::.Angus Reid Consultants.::: "June 26, 2005
Britons Prefer Wind Energy to Nuclear Power
(Angus Reid Global Scan) � Many adults in Britain have no problems with the installation of wind turbines close to their own homes, according to a poll by ICM research published in The Guardian. 69 per cent of respondents support the building of a wind power station within 20 miles of their residence.
According to the British Wind Energy Association, more than 500,000 homes are currently powered by wind. Britain is one of only eight countries in the world that has installed more than 1,000 megawatts of wind capacity.
Britons are not as keen on nuclear energy. 79 per cent of respondents would oppose the building of a nuclear power station within 20 miles of their residence.
According to published reports, the government of prime minister Tony Blair is expected to establish an independent commission to review whether new nuclear power stations should be built in Britain.
There are currently 14 functioning nuclear reactors in Britain, which produce 21 per cent of the country�s electricity. All but one will reach the end of their operational lifetimes by 2023.
Polling Data
Would you support or oppose the building of a wind power station within 20 miles of your own home?
Support69%
Oppose25%
Don�t know6%
Would you support or oppose the building of a nuclear power station within 20 miles of your own home?
Support19%
Oppose79%
Don�t know3%
Source: ICM Research / The Guardian
Methodology: Telephone interviews to 1,005 British adults, conducted from Jun. 17 to Jun. 19, 2005. No margin of error was provided."
Sunday, June 26, 2005
New Power Lines Approved For Wind Farms
KELOLAND.COM: News, Weather and Sports for Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa: "06/23/2005
New Power Lines Approved For Wind Farms
More wind energy is coming soon to southwestern Minnesota. The Minnesota Environmental Quality Board has given final approval to routes for two new Xcel Energy transmission lines on the southern edge of Buffalo Ridge.
Xcel says the lines would increase transmission capacity by 460 kilowatts. Work is expected to be done in 2007. It would bring the transmission capacity of Buffalo Ridge to 825 megawatts, more than double the present capacity.
Xcel is investing 160 million dollars in wind-energy improvements. As part of the new transmission line upgrade, the company is also being required to offer 60 megawatts of access to the lines to local investors."
New Power Lines Approved For Wind Farms
More wind energy is coming soon to southwestern Minnesota. The Minnesota Environmental Quality Board has given final approval to routes for two new Xcel Energy transmission lines on the southern edge of Buffalo Ridge.
Xcel says the lines would increase transmission capacity by 460 kilowatts. Work is expected to be done in 2007. It would bring the transmission capacity of Buffalo Ridge to 825 megawatts, more than double the present capacity.
Xcel is investing 160 million dollars in wind-energy improvements. As part of the new transmission line upgrade, the company is also being required to offer 60 megawatts of access to the lines to local investors."
THE Irish wind energy sector is set to become a model for other countries
Examiner: "27/06/05
Wind energy sector set to become industry model
By David Clerkin
THE Irish wind energy sector is set to become a model for other countries, thanks to a new set of industry standards, the operator of the national power network said yesterday.
ESB National Grid, which operates the country�s system of power lines and transmission substations, said its Wind Grid Code would be a leading-edge guide for the wind energy industry around the world.
The code sets out minimum standards and specifications that windfarm operators must meet to gain access to the national grid. It was developed in conjunction with the wind power industry.
�Ireland is in a unique position as an island system, with very rapid growth in wind power. This means that the Irish industry has been finding solutions to challenges which are only now beginning to emerge abroad,� said a spokesman for ESB National Grid.
The Irish requirements to produce accurate models for the operation of wind turbines meant that turbine manufacturers who were successful in getting connected could capitalise on this by selling their turbines in other countries.
The use of wind power in Ireland has shot up in recent years. Wind turbines are now capable of generating enough power to supply more than 100,000 homes. "
Wind energy sector set to become industry model
By David Clerkin
THE Irish wind energy sector is set to become a model for other countries, thanks to a new set of industry standards, the operator of the national power network said yesterday.
ESB National Grid, which operates the country�s system of power lines and transmission substations, said its Wind Grid Code would be a leading-edge guide for the wind energy industry around the world.
The code sets out minimum standards and specifications that windfarm operators must meet to gain access to the national grid. It was developed in conjunction with the wind power industry.
�Ireland is in a unique position as an island system, with very rapid growth in wind power. This means that the Irish industry has been finding solutions to challenges which are only now beginning to emerge abroad,� said a spokesman for ESB National Grid.
The Irish requirements to produce accurate models for the operation of wind turbines meant that turbine manufacturers who were successful in getting connected could capitalise on this by selling their turbines in other countries.
The use of wind power in Ireland has shot up in recent years. Wind turbines are now capable of generating enough power to supply more than 100,000 homes. "
Scoop: Consultation begins on possible Puketiro wind farm IN New Zealand
Scoop: Consultation begins on possible Puketiro wind farm: "Consultation begins on possible Puketiro wind farm
Monday, 27 June 2005, 11:30 am
Press Release: Greater Wellington Regional Council
Community consultation begins on possible Puketiro wind farm development
Greater Wellington begins a community consultation process this week on a possible wind farm development at Puketiro, an area to the east of Battle Hill Forest Park.
Chair of Greater Wellington’s Landcare Committee Cr Chris Laidlaw says. “At Greater Wellington we're committed to raising the energy self-sufficiency of this region. Most of the energy we currently use is derived from non-renewable sources and we simply cannot afford the luxury of that. We have extensive park and forest lands that can deliver a double benefit because wind energy generation can be achieved in harmony with the other environmental objectives in such areas at a distance from urban areas. The advantage of wind energy is that it imposes a minimum footprint on the land.”
“Undoubtedly, wind energy developments on Greater Wellington land can make a very useful difference for this region and we now want to hear what the community thinks.”
The consultation process follows completion of two feasibility studies of wind energy generation developments on land owned or managed by the Council – Puketiro, Mt Climie and Belmont Regional Park. The first two studies have been completed, and analysis of the larger Belmont site is still underway.
Cr Laidlaw says that, “Although the Mt Climie ridge has outstanding wind energy potential, there are evident risks to parts of the local ecology and for that reason we are erring on the side of caution and will be not be proceeding any further with this site at this stage. Instead, we have identified Puketiro as the ideal place to start.”
Greater Wellington’s renewable energy project manager Murray Kennedy says that “a wind farm development at Puketiro could provide the region with at least 26MW of energy, enough to power about 13,000 homes. Average wind speed at the site is similar to several other operating wind farms in the country.”
“The impact of building a wind farm at Puketiro is relatively low. The nearest urban area is Whitby in Porirua City, six kilometres from the proposed site.”
Public submissions close on 1 August 2005 and public hearings will be held in September or October.
Further detailed information, submission form and maps are online at www.gw.govt.nz or in the July issue of Elements.
ENDS
Monday, 27 June 2005, 11:30 am
Press Release: Greater Wellington Regional Council
Community consultation begins on possible Puketiro wind farm development
Greater Wellington begins a community consultation process this week on a possible wind farm development at Puketiro, an area to the east of Battle Hill Forest Park.
Chair of Greater Wellington’s Landcare Committee Cr Chris Laidlaw says. “At Greater Wellington we're committed to raising the energy self-sufficiency of this region. Most of the energy we currently use is derived from non-renewable sources and we simply cannot afford the luxury of that. We have extensive park and forest lands that can deliver a double benefit because wind energy generation can be achieved in harmony with the other environmental objectives in such areas at a distance from urban areas. The advantage of wind energy is that it imposes a minimum footprint on the land.”
“Undoubtedly, wind energy developments on Greater Wellington land can make a very useful difference for this region and we now want to hear what the community thinks.”
