E Corp.'s Pacific Gas & Electric and Sempra Energy's San Diego Gas & Electric to obtain 20% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2017. State energy officials later accelerated the target date to 2010.Last year, about 18% of the electricity that Edison delivered to its customers, or more than 13,000 gigawatt-hours, came from renewable sources — more than any other U.S. utility, Edison said. Terms of the contracts aren't being disclosed, Edison spokesman Paul Klein said. Western Wind Energy Corp., a wind turbine developer based in Coquitlam, Canada, agreed to sell as much as 120 megawatts to the utility over 20 years from wind farms in Tehachapi in Kern County, Edison said. Other projects include expansion to as much as 100 megawatts of a wind farm in Tehachapi by closely held Coram Energy Group, as well as construction of a 50-megawatt wind farm in San Gorgonio in Riverside County by SeaWest Windpower Inc., a 22.5-megawatt biomass generator in the western Sierra by Silvan Biomass and a 120-megawatt geothermal plant in western Nevada by Vulcan Power Co. Shares of Edison International fell 3 cents to $33.32 on the New York Stock Exchange. They have gained 42% in the last year.
If you want other stories on this topic, search the Archives at latimes.com/archives.Article licensing and reprint options
Global Wind Energy Continues Expansion
Global Wind Energy Continues Expansion
March 10, 2005
Europe has continued to dominate the wind power industry, particularly the offshore wind power markets.
Brussels, Belgium [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] The global wind power industry installed 7,976 MW in 2004, an increase in total installed generating capacity of 20 percent, according to figures released by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), which consists of the many varied wind power associations worldwide.
"For wind energy to contribute a substantially larger share to the nation's electricity, companies need a stable planning horizon, comparable at least to that available for conventional technologies."- AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher
Global wind power capacity has grown to 47,317 MW. The countries with the highest total installed wind power capacity are Germany (16,629 MW), Spain (8,263 MW), the United States (6,740 MW), Denmark (3,117 MW) and India (3,000 MW). A number of countries, including Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, and the UK, are above or near the 1,000 MW mark.Europe continued to dominate the global market in 2004, accounting for 72.4 percent of new installations (5,774 MW). Asia had a 15.9 percent of installation share (1,269 MW), followed by North America (6.4 percent; 512 MW) and the Pacific Region (4.1 percent; 325 MW). Latin America + the Caribbean (49 MW) and Africa (47 MW) had a 0.6 percent market share respectively."Europe is the global leader in wind energy, but we are witnessing the globalization of the wind energy markets. In Europe, the market has experienced average annual growth rates of 22 percent over the past six years; however, the further rapid progress that the industry is capable of delivering is constrained by barriers such as grid access and administrative hurdles", said EWEA President Arthouros Zervos. "Renewed political initiatives by the G8 could boost wind power; the industry is well positioned and ready for a more rapid roll out given the right political signals".Growth in the US market was predictably slow because of the long delay in extending the federalproduction tax credit (PTC) for wind energy, which had expired in December 2003 and was extended in October 2004. Proposed projects are now back on the fast track and AWEA expects that over 2,000 MW will be installed nationwide during 2005. Uncertainty continues to loom over the US market however since the PTC will expire again in December 2005 unless Congress moves quickly to extend the incentive. The US wind energy industry is calling for a long-term extension so that it can plan for steadier, stronger growth over the coming years."Wind energy technology has bolted out of the starting gate in the U.S. and is delivering clean, safe, inexhaustible power to customers nationwide, but its deployment remains hobbled by the intermittency and uncertainty of the federal incentive for wind and other renewable energy sources," said AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher. "For wind energy to contribute a substantially larger share to the nation's electricity, companies need a stable planning horizon, comparable at least to that available for conventional technologies."Moving to the opposite side of the world, Ian Lloyd-Besson, President of AusWEA reported that wind capacity in Australia almost doubled in the last 12 months with a new 380 MW installed by the close of 2004. In Australia's particularly arid countryside, wind power can help drought-proof areas by allowing energy production without the high-water use usually associated with thermal power plants. At 122 MW for 2004, wind power growth in Canada was less than in Australia but still a record for the country. Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) President Robert Hornung expects that record to be quickly shattered in 2005 thanks to recent commitments from Federal and Provincial governments. As much as a 10-fold increase is likely in the next five years according to Hornung. China's anticipated entry into the global renewable energy market is expected to have a profound impact on the global industry. The country has recently passed renewable energy initiatives at the national level that are likely to generate many new projects. "We have spent a lot of time and energy learning from the successes and failures of our partners in Europe and around the world", said Li Junfeng, Secretary General, CREIA, Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association.Growth, percentage-wise was particularly strong in India with more than 35 percent capacity growth between 2003 and 2004, according to Sarvesh Kumar, Chairman of the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (IWTMA).Japan plans to reach a wind power capacity target of 3,000 MW by the year 2010 particularly now that the Kyoto Protocol is in effect, according to Hikaru Matsumiya, representative of the Japanese Wind Energy and Japanese Wind Power Associations."We have installed about 936 MW to date which is 20 times in comparison to five years ago and one third of the national target", Matsumiya said." Launched on the 9th March 2005, the Global Wind Energy Council - GWEC - is the global forum for the wind energy sector, uniting the wind industry and its representative associations. The members operate in more than 50 countries and represent over 1,500 organizations involved in hardware manufacture, project development, power generation, finance and consultancy, as well as researchers and academics.GWEC members represent all the world's major wind turbine manufacturers and 99 percent of the world's 47,317 MW installed wind power capacity. The organization calls for stronger national and international policies to support the expansion of wind energy as part of the range of policy options required to tackle climate change.