The consultation process follows completion of two feasibility studies of wind energy generation developments on land owned or managed by the Council – Puketiro, Mt Climie and Belmont Regional Park. The first two studies have been completed, and analysis of the larger Belmont site is still underway.
Cr Laidlaw says that, “Although the Mt Climie ridge has outstanding wind energy potential, there are evident risks to parts of the local ecology and for that reason we are erring on the side of caution and will be not be proceeding any further with this site at this stage. Instead, we have identified Puketiro as the ideal place to start.”
Greater Wellington’s renewable energy project manager Murray Kennedy says that “a wind farm development at Puketiro could provide the region with at least 26MW of energy, enough to power about 13,000 homes. Average wind speed at the site is similar to several other operating wind farms in the country.”
“The impact of building a wind farm at Puketiro is relatively low. The nearest urban area is Whitby in Porirua City, six kilometres from the proposed site.”
Public submissions close on 1 August 2005 and public hearings will be held in September or October.
Further detailed information, submission form and maps are online at www.gw.govt.nz or in the July issue of Elements.
ENDS
India has overtaken Denmark in wind energy generation
Economy & Policy: "Call for comprehensive renewable energy policy
Our Regional Bureau / Chennai June 27, 2005
To leverage and enhance the potential of renewable energy, there is an urgent need for a �comprehensive national-level renewable energy policy�, said Ramesh Kymal, chairman, renewable energy council.
He was addressing �Green Power 2005�, an international conference-cum-exposition on renewable energy in Chennai.
Kymal said that the annual turnover of renewable energy sector in India is about Rs 5,000 crore and is expected to grow at a much rapid pace.
India has overtaken Denmark in wind energy generation occupying the fourth place in the world. Last year, the country added 1,100 MW capacity.
Kymal pointed out that India should take a leaf out of China�s approach and progress on the renewable energy front.
A consistent policy is crucial for the development of this sector which can address long-term power purchase agreement, and tariff in order to attract more corporate investments in the sector, he added.
In terms of investment on renewable energy, China is behind India. However, it is surging ahead with a plan of generating 20,000 MW by the year 2012 in contrast to India�s vision which is to add 10,000 MW in the next seven years. China had already enacted the Renewable Energy Policy.
It is estimated that the potential for wind power is about 45,000 MW of which India has been able to harness 3,600 MW so far. India ranks fourth in bio-mass and tenth in the world in small hydro power sector. "
Our Regional Bureau / Chennai June 27, 2005
To leverage and enhance the potential of renewable energy, there is an urgent need for a �comprehensive national-level renewable energy policy�, said Ramesh Kymal, chairman, renewable energy council.
He was addressing �Green Power 2005�, an international conference-cum-exposition on renewable energy in Chennai.
Kymal said that the annual turnover of renewable energy sector in India is about Rs 5,000 crore and is expected to grow at a much rapid pace.
India has overtaken Denmark in wind energy generation occupying the fourth place in the world. Last year, the country added 1,100 MW capacity.
Kymal pointed out that India should take a leaf out of China�s approach and progress on the renewable energy front.
A consistent policy is crucial for the development of this sector which can address long-term power purchase agreement, and tariff in order to attract more corporate investments in the sector, he added.
In terms of investment on renewable energy, China is behind India. However, it is surging ahead with a plan of generating 20,000 MW by the year 2012 in contrast to India�s vision which is to add 10,000 MW in the next seven years. China had already enacted the Renewable Energy Policy.
It is estimated that the potential for wind power is about 45,000 MW of which India has been able to harness 3,600 MW so far. India ranks fourth in bio-mass and tenth in the world in small hydro power sector. "
Airtricity Expands into U.S. Energy Marketplace with $270 Million Wind Farm Development Project
Airtricity Expands into U.S. Energy Marketplace with $270 Million Wind Farm Development Project: "Press ReleaseSource: Airtricity
Press Release Source: Airtricity
Airtricity Expands into U.S. Energy Marketplace with $270 Million Wind Farm Development Project
Friday June 24, 12:00 pm ET
Announces Aggressive Five-Year Growth Plan, Investment of $1.5 Billion
NEW YORK, CHICAGO and DALLAS, June 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Airtricity, the leading renewable energy company, today announced an initial investment in the U.S. of $270 million planned for the development of wind farms in Texas, New York and the Pacific Northwest and total investments in excess of $1.5 billion by 2010 in the North American market. Airtricity will use the initial investment to install turbines on a wind farm developed in conjunction with RGI, Inc. The wind farm, located in the Abilene area, will have an installed capacity of 125MW and will generate sufficient power to supply over 75,000 homes. The Turbines for this project will be supplied by the Siemens Wind Power company based in Florida. The other wind farms being constructed in 2006 will use wind turbines supplied by Gamesa.
In announcing Airtricity's expansion in the U.S. in a keynote address at Euromoney's 2nd Renewable Energy Finance Forum in New York, Chief Executive Officer Eddie O'Connor said, "This investment is a significant milestone for Airtricity as it comes at a time when there is limited wind energy capacity in the U.S. but growing recognition of the need to develop long-term renewable sources of energy. Over the next five years, we anticipate that growing demand for wind energy will enable our business in North America to account for nearly 50 percent of overall revenues, which will help us to become the largest private, renewable energy developer in the country."
Through this investment, Airtricity has made a strong commitment to retail customers in North Texas, including Dallas, Lubbock, Amarillo and surrounding counties. Sales of power from this wind farm will commence in 2006.
"One of the greatest potential economic and environmental crises facing society today is global warming. However, the leadership and people of Texas have signaled in many surveys that they want to deal with this issue. Texas is the state most strongly supportive of renewable energy in the United States, and Airtricity are delighted to participate in this customer-led venture," Dr. O'Connor added.
About Airtricity
Airtricity is a world leading renewable energy company. As an integrated utility, the company is both a generator and supplier of green electricity. The company currently supplies renewable electricity to over 40,000 commercial customers in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and is developing wind farms in the USA, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and England. http://www.airtricity.com
About RGI Inc.
Renewable Generation Holdings Inc. is a wind project development company based in Austin, Texas. Founded in 2002, the company is active in Texas and the Southwest and Southeast US. http://www.renewablegeneration.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Airtricity
Press Release Source: Airtricity
Airtricity Expands into U.S. Energy Marketplace with $270 Million Wind Farm Development Project
Friday June 24, 12:00 pm ET
Announces Aggressive Five-Year Growth Plan, Investment of $1.5 Billion
NEW YORK, CHICAGO and DALLAS, June 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Airtricity, the leading renewable energy company, today announced an initial investment in the U.S. of $270 million planned for the development of wind farms in Texas, New York and the Pacific Northwest and total investments in excess of $1.5 billion by 2010 in the North American market. Airtricity will use the initial investment to install turbines on a wind farm developed in conjunction with RGI, Inc. The wind farm, located in the Abilene area, will have an installed capacity of 125MW and will generate sufficient power to supply over 75,000 homes. The Turbines for this project will be supplied by the Siemens Wind Power company based in Florida. The other wind farms being constructed in 2006 will use wind turbines supplied by Gamesa.
In announcing Airtricity's expansion in the U.S. in a keynote address at Euromoney's 2nd Renewable Energy Finance Forum in New York, Chief Executive Officer Eddie O'Connor said, "This investment is a significant milestone for Airtricity as it comes at a time when there is limited wind energy capacity in the U.S. but growing recognition of the need to develop long-term renewable sources of energy. Over the next five years, we anticipate that growing demand for wind energy will enable our business in North America to account for nearly 50 percent of overall revenues, which will help us to become the largest private, renewable energy developer in the country."