March 10, 2005
Europe has continued to dominate the wind power industry, particularly the offshore wind power markets.
Brussels, Belgium [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] The global wind power industry installed 7,976 MW in 2004, an increase in total installed generating capacity of 20 percent, according to figures released by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), which consists of the many varied wind power associations worldwide.
"For wind energy to contribute a substantially larger share to the nation's electricity, companies need a stable planning horizon, comparable at least to that available for conventional technologies."- AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher
Global wind power capacity has grown to 47,317 MW. The countries with the highest total installed wind power capacity are Germany (16,629 MW), Spain (8,263 MW), the United States (6,740 MW), Denmark (3,117 MW) and India (3,000 MW). A number of countries, including Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, and the UK, are above or near the 1,000 MW mark.Europe continued to dominate the global market in 2004, accounting for 72.4 percent of new installations (5,774 MW). Asia had a 15.9 percent of installation share (1,269 MW), followed by North America (6.4 percent; 512 MW) and the Pacific Region (4.1 percent; 325 MW). Latin America + the Caribbean (49 MW) and Africa (47 MW) had a 0.6 percent market share respectively."Europe is the global leader in wind energy, but we are witnessing the globalization of the wind energy markets. In Europe, the market has experienced average annual growth rates of 22 percent over the past six years; however, the further rapid progress that the industry is capable of delivering is constrained by barriers such as grid access and administrative hurdles", said EWEA President Arthouros Zervos. "Renewed political initiatives by the G8 could boost wind power; the industry is well positioned and ready for a more rapid roll out given the right political signals".Growth in the US market was predictably slow because of the long delay in extending the federalproduction tax credit (PTC) for wind energy, which had expired in December 2003 and was extended in October 2004. Proposed projects are now back on the fast track and AWEA expects that over 2,000 MW will be installed nationwide during 2005. Uncertainty continues to loom over the US market however since the PTC will expire again in December 2005 unless Congress moves quickly to extend the incentive. The US wind energy industry is calling for a long-term extension so that it can plan for steadier, stronger growth over the coming years."Wind energy technology has bolted out of the starting gate in the U.S. and is delivering clean, safe, inexhaustible power to customers nationwide, but its deployment remains hobbled by the intermittency and uncertainty of the federal incentive for wind and other renewable energy sources," said AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher. "For wind energy to contribute a substantially larger share to the nation's electricity, companies need a stable planning horizon, comparable at least to that available for conventional technologies."Moving to the opposite side of the world, Ian Lloyd-Besson, President of AusWEA reported that wind capacity in Australia almost doubled in the last 12 months with a new 380 MW installed by the close of 2004. In Australia's particularly arid countryside, wind power can help drought-proof areas by allowing energy production without the high-water use usually associated with thermal power plants. At 122 MW for 2004, wind power growth in Canada was less than in Australia but still a record for the country. Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) President Robert Hornung expects that record to be quickly shattered in 2005 thanks to recent commitments from Federal and Provincial governments. As much as a 10-fold increase is likely in the next five years according to Hornung. China's anticipated entry into the global renewable energy market is expected to have a profound impact on the global industry. The country has recently passed renewable energy initiatives at the national level that are likely to generate many new projects. "We have spent a lot of time and energy learning from the successes and failures of our partners in Europe and around the world", said Li Junfeng, Secretary General, CREIA, Chinese Renewable Energy Industries Association.Growth, percentage-wise was particularly strong in India with more than 35 percent capacity growth between 2003 and 2004, according to Sarvesh Kumar, Chairman of the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (IWTMA).Japan plans to reach a wind power capacity target of 3,000 MW by the year 2010 particularly now that the Kyoto Protocol is in effect, according to Hikaru Matsumiya, representative of the Japanese Wind Energy and Japanese Wind Power Associations."We have installed about 936 MW to date which is 20 times in comparison to five years ago and one third of the national target", Matsumiya said." Launched on the 9th March 2005, the Global Wind Energy Council - GWEC - is the global forum for the wind energy sector, uniting the wind industry and its representative associations. The members operate in more than 50 countries and represent over 1,500 organizations involved in hardware manufacture, project development, power generation, finance and consultancy, as well as researchers and academics.GWEC members represent all the world's major wind turbine manufacturers and 99 percent of the world's 47,317 MW installed wind power capacity. The organization calls for stronger national and international policies to support the expansion of wind energy as part of the range of policy options required to tackle climate change.
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
New Mexico to build 120MW Wind Farm
NM sixth in nation for wind power
Last Update: 03/07/2005 9:10:20 AMBy: Associated Press
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) - New Mexico is now sixth in the nation for generating electricity from the wind.
Construction is to begin in May on New Mexico’s latest wind farm near Roswell. The 120-megawatt San Juan Mesa wind farm will be 65 miles northeast of Roswell in southern New Mexico.
The farm, built by Padoma Wind Power, will be New Mexico’s third wind farm.
Xcel Energy has said it plans to buy electricity from the wind farm and then sell the electricity to its 106,000 eastern New Mexico customers.
Last Update: 03/07/2005 9:10:20 AMBy: Associated Press
ALBUQUERQUE (AP) - New Mexico is now sixth in the nation for generating electricity from the wind.
Construction is to begin in May on New Mexico’s latest wind farm near Roswell. The 120-megawatt San Juan Mesa wind farm will be 65 miles northeast of Roswell in southern New Mexico.
The farm, built by Padoma Wind Power, will be New Mexico’s third wind farm.
Xcel Energy has said it plans to buy electricity from the wind farm and then sell the electricity to its 106,000 eastern New Mexico customers.
200 MW South Dakota Wind Farm Plans
State's largest wind farm scoped out
NANCY KELSEYnkelsey@argusleader.com
published: 03/7/05
COMMENTS SOUGHTCommunity members who wish to comment on the wind farm are urged to return comment cards sent out recently. Or they may call Dirk Shulund, a Navitas Energy representative, at 406-247-7402. In about one year, Navitas Energy hopes to get a green light to create the largest wind farm in the state.The Minneapolis-based company wants to build 102 wind turbines, which would generate up to 200 megawatts of energy - or enough electricity to power 130,000 homes for a year - in Brookings County near White.Before they begin, however, they must receive clearance from the Western Area Power Administration, an authorized federal agency under the Department of Energy. South Dakota ranks first in the nation in wind energy potential.Western will conduct a yearlong study of the site to determine how suitable it will be for the proposed endeavor, said Dirk Shulund, a Navitas representative. The study is done to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act.The study will examine biological factors, such as migration paths for birds and its effect on wetlands. This also will allow time for a cultural survey of the land and collaboration with Native American tribes who might have an interest in the land, he said. Western also will look at the "social justice issues" associated with the building of the wind farm, such as the effect on the area's economy.One key part of the study is the ongoing community scoping period. Last week, interested members of the community met with representatives from Western, Navitas and the county in the first step of the month-long scope period."We look at comments and determine how they should be addressed," Shulund said. "The people that live there know more about it than you or I do."Recently, the Brookings County zoning office changed its zoning ordinances. Wind turbine distance from off-site residences was changed from 500 feet to 1,000 feet, said director Robert Hill. It also changed the distance from right-of-way public roads to 500 feet and the distance from any property line to 500 feet.Navitas will have to comply to these new standards when negotiating with landowners to lease space. But the go-ahead in permits will only be given by the zoning office under the condition that it is approved by Western Area Power.The wind farm is something Brookings County should be excited about, said Marcus DaCuhna, a Navitas engineer working on the project. It will be an added source of income to landowners and an extra energy resource, he said. So far, "they are very welcoming of the project to their back yards."With "a world of permits" ahead, DaCuhna said that they are doing all the necessary work to see the project through.So what would the wind farm look like?The simplified version of this intricate project begins with the construction of massive wind turbines, and in Brookings County, it would mean 102 of them. The turbines' blades turn when they catch the wind. That movement triggers an electric generator inside the turbine, creating its own independent power supply. The turbines are all attached in an underground network that collects the energy and sends it to a substation, DaCuhna said. Then it is sent to transformers where it becomes voltage and is sent as energy to homes.Each of the 102 turbines is capable of generating 2 megawatts of energy, or a total of 204 megawatts. Two of the turbines are considered a sort of back-up.
NANCY KELSEYnkelsey@argusleader.com
published: 03/7/05
COMMENTS SOUGHTCommunity members who wish to comment on the wind farm are urged to return comment cards sent out recently. Or they may call Dirk Shulund, a Navitas Energy representative, at 406-247-7402. In about one year, Navitas Energy hopes to get a green light to create the largest wind farm in the state.The Minneapolis-based company wants to build 102 wind turbines, which would generate up to 200 megawatts of energy - or enough electricity to power 130,000 homes for a year - in Brookings County near White.Before they begin, however, they must receive clearance from the Western Area Power Administration, an authorized federal agency under the Department of Energy. South Dakota ranks first in the nation in wind energy potential.Western will conduct a yearlong study of the site to determine how suitable it will be for the proposed endeavor, said Dirk Shulund, a Navitas representative. The study is done to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act.The study will examine biological factors, such as migration paths for birds and its effect on wetlands. This also will allow time for a cultural survey of the land and collaboration with Native American tribes who might have an interest in the land, he said. Western also will look at the "social justice issues" associated with the building of the wind farm, such as the effect on the area's economy.One key part of the study is the ongoing community scoping period. Last week, interested members of the community met with representatives from Western, Navitas and the county in the first step of the month-long scope period."We look at comments and determine how they should be addressed," Shulund said. "The people that live there know more about it than you or I do."Recently, the Brookings County zoning office changed its zoning ordinances. Wind turbine distance from off-site residences was changed from 500 feet to 1,000 feet, said director Robert Hill. It also changed the distance from right-of-way public roads to 500 feet and the distance from any property line to 500 feet.Navitas will have to comply to these new standards when negotiating with landowners to lease space. But the go-ahead in permits will only be given by the zoning office under the condition that it is approved by Western Area Power.The wind farm is something Brookings County should be excited about, said Marcus DaCuhna, a Navitas engineer working on the project. It will be an added source of income to landowners and an extra energy resource, he said. So far, "they are very welcoming of the project to their back yards."With "a world of permits" ahead, DaCuhna said that they are doing all the necessary work to see the project through.So what would the wind farm look like?The simplified version of this intricate project begins with the construction of massive wind turbines, and in Brookings County, it would mean 102 of them. The turbines' blades turn when they catch the wind. That movement triggers an electric generator inside the turbine, creating its own independent power supply. The turbines are all attached in an underground network that collects the energy and sends it to a substation, DaCuhna said. Then it is sent to transformers where it becomes voltage and is sent as energy to homes.Each of the 102 turbines is capable of generating 2 megawatts of energy, or a total of 204 megawatts. Two of the turbines are considered a sort of back-up.