Through this investment, Airtricity has made a strong commitment to retail customers in North Texas, including Dallas, Lubbock, Amarillo and surrounding counties. Sales of power from this wind farm will commence in 2006.
"One of the greatest potential economic and environmental crises facing society today is global warming. However, the leadership and people of Texas have signaled in many surveys that they want to deal with this issue. Texas is the state most strongly supportive of renewable energy in the United States, and Airtricity are delighted to participate in this customer-led venture," Dr. O'Connor added.
About Airtricity
Airtricity is a world leading renewable energy company. As an integrated utility, the company is both a generator and supplier of green electricity. The company currently supplies renewable electricity to over 40,000 commercial customers in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and is developing wind farms in the USA, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and England. http://www.airtricity.com
About RGI Inc.
Renewable Generation Holdings Inc. is a wind project development company based in Austin, Texas. Founded in 2002, the company is active in Texas and the Southwest and Southeast US. http://www.renewablegeneration.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: Airtricity
Greenlight Energy Gains Approval to Build Large-Scale Wind Farm in Northeastern Colorado; Project to Provide Clean-Energy for up to 90,000 Homes Annually
Greenlight Energy Gains Approval to Build Large-Scale Wind Farm in Northeastern Colorado; Project to Provide Clean-Energy for up to 90,000 Homes Annually: "June 24, 2005 09:00 AM US Eastern Timezone
June 24, 2005 09:00 AM US Eastern Timezone
Greenlight Energy Gains Approval to Build Large-Scale Wind Farm in Northeastern Colorado; Project to Provide Clean-Energy for up to 90,000 Homes Annually
AKRON, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 24, 2005--Greenlight Energy, Inc., an independent power producer of wind energy, today announced it has received approval from the Washington County Commission to develop a large-scale wind farm near the town of Akron that could provide enough clean energy to meet the annual needs of up to 90,000 homes.
The permit allows Greenlight Energy to develop the 200 to 300-megawatt Akron wind farm project on over 15,000 acres in rural Washington County. Construction on the estimated $250-350 million project could begin as early as 2006 after completion of a power purchase agreement and remaining development work. The project is one of the largest wind energy developments announced to-date and the largest planned in Colorado--a state ranked 11th in the nation for wind energy potential.
"The Akron project offers many attractive features for development," said Matt Hantzmon, Managing Director of Greenlight Energy. "The community has been very receptive, the location is ideally situated near transmission lines and the state's renewable portfolio standards provide strong incentives for wind energy development."
Three utilities have transmission facilities in Northeastern Colorado proximate to the facility. They are: Xcel Energy, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association and Western Area Power Administration. Colorado requires the state's largest utilities to obtain 10 percent of their electricity from renewable energy resources by 2015.
"The Greenlight Energy wind project represents a significant investment in the future of Akron and Washington County," said Rick Kusel, president of the Washington County Economic Development Corporation. "It will boost our economy and establish the area as a leader in clean energy generation. The community and Greenlight Energy team worked well together to advance this project successfully."
Greenlight Energy, based in Charlottesville, VA, is an independent power producer of wind energy. The company has a national portfolio of more than 15 projects in a dozen states in early and late-stages of development, representing a potential to generate more than 2,000-megawatts of wind power. In December 2004, Greenlight Energy completed the development of its 150-megawatt Elk River Windfarm, LLC, in Kansas. The project was purchased by PPM Energy, Inc and is now under construction. The company's management team has 40 years energy experience, including development of 3,000-megawatts of conventional and renewable energy facilities.
Contacts
Greenlight Energy, Inc.
Matt Hantzmon, 434-220-1406
info@greenlightenergy.com
June 24, 2005 09:00 AM US Eastern Timezone
Greenlight Energy Gains Approval to Build Large-Scale Wind Farm in Northeastern Colorado; Project to Provide Clean-Energy for up to 90,000 Homes Annually
AKRON, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 24, 2005--Greenlight Energy, Inc., an independent power producer of wind energy, today announced it has received approval from the Washington County Commission to develop a large-scale wind farm near the town of Akron that could provide enough clean energy to meet the annual needs of up to 90,000 homes.
The permit allows Greenlight Energy to develop the 200 to 300-megawatt Akron wind farm project on over 15,000 acres in rural Washington County. Construction on the estimated $250-350 million project could begin as early as 2006 after completion of a power purchase agreement and remaining development work. The project is one of the largest wind energy developments announced to-date and the largest planned in Colorado--a state ranked 11th in the nation for wind energy potential.
"The Akron project offers many attractive features for development," said Matt Hantzmon, Managing Director of Greenlight Energy. "The community has been very receptive, the location is ideally situated near transmission lines and the state's renewable portfolio standards provide strong incentives for wind energy development."
Three utilities have transmission facilities in Northeastern Colorado proximate to the facility. They are: Xcel Energy, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association and Western Area Power Administration. Colorado requires the state's largest utilities to obtain 10 percent of their electricity from renewable energy resources by 2015.
"The Greenlight Energy wind project represents a significant investment in the future of Akron and Washington County," said Rick Kusel, president of the Washington County Economic Development Corporation. "It will boost our economy and establish the area as a leader in clean energy generation. The community and Greenlight Energy team worked well together to advance this project successfully."
Greenlight Energy, based in Charlottesville, VA, is an independent power producer of wind energy. The company has a national portfolio of more than 15 projects in a dozen states in early and late-stages of development, representing a potential to generate more than 2,000-megawatts of wind power. In December 2004, Greenlight Energy completed the development of its 150-megawatt Elk River Windfarm, LLC, in Kansas. The project was purchased by PPM Energy, Inc and is now under construction. The company's management team has 40 years energy experience, including development of 3,000-megawatts of conventional and renewable energy facilities.
Contacts
Greenlight Energy, Inc.
Matt Hantzmon, 434-220-1406
info@greenlightenergy.com
GE Energy's Wind Turbines Selected For New Project In India
GE Energy's Wind Turbines Selected For New Project In India
ATLANTA, GA (May 16, 2005) — Surana Industries Limited of Chennai, India, a producer of thermo mechanically treated (TMT) bar steel and stainless steel products and components, is turning to wind energy to help power its factories. The company has selected GE Energy's wind turbine technology for a 12-megawatt wind farm to be located in the village of Radhapuram in the state of Tamilnadu, South India.
GE is supplying eight of its 1.5-megawatt wind turbines for the project, which is scheduled for commissioning in July of 2005 and is expected to generate approximately 36 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. GE also is providing technical advisory services for the erection and commissioning of the turbines, and operation and maintenance services for five years.
The project site is approximately 12 kilometers northeast of Kanyakumari, a world-renowned tourist area. With more than 1,000 megawatts of wind turbines already installed in the region, Kanyakumari offers India greatest wind power potential.
The Surana Wind Farm marks GE Energy's second wind project in India. Last year, GE supplied 18 of its 1.5-megawatt wind turbines for the Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd. Wind Power Project in Karnataka State, South India.
GE's 1.5-megawatt wind turbines are among the mostly widely tested and used wind turbines in the world, with more than 3,000 installed worldwide.
India currently ranks fifth in the world and first in Asia with approximately 3,000 megawatts of installed wind capacity. The interest of private investors and developers in setting up commercial wind projects, combined with federal and state renewable energy initiatives, have been key factors driving the growth of the country's wind industry.
"India offers very exciting opportunities for the wind industry," said Robert Gleitz, general manager of GE Energy's wind power business. "With an untapped wind power potential estimated at 45,000 megawatts, and strong interest in adding renewable energy capacity, the country can be a cornerstone for wind energy development across Asia."
While GE is relatively new to the Indian wind industry, the company is one of the leading foreign investors in the country. GE employs more than 21,000 people in India, has a local market turnover approaching US$1 billion, and exports more than US$1 billion of products and services from India to countries around the globe. In addition, GE's John F. Welch Technology Center in Bangalore was the first facility of its kind in India and employs more than 1,300 scientists and researchers.
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 revenue 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 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.
For more information, contact:
GE Energy:
Dennis Murphy
GE Energy
+1 678 844 6948
dennis.murphy@ps.ge.com
ATLANTA, GA (May 16, 2005) — Surana Industries Limited of Chennai, India, a producer of thermo mechanically treated (TMT) bar steel and stainless steel products and components, is turning to wind energy to help power its factories. The company has selected GE Energy's wind turbine technology for a 12-megawatt wind farm to be located in the village of Radhapuram in the state of Tamilnadu, South India.
GE is supplying eight of its 1.5-megawatt wind turbines for the project, which is scheduled for commissioning in July of 2005 and is expected to generate approximately 36 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. GE also is providing technical advisory services for the erection and commissioning of the turbines, and operation and maintenance services for five years.
The project site is approximately 12 kilometers northeast of Kanyakumari, a world-renowned tourist area. With more than 1,000 megawatts of wind turbines already installed in the region, Kanyakumari offers India greatest wind power potential.
The Surana Wind Farm marks GE Energy's second wind project in India. Last year, GE supplied 18 of its 1.5-megawatt wind turbines for the Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd. Wind Power Project in Karnataka State, South India.
GE's 1.5-megawatt wind turbines are among the mostly widely tested and used wind turbines in the world, with more than 3,000 installed worldwide.
India currently ranks fifth in the world and first in Asia with approximately 3,000 megawatts of installed wind capacity. The interest of private investors and developers in setting up commercial wind projects, combined with federal and state renewable energy initiatives, have been key factors driving the growth of the country's wind industry.
"India offers very exciting opportunities for the wind industry," said Robert Gleitz, general manager of GE Energy's wind power business. "With an untapped wind power potential estimated at 45,000 megawatts, and strong interest in adding renewable energy capacity, the country can be a cornerstone for wind energy development across Asia."
While GE is relatively new to the Indian wind industry, the company is one of the leading foreign investors in the country. GE employs more than 21,000 people in India, has a local market turnover approaching US$1 billion, and exports more than US$1 billion of products and services from India to countries around the globe. In addition, GE's John F. Welch Technology Center in Bangalore was the first facility of its kind in India and employs more than 1,300 scientists and researchers.
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 revenue 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 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.
For more information, contact:
GE Energy:
Dennis Murphy
GE Energy
+1 678 844 6948
dennis.murphy@ps.ge.com
Wind energy development gets boost
6/24/2005 6:00:00 AM
Wind energy development gets boost
Patricia R. McCoy
Idaho Staff Writer
The U.S. Department of Interior released its final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement on Wind Energy Development June 21, smoothing the way for installing wind turbine generators on public land in 11 Western states.
The programmatic EIS addresses the environmental, social and economic impacts of wind generation development on public lands, said Rebecca Watson, assistant secretary of the Interior for land and minerals management.
The study analyzes three alternatives for managing wind energy development on public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management. Those alternatives are:
• The proposed action, which would implement a wind energy development program, establish policies and best management practices for wind energy right-of-way authorizations, and amend 52 BLM land use plans.
• The no-action alternative, which would allow continued wind energy development under the terms and conditions of the BLM Interim Wind Energy Development Policy, and,
• A limited wind energy development alternative, which would allow development only in selected locations.
The new EIS paves the way to developing over 3,200 megawatts of wind energy in 11 Western states, enough to power almost 1 million homes, Watson said.
Those states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming, she said.
“This is a significant action, a very thorough document. As a programmatic EIS, it offers a consistent, agency-wide approach to wind energy permitting. That means expedited permitting,” she said.
Currently there are wind energy operations on 1,517 BLM acres and 5,128 non-BLM acres in the 11 states, a total of 6,645 acres. The EIS projects another 12,782 acres on line by 2015, 2,628 of them BLM acres. By 2025, wind energy operations should be on 20,801 acres, including 3,240 acres of BLM land.
According to the EIS, California has a potential for wind energy development on 9,113 acres by 2025, including 1,462 BLM acres. Idaho has a potential of 1,101 acres, including 185 BLM acres. Oregon’s potential is for development on 1,758 acres, 196 of them administered by the BLM. Nevada’s potential is for 1,305 acres, 701 of them BLM, while Washington has a possibility on 1,326 acres, only 12 of them BLM, the EIS says.
“Renewable energy development will be a way of life. Our economic security depends on it. Encouraging its development on public lands, especially wind energy, will help the entire nation, particularly the growing population in the West,” she said.
Department of Interior agencies, mostly the BLM, issues 74 permits for wind energy development in the last four and a half years. The Clinton Administration issued only 13 wind permits in its entire eight years, she said.
“President Bush is serious about making renewable energy a part of our future,” Watson said. “This EIS takes us to the next step.”
Wind turbines have environmental impacts, but they are the same in almost every location. That helped bring about the programmatic EIS, she said.
Permits won’t be issued for all potential sites. The simple movement of turbines can cause birds to avoid an area because they simulate the movements of prey birds, the assistant secretary said.
The new EIS will ban development in certain areas in wilderness areas, national recreation areas, and other specially protected locations, said Ray Brady, BLM group manager for land and realty.
Watson’s announcement of the new EIS came during a teleconference for news media. Brady joined her for the session.
Pat McCoy is based in Boise. Her e-mail address is pmccoy@capitalpress.com.
Wind energy development gets boost
Patricia R. McCoy
Idaho Staff Writer
The U.S. Department of Interior released its final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement on Wind Energy Development June 21, smoothing the way for installing wind turbine generators on public land in 11 Western states.
The programmatic EIS addresses the environmental, social and economic impacts of wind generation development on public lands, said Rebecca Watson, assistant secretary of the Interior for land and minerals management.
The study analyzes three alternatives for managing wind energy development on public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management. Those alternatives are:
• The proposed action, which would implement a wind energy development program, establish policies and best management practices for wind energy right-of-way authorizations, and amend 52 BLM land use plans.
• The no-action alternative, which would allow continued wind energy development under the terms and conditions of the BLM Interim Wind Energy Development Policy, and,
• A limited wind energy development alternative, which would allow development only in selected locations.
The new EIS paves the way to developing over 3,200 megawatts of wind energy in 11 Western states, enough to power almost 1 million homes, Watson said.
Those states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming, she said.
“This is a significant action, a very thorough document. As a programmatic EIS, it offers a consistent, agency-wide approach to wind energy permitting. That means expedited permitting,” she said.
Currently there are wind energy operations on 1,517 BLM acres and 5,128 non-BLM acres in the 11 states, a total of 6,645 acres. The EIS projects another 12,782 acres on line by 2015, 2,628 of them BLM acres. By 2025, wind energy operations should be on 20,801 acres, including 3,240 acres of BLM land.
According to the EIS, California has a potential for wind energy development on 9,113 acres by 2025, including 1,462 BLM acres. Idaho has a potential of 1,101 acres, including 185 BLM acres. Oregon’s potential is for development on 1,758 acres, 196 of them administered by the BLM. Nevada’s potential is for 1,305 acres, 701 of them BLM, while Washington has a possibility on 1,326 acres, only 12 of them BLM, the EIS says.
“Renewable energy development will be a way of life. Our economic security depends on it. Encouraging its development on public lands, especially wind energy, will help the entire nation, particularly the growing population in the West,” she said.