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
India Wind Energy Growth
India rising as major wind energy producer NEW DELHI - India has emerged as one of the world's fastest growing wind energy producers during 2004 and is set to replace Denmark as the fourth largest player, with total installed capacity of about 3,000 megawatts (MW). The country added 875MW generation capacity during 2004, posting a growth rate of 41.5%. With a total installed capacity of 2,985MW India will soon surpass Denmark, which added only 7MW during 2004 and has a total capacity of 3,117MW, to become the fourth largest globally, the World Wind Energy Association (WWEA) said in a statement Tuesday. India is also the leading country in Asia, accounting for more than half of the 4,726MW total installed capacity on the continent. Japan with 896MW and China with 764MW are the other two leading producers of wind energy in Asia. Worldwide, 8,321MW of generation capacity were added during the last year taking the total installed capacity to 47,616MW. Germany is ranked at the top with an installed capacity of 16,628MW followed by Spain at 8,263MW and the United States at 6,740MW. However, Spain grew faster during the year adding 2,061MW compared to 2,020MW by Germany and 370MW by the US, the WWEA said, adding the global rate of growth fell to 21% from 26% during 2003. The top five wind energy producers dominate the global market with a total installed capacity of 37,733MW. However, their share dropped from 82 to 79% during the year. In terms of new capacity addition, these five countries accounted for 64% of the new capacities added during 2004 across the globe, down from 79% a year ago, the industry association said. (Asia Pulse/PTI
Saturday, March 05, 2005
16,000MW Wind/Hydrogen Project Contemplated
Argentine energy company Capex aims to start pre-feasibility studies in two months on a US$19bn project to generate 16,000MW of wind power to produce 13.3 million cubic meters a year of hydrogen, company development and new business director Jorge Llera told BNamericas. Hydrogen is a clean burning fuel that could be mixed with natural gas for power generation, used in domestic appliances and also as a vehicular fuel. With a number of large cities in the Southern Cone with air pollution issues, Capex sees the possibility of a regional market for the fuel, Llera said. Project location depends on further studies, but the area under consideration is around Pico Truncado in the northeast of Santa Cruz province, where wind speeds are some eight meters a second with a capacity factor of 45%. The US$19bn figure covers the wind turbines, hydrogen production infrastructure and delivery to port. Investment on such a scale is beyond the reach of Capex alone, and so it would associate with other companies already involved in hydrogen technology, such as automobile manufacturers, should the project proceed to further studies, Llera said. The project has the potential to generate some 40 million tonnes of carbon credits a year, he added. Capex produces oil and gas, and generates gas-fired electric power at the wellhead at Agua del Cajón in Neuquén province. It is 60% owned by Capsa, the local unit of Anglo-Dutch oil company Shell.
Friday, March 04, 2005
Alaska Seeks Funding for Alternative Energy
Ramras Bill Seeks Funding for Alternative Energy
Released:
March 3, 2005
"I believe Alaska can be a leader in the nation by finding creative ways to promote development of alternative energy."
- Rep. Ramras
(JUNEAU) - Representative Jay Ramras (R-Fairbanks) introduced HB 196 today, legislation that allows the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) to provide 10-year interest free loans for the development of alternative energy in Alaska.
"While we have large carbon-based energy resources in the state, much of the world is looking for alternative sources such as wind, hydrogen, geothermal, bio mass, hydroelectric and tidal. Alaska has all of these alternatives available. They just need to be developed," Representative Ramras said.
He added, "I believe Alaska can be a leader in the nation by finding creative ways to promote development of alternative energy. Golden Valley Electric Association has determined through extensive polling that Alaskans and the citizens of Fairbanks are interested in developing renewable resources." A no-interest loan program will help Alaska develop energy for not only small communities, but eventually for remote site natural resource exploration and development.
The implications for alternative energy will have the most impact in rural parts of the state. Each year the legislature spends millions of dollars providing power cost equalization to subsidize fuel costs to rural communities. Alternative forms of energy could provide the needed power rural Alaska needs and greatly reduce that cost. "This creates innovation and saves the state money and these are both good things," Ramras said.
HB 196 will be heard first in the House Labor and Commerce Committee and then the Finance Committee.
# # #
Released:
March 3, 2005
"I believe Alaska can be a leader in the nation by finding creative ways to promote development of alternative energy."
- Rep. Ramras
(JUNEAU) - Representative Jay Ramras (R-Fairbanks) introduced HB 196 today, legislation that allows the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) to provide 10-year interest free loans for the development of alternative energy in Alaska.
"While we have large carbon-based energy resources in the state, much of the world is looking for alternative sources such as wind, hydrogen, geothermal, bio mass, hydroelectric and tidal. Alaska has all of these alternatives available. They just need to be developed," Representative Ramras said.
He added, "I believe Alaska can be a leader in the nation by finding creative ways to promote development of alternative energy. Golden Valley Electric Association has determined through extensive polling that Alaskans and the citizens of Fairbanks are interested in developing renewable resources." A no-interest loan program will help Alaska develop energy for not only small communities, but eventually for remote site natural resource exploration and development.
The implications for alternative energy will have the most impact in rural parts of the state. Each year the legislature spends millions of dollars providing power cost equalization to subsidize fuel costs to rural communities. Alternative forms of energy could provide the needed power rural Alaska needs and greatly reduce that cost. "This creates innovation and saves the state money and these are both good things," Ramras said.
HB 196 will be heard first in the House Labor and Commerce Committee and then the Finance Committee.
# # #
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Canada To Quadruple Wind Energy
Speaking notes for the Honourable Stephane Dion, P.C., M.P. Minister of the Environment, to Address the Toronto Board of Trade
"The Goodale Budget and Canadian Competitiveness in a Sustainable Economy"
Ottawa
March 2, 2005
Speech delivered by theHon. Stéphane Dion P.C., M.P., Minister of the Environment
Check against delivery
The Goodale Budget of 2005 marks a turning point for Canada: it launches the country well on the road to competitiveness within a sustainable economy. This budget does more than inject $5.2 billion (including 3 billion in new, incremental funding) into federal environmental policy. It sends a clear message: in order for Canada to succeed in this new industrial revolution – the sustainable economy – our environmental and economic signals must both point in the same direction: one which moves us forward to a better quality of life for our people, a more competitive and prosperous economy, and enhanced protection of our natural environment.