Department of Interior agencies, mostly the BLM, issues 74 permits for wind energy development in the last four and a half years. The Clinton Administration issued only 13 wind permits in its entire eight years, she said.
“President Bush is serious about making renewable energy a part of our future,” Watson said. “This EIS takes us to the next step.”
Wind turbines have environmental impacts, but they are the same in almost every location. That helped bring about the programmatic EIS, she said.
Permits won’t be issued for all potential sites. The simple movement of turbines can cause birds to avoid an area because they simulate the movements of prey birds, the assistant secretary said.
The new EIS will ban development in certain areas in wilderness areas, national recreation areas, and other specially protected locations, said Ray Brady, BLM group manager for land and realty.
Watson’s announcement of the new EIS came during a teleconference for news media. Brady joined her for the session.
Pat McCoy is based in Boise. Her e-mail address is pmccoy@capitalpress.com.
Saturday, June 11, 2005
Dutch Offshore Wind Project Approved
First Dutch Offshore Wind Project Gains Approval
June 10, 2005
Amsterdam, The Netherlands [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] Shell and Dutch energy company Nuon have signed the final contracts for their joint collaboration of the first Dutch offshore wind farm, located at Egmond aan Zee, 10 miles outside the Dutch coast.
"As a learning project this wind farm is important for the Netherlands and the whole offshore industry."
- Rein Willems, President of Shell Nederland. NoordzeeWind (a 50/50 joint venture between Shell and Nuon) awarded the construction contract to Bouwcombinatie Egmond, a joint venture between Dutch offshore contractor Ballast Nedam and Danish wind-turbine manufacturer Vestas.
Thirty-six wind turbines with an overall capacity of 108 MW will be constructed 10 kM off the coast of Egmond aan Zee (the Netherlands). On a yearly basis, the wind turbines will generate enough electricity to meet the needs of more than 100,000 Dutch households. From the end of 2006, the wind farm will start generating sustainable energy, which Nuon will supply to the Dutch market. The project involves an investment in excess of EURO 200 million (USD $242 million).
The project is accompanied by a comprehensive research program designed to increase knowledge about offshore wind energy. This will study the effects on both nature and the environment, as well as the technical aspects, such as turbine behavior and integration into the electricity grid. This will help to increase expertise for the construction of larger wind farms further out to sea.
"As a learning project this wind farm is important for the Netherlands and the whole offshore industry," said Rein Willems, President of Shell Nederland. "While Government subsidies remain critical for any industry in the early stages, the investment will bring economic competitiveness that much closer. And so the knowledge and experience we accumulate in this project will play a key role in making the ever increasing demand for energy even more sustainable."
The Dutch government is supporting the project financially under the Electricity Production (Environmental Quality) Act (MEP) along with a subsidy under the Ministry of Economic Affairs' CO2 Reduction Plan. Finally, the Energy Investment Incentive facility (EIA) (a tax allowance) also applies.
"The construction of the wind farm is fully in line with Nuon's policy to make the energy supply more sustainable and to expand energy production in its core countries of the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany," said Ludo van Halderen, Chief Executive Officer of Nuon. "The wind farm off the coast of Egmond aan Zee offers a new opportunity for Dutch customers to access sustainable energy harnessed here in the Netherlands."
The initial construction work is planned at the end of 2005 with the installation of power cables between the grid connection point at Velsen and the wind farm's own transformer substation located on a site near the shore owned by Corus. The foundation piles of the wind turbines will be driven into the seabed during the spring of 2006, after which the wind turbines will be installed. Specialized ships will be used for this work.
June 10, 2005
Amsterdam, The Netherlands [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] Shell and Dutch energy company Nuon have signed the final contracts for their joint collaboration of the first Dutch offshore wind farm, located at Egmond aan Zee, 10 miles outside the Dutch coast.
"As a learning project this wind farm is important for the Netherlands and the whole offshore industry."
- Rein Willems, President of Shell Nederland. NoordzeeWind (a 50/50 joint venture between Shell and Nuon) awarded the construction contract to Bouwcombinatie Egmond, a joint venture between Dutch offshore contractor Ballast Nedam and Danish wind-turbine manufacturer Vestas.
Thirty-six wind turbines with an overall capacity of 108 MW will be constructed 10 kM off the coast of Egmond aan Zee (the Netherlands). On a yearly basis, the wind turbines will generate enough electricity to meet the needs of more than 100,000 Dutch households. From the end of 2006, the wind farm will start generating sustainable energy, which Nuon will supply to the Dutch market. The project involves an investment in excess of EURO 200 million (USD $242 million).
The project is accompanied by a comprehensive research program designed to increase knowledge about offshore wind energy. This will study the effects on both nature and the environment, as well as the technical aspects, such as turbine behavior and integration into the electricity grid. This will help to increase expertise for the construction of larger wind farms further out to sea.
"As a learning project this wind farm is important for the Netherlands and the whole offshore industry," said Rein Willems, President of Shell Nederland. "While Government subsidies remain critical for any industry in the early stages, the investment will bring economic competitiveness that much closer. And so the knowledge and experience we accumulate in this project will play a key role in making the ever increasing demand for energy even more sustainable."
The Dutch government is supporting the project financially under the Electricity Production (Environmental Quality) Act (MEP) along with a subsidy under the Ministry of Economic Affairs' CO2 Reduction Plan. Finally, the Energy Investment Incentive facility (EIA) (a tax allowance) also applies.
"The construction of the wind farm is fully in line with Nuon's policy to make the energy supply more sustainable and to expand energy production in its core countries of the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany," said Ludo van Halderen, Chief Executive Officer of Nuon. "The wind farm off the coast of Egmond aan Zee offers a new opportunity for Dutch customers to access sustainable energy harnessed here in the Netherlands."
The initial construction work is planned at the end of 2005 with the installation of power cables between the grid connection point at Velsen and the wind farm's own transformer substation located on a site near the shore owned by Corus. The foundation piles of the wind turbines will be driven into the seabed during the spring of 2006, after which the wind turbines will be installed. Specialized ships will be used for this work.
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Shell Oil Plans World's Largest Wind Farm in U.K.
Shell, E.ON Plan World's Largest Wind Farm in U.K. (Update4)
June 7 (Bloomberg) -- Royal Dutch/Shell Group, E.ON AG and partners sought U.K. permission for the world's largest wind park, a 1.5 billion-pound ($2.75 billion) project big enough to serve one-fourth of London, as Prime Minister Tony Blair seeks to cut emissions linked to global warming.
The London Array project would have 270 turbines about 60 miles downstream from central London, in an estuary where the River Thames flows into the North Sea. The windmills 12 miles offshore, with a total of 1,000 megawatts of capacity, may be ready in 2011, the companies said in an e-mailed statement today.
The U.K., the windiest country in Europe, wants 10 percent of its power to come from renewable sources by 2010, and Blair has placed addressing climate change among his priorities while chairing the Group of Eight industrialized nations this year. A European Union program that started in January imposes costs on excess carbon dioxide emissions produced by burning fossil fuels.
``It would make a big difference if it went ahead,'' said Peter Bedson, a consultant with IPA Energy Consulting in Edinburgh. ``This is the sort of project needed if the government is going to meet its targets.''
Kyoto Accord
European Union nations and 35 other countries around the world agreed to cut carbon dioxide emissions, linked to climate change, under the Kyoto Protocol. As a result, European utilities starting this year have to pay a fine or buy emission credits if they pollute above a government-imposed cap. The cost of emissions credits has almost doubled in the past year, to 19.4 euros a ton ($24) for delivery in 2005.
Dusseldorf, Germany-based E.ON, the world's biggest publicly traded utility, will own a third of the project and Shell another third. The rest will be held by Core Ltd., a joint venture between Farm Energy and Denmark's Energi E2 A/S. The partners will share the investment in line with their equity stakes.
Shell, based in London and The Hague, said as many as 1.9 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year could be saved through the development. Shell's share of the investment in London Array will be as much as 500 million pounds ($916 million) spread over several years. The company's budget for renewable energy during 2003-2005 was $1 billion.
Shell started working on London Array with its partners in 2001 and announced in December 2003 that it had won the right to lease the offshore area for the project, without giving any estimate then for the overall cost.
Environmentalists, Birds
The project still needs regulatory approval. Regulators sometimes delay or reject such projects because they interfere with the natural landscape. Environmentalists also complain that windmills, which can be twice as tall as New York's Statue of Liberty, can also kill birds.
Such obstacles are likely to delay the U.K.'s government goal of generating 10 percent of power from renewable sources in 2010, said Michael Cupit, a director at consultants Ernst & Young in London.
``The target is unlikely to be met in 2010,'' Cupit said. ``It will probably be met one or two years after, basically because of the complex planning environment. It takes a long time for permission to be granted.''
Due to its location, the London Array project would have ``little visual impact'' from the coastline, according to today's statement.
Norwegian Project
Havgul AS, a Norwegian wind-power company, scrapped one of four planned wind parks after protests from local communities. The company still intends to build three wind parks off the coast of northwestern Norway with a combined capacity of 1,410 megawatts, according to its Web site.
Havgul's the three Norwegian parks, if approved, are unlikely to be completed before London Array, said Morten Thomsen, a spokesman for Energi E2.
Shares of Vestas Wind Systems A/S, the world's largest maker of wind turbines, rose 3.5 kroner, or 3.4 percent, to 106 kroner in Copenhagen. Gamesa Corporacion Tecnologica SA, the third- largest, rose 5 cents, or 0.4 percent, to 11.38 euros in Madrid.
Renewable energy sources will represent about 19 percent of the world's power generation in 10 years, compared with 18 percent today, even after more investment is made, according to a study by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, a consulting company.
Wind power is expensive, erratic and can't guarantee a secure of supply, E.ON said in its ``Wind Report 2004'' in October. Wind electricity can't be relied upon as a constant supplier of power because the masts, which can be as wide as a soccer field, only generate electricity when the wind blows.
``Due to their limited availability, wind power plants cannot replace the usual power station capacities to a significant degree, but can basically only save on fuel,'' the report said.
British Energy Group Plc's Sizewell nuclear station, in the southeastern coast of England, can generate electricity for 2 million people, while a U.K. wind farm can supply about 30,000.
`Political Will'
The growth in wind generation is based on ``political will,'' E.ON said in its report. Wind power generated 4 percent of Germany's electricity last year, while it represented 14 percent of its capacity, the report said.
``It's only through building more powerful wind farm sites such as this that we'll be able to reach the government's tough targets for renewable generation,'' Jason Scagell, director of E.ON U.K. Renewables, said in the statement today.
The U.S. Congress last year renewed a tax credit needed to make the wind plants cost-effective, leading the head of the wind- power business at General Electric Co. to call for a ``boom year'' expected in 2005 in the U.S., the world's largest energy-consuming country.
U.S., Germany
The Stateline wind farm, between the states of Washington and Oregon, is so far the largest wind farm in the world, with a maximum capacity of 300 megawatts, said Alison Hill, a spokeswoman with the British Wind Energy Association. Germany is the country with the most wind energy capacity in the world, followed by Spain, the U.S. and Denmark, Hill said.
The world's biggest offshore wind farm that's already in operation is Denmark's Nysted farm, which can produce 165 megawatts and is operated by Energi E2. The next largest is another Danish project, Horns Rev.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Elena Moya in London at moya@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: June 7, 2005 09:49 EDT
June 7 (Bloomberg) -- Royal Dutch/Shell Group, E.ON AG and partners sought U.K. permission for the world's largest wind park, a 1.5 billion-pound ($2.75 billion) project big enough to serve one-fourth of London, as Prime Minister Tony Blair seeks to cut emissions linked to global warming.
The London Array project would have 270 turbines about 60 miles downstream from central London, in an estuary where the River Thames flows into the North Sea. The windmills 12 miles offshore, with a total of 1,000 megawatts of capacity, may be ready in 2011, the companies said in an e-mailed statement today.
The U.K., the windiest country in Europe, wants 10 percent of its power to come from renewable sources by 2010, and Blair has placed addressing climate change among his priorities while chairing the Group of Eight industrialized nations this year. A European Union program that started in January imposes costs on excess carbon dioxide emissions produced by burning fossil fuels.
``It would make a big difference if it went ahead,'' said Peter Bedson, a consultant with IPA Energy Consulting in Edinburgh. ``This is the sort of project needed if the government is going to meet its targets.''
Kyoto Accord
European Union nations and 35 other countries around the world agreed to cut carbon dioxide emissions, linked to climate change, under the Kyoto Protocol. As a result, European utilities starting this year have to pay a fine or buy emission credits if they pollute above a government-imposed cap. The cost of emissions credits has almost doubled in the past year, to 19.4 euros a ton ($24) for delivery in 2005.
Dusseldorf, Germany-based E.ON, the world's biggest publicly traded utility, will own a third of the project and Shell another third. The rest will be held by Core Ltd., a joint venture between Farm Energy and Denmark's Energi E2 A/S. The partners will share the investment in line with their equity stakes.
Shell, based in London and The Hague, said as many as 1.9 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions a year could be saved through the development. Shell's share of the investment in London Array will be as much as 500 million pounds ($916 million) spread over several years. The company's budget for renewable energy during 2003-2005 was $1 billion.
Shell started working on London Array with its partners in 2001 and announced in December 2003 that it had won the right to lease the offshore area for the project, without giving any estimate then for the overall cost.
Environmentalists, Birds
The project still needs regulatory approval. Regulators sometimes delay or reject such projects because they interfere with the natural landscape. Environmentalists also complain that windmills, which can be twice as tall as New York's Statue of Liberty, can also kill birds.
Such obstacles are likely to delay the U.K.'s government goal of generating 10 percent of power from renewable sources in 2010, said Michael Cupit, a director at consultants Ernst & Young in London.
``The target is unlikely to be met in 2010,'' Cupit said. ``It will probably be met one or two years after, basically because of the complex planning environment. It takes a long time for permission to be granted.''
Due to its location, the London Array project would have ``little visual impact'' from the coastline, according to today's statement.
Norwegian Project
Havgul AS, a Norwegian wind-power company, scrapped one of four planned wind parks after protests from local communities. The company still intends to build three wind parks off the coast of northwestern Norway with a combined capacity of 1,410 megawatts, according to its Web site.
Havgul's the three Norwegian parks, if approved, are unlikely to be completed before London Array, said Morten Thomsen, a spokesman for Energi E2.
Shares of Vestas Wind Systems A/S, the world's largest maker of wind turbines, rose 3.5 kroner, or 3.4 percent, to 106 kroner in Copenhagen. Gamesa Corporacion Tecnologica SA, the third- largest, rose 5 cents, or 0.4 percent, to 11.38 euros in Madrid.
Renewable energy sources will represent about 19 percent of the world's power generation in 10 years, compared with 18 percent today, even after more investment is made, according to a study by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, a consulting company.
Wind power is expensive, erratic and can't guarantee a secure of supply, E.ON said in its ``Wind Report 2004'' in October. Wind electricity can't be relied upon as a constant supplier of power because the masts, which can be as wide as a soccer field, only generate electricity when the wind blows.
``Due to their limited availability, wind power plants cannot replace the usual power station capacities to a significant degree, but can basically only save on fuel,'' the report said.