This is what I want to talk about today before such a prestigious audience as the Toronto Board of Trade, whose mission, since 1845, has been to put Toronto and Canada “ahead of the competition”. Well, my friends, it is organizations like yours – that helped Canada reach the forefront of competitiveness during each industrial revolution, from the development of the steam engine to the emergence of the knowledge economy – that must now work hard to help Canada succeed just as brilliantly in the new sustainable economy.
We know the most profitable technologies are also increasingly the least polluting and the least wasteful of resources. We realize that the intensive search for environment-friendly production methods has given rise to a new leading-edge entrepreneurship and a very dynamic market. We cannot ignore that our very abundance of natural riches has led us to tolerate too much waste, compared to many other industralized countries that compete with us. And we know that our businesses must respond to increased consumer demand for products that are healthy and more respectful of nature.
We know all this. So let us act accordingly. Let us discard the old mentality that sees protection of the environment as a hindrance to economic development. Let us firmly link environment and economy. This is the message of the Goodale budget, this is the vision of our Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Paul Martin, a vision shared not only by the Cabinet but also by the entire Liberal caucus. This osmosis between environment and economy is also the philosophy that inspires our refined plan to meet our Kyoto objectives, a plan that updates the 2002 Climate Change Plan and that the Government of Canada will soon make public.
I would like to review some of the environmental initiatives contained in the Goodale Budget to illustrate how beneficial they will be for our economy. I will start with the measures that affect the environment in general, then deal with those related to climate change. I will conclude with some comments on one innovation – the creation of a climate fund that will help us achieve our Kyoto targets.
1. The environment and the economy
Since I am here in Toronto, I will start with the Great Lakes. The Goodale Budget devotes $40 million to improving the ecological integrity of the Great Lakes ecosystem. This is, of course, good news for the environment, but let’s not forget that Canada’s very competitiveness is linked to the quality of this great ecosystem, which, from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, includes 55 per cent of the Canadian population, 16 of our 30 largest cities, 75 per cent of our manufacturing industry and 25 per cent of our agriculture. Think about the economic consequences of the threats to this ecosystem: possible out-of-basin water diversions would reduce water availability for industry and hydroelectric power generation; decreasing water levels would affect the $6 billion marine transportation industry; bacterial and chemical contamination threaten commercial and recreational fishing.
In the same way, by investing $85 million in a strategy to combat invasive alien species, such as the sea lamprey, the zebra mussel or the Asian longhorn beetle, the Goodale Budget defends our economy as much as it defends our natural environment. The cumulative cost associated with 16 of these invasive species is estimated to be between $13.3 to $34.5 billion per year, affecting private property, forestry, fisheries, agriculture, wildlife and industry.
The same reasoning applies to the $28 million that the Goodale Budget devoted to the first phase of the government’s Oceans Action Plan: this is as necessary for the economy as it is for the environment, as Canada’s oceans-related industries contribute significantly to the gross domestic product.
The Goodale budget allots $269 million in additional, much-needed funds to our National Parks. This is good news for the preservation of our natural environment, and good news for our economy. Parks Canada administers $7 billion in national assets, ranging from canal locks to buildings to exhibits to monuments. Our National Parks are not only magnificent, they also contribute $1.2 billion to Canada’s GDP - the equivalent of 38,000 full time jobs - and are an essential source of revenue for our tourist industry, for many of our communities, and for Canada’s aboriginal people.
As science is an obvious link between environmental policy and economic policy, both our environment and our economy will benefit from the $60 million that the Goodale budget has set aside for geographic information, the $111 million devoted to the development of a new generation of remote radar sensing satellites, and the $200 million allocated to the development of a Sustainable Energy Science and Technology Strategy.
Another significant measure in the Goodale Budget is the transfer to municipalities of $5 billion from the gas tax. This transfer targets support for environmentally-sustainable infrastructure projects such as public transit, water and wastewater treatment, community energy systems and the handling of solid waste. This too, is good for the environment and good for the economy. Added to the $300 million the budget invested in the Green Municipal Funds, this New Deal for cities and Communities is itself a green plan that will raise our quality of life and make our cities and communities more attractive and competitive. In addition, the strong emphasis on the development of public transportation will contribute to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and help us reach our Kyoto objectives.
2. Climate change and the economy
The Goodale Budget devotes $4 billion, of which 2 billion is new money, to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. Here again, I can demonstrate that this great environmental endeavor is also a wonderful opportunity to improve our economy.
I am convinced that the Kyoto Protocol, which requires signatory developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, is not only an ecological necessity aimed at reducing changes in climate due to human activity. Kyoto is an opportunity to transform – for the better – our economy and our way of life. In the search for the most practical ways to reduce the emission of gases like methane and CO2 we find an additional incentive to make our economy less wasteful, more efficient, and based increasingly on renewable energy sources.
We have had a plan to meet our Kyoto objectives since 2002. Prime Minister Martin committed to Canadians in the two most recent Speeches from the Throne that we would review this plan carefully, refine it and implement it, and he wants it to be made public very soon. This improved plan will ask each of us to do our share. It will assign targets to the large companies that produce high levels of emissions. But these targets will be realistic and designed to generate greater energy efficiency. The Government of Canada will also do its share. Between now and 2012, the plan will provide for the injection of billions of dollars into sustainable development and economic productivity.