British Energy Group Plc's Sizewell nuclear station, in the southeastern coast of England, can generate electricity for 2 million people, while a U.K. wind farm can supply about 30,000.
`Political Will'
The growth in wind generation is based on ``political will,'' E.ON said in its report. Wind power generated 4 percent of Germany's electricity last year, while it represented 14 percent of its capacity, the report said.
``It's only through building more powerful wind farm sites such as this that we'll be able to reach the government's tough targets for renewable generation,'' Jason Scagell, director of E.ON U.K. Renewables, said in the statement today.
The U.S. Congress last year renewed a tax credit needed to make the wind plants cost-effective, leading the head of the wind- power business at General Electric Co. to call for a ``boom year'' expected in 2005 in the U.S., the world's largest energy-consuming country.
U.S., Germany
The Stateline wind farm, between the states of Washington and Oregon, is so far the largest wind farm in the world, with a maximum capacity of 300 megawatts, said Alison Hill, a spokeswoman with the British Wind Energy Association. Germany is the country with the most wind energy capacity in the world, followed by Spain, the U.S. and Denmark, Hill said.
The world's biggest offshore wind farm that's already in operation is Denmark's Nysted farm, which can produce 165 megawatts and is operated by Energi E2. The next largest is another Danish project, Horns Rev.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Elena Moya in London at moya@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: June 7, 2005 09:49 EDT
Alberta & Quebec Tap Into Wind Power
Province taps into winds of opportunity
Private investors set to spend $600M on clean alternative
By Charles Wyatt - Business Edge
Published: 06/09/2005 - Vol. 1, No. 11
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ontario is late in harvesting the wind. With only 14 megawatts of wind-generated electricity in operation, Ontario lags well behind several Canadian provinces, as well as the United States and Germany.
In 2004, Germany led the wind world with 16,629 megawatts of wind-generated electric power, or 35 per cent of total production.
The U.S. produced 6,700 megawatts, while in Canada, the leading provinces, Alberta and Quebec, produced 275 megawatts and 113 megawatts, respectively, according to the Global Wind Energy Council and the Canadian Wind Energy Association.
Quebec is Canada's largest power producer from all sources, with total production of about 37,600 megawatts, while Alberta's total installed capacity is about 10,800 megawatts, says the Canadian Electricity Association.
Wind farms may dot the Ontario landscape as part of the province's initiative to replace 7,500 megawatts of coal-generated electricity.
Two more Canadian wind farms - a 68-megawatt facility in Alberta and a 31-megawatt operation in Nova Scotia, which together can produce enough electricity for more than 42,000 homes - opened in May.
Ontario is beginning to turn its winds into energy, however. About $600 million in private investment is now targeted on installing wind-power plants that will add more than 350 megawatts of electrical power to the province's 30,000-megawatt generation capacity. More wind-power projects are expected this year, says the Ontario Ministry of Energy (OME).
The OME approved construction last November of wind farms in five Ontario locations. Wind power from these projects is expected to start to flow in early 2006, eventually producing enough electricity to power 75,000 homes.
Wind energy is the fastest-growing source of electricity in the world, increasing more than 30 per cent over the past five years, the Global Wind Energy Council says.
In 2004, there were more than 47,000 megawatts of wind power installed around the world, although Canada accounted for only 444 megawatts of that total.
"Being a late entry isn't necessarily a bad thing," says Tom Adams, executive director of the consumer advocacy group Energy Probe. "Lots of people wasted a lot of capital developing systems."
The Ontario government is pushing wind-power generation to help replace more than 7,500 megawatts of electricity generation that will be lost in 2007 when the province's coal-fired generation plants are shut down.
The governing Liberals have been promising since they were in opposition that they would shut down the plants, which produce about 25 per cent of Ontario's electricity, in order to reduce air pollution and improve the health of Ontarians.
In April, the OME asked for proposals for another 1,000 megawatts of renewable energy. The approved proposals will be announced in the fall.
About 85 per cent of the renewable-energy projects approved in November 2004 were wind-power generation.
Although wind power is environmentally friendly, it has faced opposition from people who live in the area of wind farms for a variety of reasons, including noise and visuals.
Adams also says Germany has not been able to achieve its expected energy output despite its multibillion-dollar investment. "They built in low-wind areas and they are producing only 15 per cent of the rated capacity."
Quebec, Canada's second-largest wind-power province, also failed to reach its expected power-generation levels, and early installations yielded 18 per cent instead of the expected 30 per cent. Adams says the world's most productive wind-power stations reach 45 per cent of their rated capacity.
He believes, however, that Ontario will avoid the problems that occurred with the first rush into wind-power generation, because its windmills will be sited in the province's windiest locations.
Some of the best wind areas are near Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Kingston and the Islands, Sault Ste. Marie and James Bay. The Ontario sites are expected to produce in the area of 30-per-cent rated capacity, Adams says.
The Kingsbridge Wind Power Project, under construction by Edmonton-based Epcor Utilities Inc., is a 39.6-megawatt wind farm near Goderich on Lake Huron. The project, which will produce enough electricity to supply 8,600 homes, is scheduled to begin producing electricity for the power grid by mid 2006. Kingsbridge is Epcor's first wind-power project.
Paul McMillan, Epcor's Ontario senior vice-president, says the wind development process in this province "allows us to earn a competitive but reasonable rate of return."
In April, Epcor agreed to buy Port Albert Wind Farms Ltd., which will give it the right to develop more than 270 megawatts of additional wind power near the Kingsbridge project. Epcor expects to submit proposals for additional wind-power projects in response to the Ontario government's request for an additional 1,000 megawatts of renewable power, McMillan says.
Under the federal government's wind-power production incentive, companies installing wind-power generation can receive a subsidy of one cent per kilowatt of production capacity. In the recent budget, the government increased its wind-power production target to 4,000 megawatts from 1,000 megawatts.
Superior Wind Energy Inc., a subsidiary of Brascan Corp., is developing two wind-power projects.
A 100-megawatt wind farm near Sault Ste. Marie is expected to begin producing power in 2006. A second 50-megawatt wind farm near Collingwood is expected to produce electricity in 2007.
As well, Toronto's Aim PowerGen Corp. is developing the 99-megawatt Erie Shore Wind Farm on the north shore of Lake Erie. The site also is expected to begin commercial operation in early 2006.
Adams says Energy Probe supports Ontario's expansion into wind-power generation because consumers will not be financially responsible if the wind plants do not produce power.
Many of the first wind-power companies went bankrupt, leaving consumers with the debt and no power. Adams says this is less likely to happen in Ontario because the companies developing the wind power are financially strong companies such as Brascan and Epcor.
"The Ontario government is saying we will buy your wind power, pay you eight cents a kilowatt hour, and if you do not deliver that's your problem," Adams says.
"Other jurisdictions have put the consumer on the hook if there is a failure to deliver."
"The operational risk is on investors, which is where it should be," he says.
Under the Ontario government's proposal, suppliers using renewable energy will receive 7.97 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity, according to the Ontario Ministry of Energy.
Even if the new wind plants are financially successful and produce electricity at a reasonable cost, it is unlikely they will be able to replace coal-fired generation. While wind is clean and free, Adams says, it is also "intermittent, it comes and goes, depending on nature."
"Some Alberta wind-power plants are producing cheaper power than gas plants," Adams says, but adds that the province has a "terrible wind-coincidence factor."
"The wind isn't available when the electricity demand is highest," he says. "Wind plants produce power out of phase.
"Coal plants are on the other end of the telephone," Adams says. "You call up and say you want to increase power by 100 megawatts for two o'clock in the afternoon and you get it. The wind is called by nature."