I can guarantee that these climate change-related investments will make the economy more resource- efficient and productive, and that they will help position Canadian companies to compete in the emerging carbon-constrained global economy. Through this improved plan, the Government will stimulate investment in traditional and new sources of energy and will support innovative technologies to ensure the long-term competitiveness of the Canadian economy. The plan will allow us to meet our Kyoto targets in a way that will lead to further and deeper results while building a more prosperous economy. It will position Canada as a world leader in energy efficiency, renewable energy and the conservation of nature.
The plan we have devised to reach our Kyoto objectives will be beneficial for the Canadian economy. The Goodale Budget is proof of this. All the measures devoted to climate change will benefit our economy.
Thanks to the Goodale Budget, Canadian households will save money by reducing their energy consumption. In fact, an additional $225 million will help quadruple the number of households who take advantage of the very popular Energuide for Homes Retrofit Incentive Program. With the new funding, it will reach 500,000 homes by 2010.
Thanks to the Goodale budget, the use of clean, renewable energy will be encouraged: as well as committing the funds necessary to quadruple wind energy production, the budget creates a new Renewable Power Production Incentive to stimulate other sources of renewable energy such as small hydro, biomass and landfill gas. Do I even need to point out, here in Toronto, how much events like the Blackout of summer, 2003 underscore our interdependence and the serious consequences of cascading power outages for both the economy and the security of our population? Through enhanced incentives for renewable energy, the Government is moving to support the diversification of our power system.
Another important measure in the Goodale Budget is the creation of a partnership fund that is expected to grow to $2 or $3 billion over the next few years. This fund is aimed at helping the Government of Canada and the provincial and territorial governments to co-finance their common priorities with regards to climate change. It is not hard to imagine many projects with clear environmental and economic benefits. I am sure that the Toronto Board of Trade would be pleased if this fund were to help create an east-west electricity transmission grid that would ensure the safety of electricity supply in Ontario.
While the Government will continue to rule out the use of a carbon tax, the Goodale Budget opens the door to the use of the tax system to support the achievement of environmental objectives. It begins with bold fiscal measures that will allow entrepreneurs to amortize more quickly their investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy, such as cogeneration plants, wind turbines or the capture of biogas from landfill sites. Additionally, the Finance Minister has committed to study how other tax measures could simultaneously promote both economic and environmental objectives. I invite the Toronto Board of Trade to join this discussion on a topic so fundamental to our economic future; a discussion that will be led by the National Round Table on the Economy and the Environment.
But it seems to me that the Goodale Budget’s greatest innovation is the creation of a new kind of fund, with an initial contribution of $1 billion. This will be a climate fund; and from now on, this is what it will be called. Acting as a sort of investment bank, it will purchase reductions in greenhouse gas emissions resulting from concrete projects. For Canadians, opportunities will be available in all sectors of the economy. Potential examples of who could benefit from this fund include farmers who adopt low-till practices; forestry companies that engage in state-of-the-art forest management practices; property developers who include district heating and renewable energy elements in their plans for new sub-divisions; businesses that develop innovative ways to reduce emissions through recycling and energy efficiency; municipalities that capture landfill gas and use it to generate electricity; or courier companies that retrofit their fleets.
I am convinced that this new instrument of transformation, the Climate Fund, will be the distinguishing feature that marks the greatest difference between our new approach to fighting climate change and previous ones. This market-based approach will be critical to integrating climate change considerations into the day-to-day decisions of Canada’s citizens and businesses, and unleashing the power of innovation for the good of our environment and our economy.
For that reason, I am convinced that we will be in a position to meet most of our Kyoto target through emission reductions achieved here in Canada. But it will also be in our interest to act offshore, not only to serve an environmental cause that knows no borders, but also to expand our economic networks. The Climate Fund will be able to purchase international emission reduction credits tied to specific projects in other countries, but only when such projects truly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To qualify, a project will have to have at least one of the following characteristics: apply Canadian technology, improve Canada’s international competitiveness or otherwise advance our national interest.
Our businesses will benefit from this opportunity to develop their expertise in the fields of environmental technologies and services and to deploy it around the world. They will seize the opportunity to win new market shares in emerging economies and economies in transition.
Conclusion
In one sentence, David Runnals, President of the International Institute for Sustainable Development, has summarized the gist of my remarks today. Of Budget 2005, he said: “It is not just a bunch of money for environmental programs. There are lots of different incentives to do good things that make the economy greener.” (Toronto Star, 2-24-05).
I believe I have shown that the vision in this budget is that of a Canada actively working towards economic success based on a healthy environment. In my view, the most significant remark in Mr. Goodale’s Budget is this:
“Our great challenge – and our primary responsibility – is to bring the same focus, the same determination, and the same iron will to the protection and enhancement of our environment as we devoted to restoring the health of the nation’s finances. Canadians do not want to mortgage their children`s future, nor do they want a heavy environmental debt to be the legacy of this generation to the next.”
It’s quite something when, as Paul Martin’s Finance Minister, you refer to the battle we fought and won against the deficit. Yes, Canada commits itself -- more than ever -- to the fight so that we can also bequeath to our children a healthier environment and a more prosperous economy. It will take more than one budget to win this battle. It will require a truly long-term effort.
The winners of the 2004 Nobel Prize for Economics, Professors Edward Prescott and Finn Kydland, have said : perseverance in the pursuit of clear objectives is essential for an economic policy to be successful. Let us all work to reconcile our environment and our economy, for ourselves, and for the greater well-being of future generations.
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URL of this page: http://www.ec.gc.ca/minister/speeches/2005/050302_s_e.htm
"The Goodale Budget and Canadian Competitiveness in a Sustainable Economy"
Ottawa
March 2, 2005
Speech delivered by theHon. Stéphane Dion P.C., M.P., Minister of the Environment
Check against delivery
The Goodale Budget of 2005 marks a turning point for Canada: it launches the country well on the road to competitiveness within a sustainable economy. This budget does more than inject $5.2 billion (including 3 billion in new, incremental funding) into federal environmental policy. It sends a clear message: in order for Canada to succeed in this new industrial revolution – the sustainable economy – our environmental and economic signals must both point in the same direction: one which moves us forward to a better quality of life for our people, a more competitive and prosperous economy, and enhanced protection of our natural environment.
This is what I want to talk about today before such a prestigious audience as the Toronto Board of Trade, whose mission, since 1845, has been to put Toronto and Canada “ahead of the competition”. Well, my friends, it is organizations like yours – that helped Canada reach the forefront of competitiveness during each industrial revolution, from the development of the steam engine to the emergence of the knowledge economy – that must now work hard to help Canada succeed just as brilliantly in the new sustainable economy.
We know the most profitable technologies are also increasingly the least polluting and the least wasteful of resources. We realize that the intensive search for environment-friendly production methods has given rise to a new leading-edge entrepreneurship and a very dynamic market. We cannot ignore that our very abundance of natural riches has led us to tolerate too much waste, compared to many other industralized countries that compete with us. And we know that our businesses must respond to increased consumer demand for products that are healthy and more respectful of nature.
We know all this. So let us act accordingly. Let us discard the old mentality that sees protection of the environment as a hindrance to economic development. Let us firmly link environment and economy. This is the message of the Goodale budget, this is the vision of our Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Paul Martin, a vision shared not only by the Cabinet but also by the entire Liberal caucus. This osmosis between environment and economy is also the philosophy that inspires our refined plan to meet our Kyoto objectives, a plan that updates the 2002 Climate Change Plan and that the Government of Canada will soon make public.
I would like to review some of the environmental initiatives contained in the Goodale Budget to illustrate how beneficial they will be for our economy. I will start with the measures that affect the environment in general, then deal with those related to climate change. I will conclude with some comments on one innovation – the creation of a climate fund that will help us achieve our Kyoto targets.
1. The environment and the economy
Since I am here in Toronto, I will start with the Great Lakes. The Goodale Budget devotes $40 million to improving the ecological integrity of the Great Lakes ecosystem. This is, of course, good news for the environment, but let’s not forget that Canada’s very competitiveness is linked to the quality of this great ecosystem, which, from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, includes 55 per cent of the Canadian population, 16 of our 30 largest cities, 75 per cent of our manufacturing industry and 25 per cent of our agriculture. Think about the economic consequences of the threats to this ecosystem: possible out-of-basin water diversions would reduce water availability for industry and hydroelectric power generation; decreasing water levels would affect the $6 billion marine transportation industry; bacterial and chemical contamination threaten commercial and recreational fishing.
In the same way, by investing $85 million in a strategy to combat invasive alien species, such as the sea lamprey, the zebra mussel or the Asian longhorn beetle, the Goodale Budget defends our economy as much as it defends our natural environment. The cumulative cost associated with 16 of these invasive species is estimated to be between $13.3 to $34.5 billion per year, affecting private property, forestry, fisheries, agriculture, wildlife and industry.
The same reasoning applies to the $28 million that the Goodale Budget devoted to the first phase of the government’s Oceans Action Plan: this is as necessary for the economy as it is for the environment, as Canada’s oceans-related industries contribute significantly to the gross domestic product.
The Goodale budget allots $269 million in additional, much-needed funds to our National Parks. This is good news for the preservation of our natural environment, and good news for our economy. Parks Canada administers $7 billion in national assets, ranging from canal locks to buildings to exhibits to monuments. Our National Parks are not only magnificent, they also contribute $1.2 billion to Canada’s GDP - the equivalent of 38,000 full time jobs - and are an essential source of revenue for our tourist industry, for many of our communities, and for Canada’s aboriginal people.
As science is an obvious link between environmental policy and economic policy, both our environment and our economy will benefit from the $60 million that the Goodale budget has set aside for geographic information, the $111 million devoted to the development of a new generation of remote radar sensing satellites, and the $200 million allocated to the development of a Sustainable Energy Science and Technology Strategy.
Another significant measure in the Goodale Budget is the transfer to municipalities of $5 billion from the gas tax. This transfer targets support for environmentally-sustainable infrastructure projects such as public transit, water and wastewater treatment, community energy systems and the handling of solid waste. This too, is good for the environment and good for the economy. Added to the $300 million the budget invested in the Green Municipal Funds, this New Deal for cities and Communities is itself a green plan that will raise our quality of life and make our cities and communities more attractive and competitive. In addition, the strong emphasis on the development of public transportation will contribute to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and help us reach our Kyoto objectives.
2. Climate change and the economy
The Goodale Budget devotes $4 billion, of which 2 billion is new money, to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. Here again, I can demonstrate that this great environmental endeavor is also a wonderful opportunity to improve our economy.
I am convinced that the Kyoto Protocol, which requires signatory developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, is not only an ecological necessity aimed at reducing changes in climate due to human activity. Kyoto is an opportunity to transform – for the better – our economy and our way of life. In the search for the most practical ways to reduce the emission of gases like methane and CO2 we find an additional incentive to make our economy less wasteful, more efficient, and based increasingly on renewable energy sources.
We have had a plan to meet our Kyoto objectives since 2002. Prime Minister Martin committed to Canadians in the two most recent Speeches from the Throne that we would review this plan carefully, refine it and implement it, and he wants it to be made public very soon. This improved plan will ask each of us to do our share. It will assign targets to the large companies that produce high levels of emissions. But these targets will be realistic and designed to generate greater energy efficiency. The Government of Canada will also do its share. Between now and 2012, the plan will provide for the injection of billions of dollars into sustainable development and economic productivity.
I can guarantee that these climate change-related investments will make the economy more resource- efficient and productive, and that they will help position Canadian companies to compete in the emerging carbon-constrained global economy. Through this improved plan, the Government will stimulate investment in traditional and new sources of energy and will support innovative technologies to ensure the long-term competitiveness of the Canadian economy. The plan will allow us to meet our Kyoto targets in a way that will lead to further and deeper results while building a more prosperous economy. It will position Canada as a world leader in energy efficiency, renewable energy and the conservation of nature.
The plan we have devised to reach our Kyoto objectives will be beneficial for the Canadian economy. The Goodale Budget is proof of this. All the measures devoted to climate change will benefit our economy.
Thanks to the Goodale Budget, Canadian households will save money by reducing their energy consumption. In fact, an additional $225 million will help quadruple the number of households who take advantage of the very popular Energuide for Homes Retrofit Incentive Program. With the new funding, it will reach 500,000 homes by 2010.
Thanks to the Goodale budget, the use of clean, renewable energy will be encouraged: as well as committing the funds necessary to quadruple wind energy production, the budget creates a new Renewable Power Production Incentive to stimulate other sources of renewable energy such as small hydro, biomass and landfill gas. Do I even need to point out, here in Toronto, how much events like the Blackout of summer, 2003 underscore our interdependence and the serious consequences of cascading power outages for both the economy and the security of our population? Through enhanced incentives for renewable energy, the Government is moving to support the diversification of our power system.
Another important measure in the Goodale Budget is the creation of a partnership fund that is expected to grow to $2 or $3 billion over the next few years. This fund is aimed at helping the Government of Canada and the provincial and territorial governments to co-finance their common priorities with regards to climate change. It is not hard to imagine many projects with clear environmental and economic benefits. I am sure that the Toronto Board of Trade would be pleased if this fund were to help create an east-west electricity transmission grid that would ensure the safety of electricity supply in Ontario.
While the Government will continue to rule out the use of a carbon tax, the Goodale Budget opens the door to the use of the tax system to support the achievement of environmental objectives. It begins with bold fiscal measures that will allow entrepreneurs to amortize more quickly their investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy, such as cogeneration plants, wind turbines or the capture of biogas from landfill sites. Additionally, the Finance Minister has committed to study how other tax measures could simultaneously promote both economic and environmental objectives. I invite the Toronto Board of Trade to join this discussion on a topic so fundamental to our economic future; a discussion that will be led by the National Round Table on the Economy and the Environment.
But it seems to me that the Goodale Budget’s greatest innovation is the creation of a new kind of fund, with an initial contribution of $1 billion. This will be a climate fund; and from now on, this is what it will be called. Acting as a sort of investment bank, it will purchase reductions in greenhouse gas emissions resulting from concrete projects. For Canadians, opportunities will be available in all sectors of the economy. Potential examples of who could benefit from this fund include farmers who adopt low-till practices; forestry companies that engage in state-of-the-art forest management practices; property developers who include district heating and renewable energy elements in their plans for new sub-divisions; businesses that develop innovative ways to reduce emissions through recycling and energy efficiency; municipalities that capture landfill gas and use it to generate electricity; or courier companies that retrofit their fleets.
I am convinced that this new instrument of transformation, the Climate Fund, will be the distinguishing feature that marks the greatest difference between our new approach to fighting climate change and previous ones. This market-based approach will be critical to integrating climate change considerations into the day-to-day decisions of Canada’s citizens and businesses, and unleashing the power of innovation for the good of our environment and our economy.
For that reason, I am convinced that we will be in a position to meet most of our Kyoto target through emission reductions achieved here in Canada. But it will also be in our interest to act offshore, not only to serve an environmental cause that knows no borders, but also to expand our economic networks. The Climate Fund will be able to purchase international emission reduction credits tied to specific projects in other countries, but only when such projects truly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To qualify, a project will have to have at least one of the following characteristics: apply Canadian technology, improve Canada’s international competitiveness or otherwise advance our national interest.
Our businesses will benefit from this opportunity to develop their expertise in the fields of environmental technologies and services and to deploy it around the world. They will seize the opportunity to win new market shares in emerging economies and economies in transition.
Conclusion
In one sentence, David Runnals, President of the International Institute for Sustainable Development, has summarized the gist of my remarks today. Of Budget 2005, he said: “It is not just a bunch of money for environmental programs. There are lots of different incentives to do good things that make the economy greener.” (Toronto Star, 2-24-05).
I believe I have shown that the vision in this budget is that of a Canada actively working towards economic success based on a healthy environment. In my view, the most significant remark in Mr. Goodale’s Budget is this:
“Our great challenge – and our primary responsibility – is to bring the same focus, the same determination, and the same iron will to the protection and enhancement of our environment as we devoted to restoring the health of the nation’s finances. Canadians do not want to mortgage their children`s future, nor do they want a heavy environmental debt to be the legacy of this generation to the next.”
It’s quite something when, as Paul Martin’s Finance Minister, you refer to the battle we fought and won against the deficit. Yes, Canada commits itself -- more than ever -- to the fight so that we can also bequeath to our children a healthier environment and a more prosperous economy. It will take more than one budget to win this battle. It will require a truly long-term effort.
The winners of the 2004 Nobel Prize for Economics, Professors Edward Prescott and Finn Kydland, have said : perseverance in the pursuit of clear objectives is essential for an economic policy to be successful. Let us all work to reconcile our environment and our economy, for ourselves, and for the greater well-being of future generations.
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