(Charles Wyatt can be reached at wyatt@businessedge.ca)
Private investors set to spend $600M on clean alternative
By Charles Wyatt - Business Edge
Published: 06/09/2005 - Vol. 1, No. 11
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ontario is late in harvesting the wind. With only 14 megawatts of wind-generated electricity in operation, Ontario lags well behind several Canadian provinces, as well as the United States and Germany.
In 2004, Germany led the wind world with 16,629 megawatts of wind-generated electric power, or 35 per cent of total production.
The U.S. produced 6,700 megawatts, while in Canada, the leading provinces, Alberta and Quebec, produced 275 megawatts and 113 megawatts, respectively, according to the Global Wind Energy Council and the Canadian Wind Energy Association.
Quebec is Canada's largest power producer from all sources, with total production of about 37,600 megawatts, while Alberta's total installed capacity is about 10,800 megawatts, says the Canadian Electricity Association.
Wind farms may dot the Ontario landscape as part of the province's initiative to replace 7,500 megawatts of coal-generated electricity.
Two more Canadian wind farms - a 68-megawatt facility in Alberta and a 31-megawatt operation in Nova Scotia, which together can produce enough electricity for more than 42,000 homes - opened in May.
Ontario is beginning to turn its winds into energy, however. About $600 million in private investment is now targeted on installing wind-power plants that will add more than 350 megawatts of electrical power to the province's 30,000-megawatt generation capacity. More wind-power projects are expected this year, says the Ontario Ministry of Energy (OME).
The OME approved construction last November of wind farms in five Ontario locations. Wind power from these projects is expected to start to flow in early 2006, eventually producing enough electricity to power 75,000 homes.
Wind energy is the fastest-growing source of electricity in the world, increasing more than 30 per cent over the past five years, the Global Wind Energy Council says.
In 2004, there were more than 47,000 megawatts of wind power installed around the world, although Canada accounted for only 444 megawatts of that total.
"Being a late entry isn't necessarily a bad thing," says Tom Adams, executive director of the consumer advocacy group Energy Probe. "Lots of people wasted a lot of capital developing systems."
The Ontario government is pushing wind-power generation to help replace more than 7,500 megawatts of electricity generation that will be lost in 2007 when the province's coal-fired generation plants are shut down.
The governing Liberals have been promising since they were in opposition that they would shut down the plants, which produce about 25 per cent of Ontario's electricity, in order to reduce air pollution and improve the health of Ontarians.
In April, the OME asked for proposals for another 1,000 megawatts of renewable energy. The approved proposals will be announced in the fall.
About 85 per cent of the renewable-energy projects approved in November 2004 were wind-power generation.
Although wind power is environmentally friendly, it has faced opposition from people who live in the area of wind farms for a variety of reasons, including noise and visuals.
Adams also says Germany has not been able to achieve its expected energy output despite its multibillion-dollar investment. "They built in low-wind areas and they are producing only 15 per cent of the rated capacity."
Quebec, Canada's second-largest wind-power province, also failed to reach its expected power-generation levels, and early installations yielded 18 per cent instead of the expected 30 per cent. Adams says the world's most productive wind-power stations reach 45 per cent of their rated capacity.
He believes, however, that Ontario will avoid the problems that occurred with the first rush into wind-power generation, because its windmills will be sited in the province's windiest locations.
Some of the best wind areas are near Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Kingston and the Islands, Sault Ste. Marie and James Bay. The Ontario sites are expected to produce in the area of 30-per-cent rated capacity, Adams says.
The Kingsbridge Wind Power Project, under construction by Edmonton-based Epcor Utilities Inc., is a 39.6-megawatt wind farm near Goderich on Lake Huron. The project, which will produce enough electricity to supply 8,600 homes, is scheduled to begin producing electricity for the power grid by mid 2006. Kingsbridge is Epcor's first wind-power project.
Paul McMillan, Epcor's Ontario senior vice-president, says the wind development process in this province "allows us to earn a competitive but reasonable rate of return."
In April, Epcor agreed to buy Port Albert Wind Farms Ltd., which will give it the right to develop more than 270 megawatts of additional wind power near the Kingsbridge project. Epcor expects to submit proposals for additional wind-power projects in response to the Ontario government's request for an additional 1,000 megawatts of renewable power, McMillan says.
Under the federal government's wind-power production incentive, companies installing wind-power generation can receive a subsidy of one cent per kilowatt of production capacity. In the recent budget, the government increased its wind-power production target to 4,000 megawatts from 1,000 megawatts.
Superior Wind Energy Inc., a subsidiary of Brascan Corp., is developing two wind-power projects.
A 100-megawatt wind farm near Sault Ste. Marie is expected to begin producing power in 2006. A second 50-megawatt wind farm near Collingwood is expected to produce electricity in 2007.
As well, Toronto's Aim PowerGen Corp. is developing the 99-megawatt Erie Shore Wind Farm on the north shore of Lake Erie. The site also is expected to begin commercial operation in early 2006.
Adams says Energy Probe supports Ontario's expansion into wind-power generation because consumers will not be financially responsible if the wind plants do not produce power.
Many of the first wind-power companies went bankrupt, leaving consumers with the debt and no power. Adams says this is less likely to happen in Ontario because the companies developing the wind power are financially strong companies such as Brascan and Epcor.
"The Ontario government is saying we will buy your wind power, pay you eight cents a kilowatt hour, and if you do not deliver that's your problem," Adams says.
"Other jurisdictions have put the consumer on the hook if there is a failure to deliver."
"The operational risk is on investors, which is where it should be," he says.
Under the Ontario government's proposal, suppliers using renewable energy will receive 7.97 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity, according to the Ontario Ministry of Energy.
Even if the new wind plants are financially successful and produce electricity at a reasonable cost, it is unlikely they will be able to replace coal-fired generation. While wind is clean and free, Adams says, it is also "intermittent, it comes and goes, depending on nature."
"Some Alberta wind-power plants are producing cheaper power than gas plants," Adams says, but adds that the province has a "terrible wind-coincidence factor."
"The wind isn't available when the electricity demand is highest," he says. "Wind plants produce power out of phase.
"Coal plants are on the other end of the telephone," Adams says. "You call up and say you want to increase power by 100 megawatts for two o'clock in the afternoon and you get it. The wind is called by nature."
(Charles Wyatt can be reached at wyatt@businessedge.ca)
The "Show Me State" Considers Wind Energy
State, Private Developers Study Wind Energy In Missouri
created: 6/6/2005 11:33:40 AM
updated: 6/6/2005 11:36:41 AM
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- With new technology driving down the cost of developing wind energy, private developers and the state are looking at whether a large wind farm could work in Missouri.
The Department of Natural Resources is working with utilities to study winds at high elevations to find out if a large commercial wind farm might be possible in Missouri.
The state's two largest utilities, Kansas City-based Aquila and St. Louis-based AmerenUE, have agreed to help fund a $150,000 study.
The yearlong study through the University of Missouri-Columbia will look at six sites.
Kansas City Power and Light and Empire Electric are working on a similar project with the Department of Natural Resources.
New maps show that the windiest part of the state is northwest Missouri.
created: 6/6/2005 11:33:40 AM
updated: 6/6/2005 11:36:41 AM
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- With new technology driving down the cost of developing wind energy, private developers and the state are looking at whether a large wind farm could work in Missouri.
The Department of Natural Resources is working with utilities to study winds at high elevations to find out if a large commercial wind farm might be possible in Missouri.
The state's two largest utilities, Kansas City-based Aquila and St. Louis-based AmerenUE, have agreed to help fund a $150,000 study.
The yearlong study through the University of Missouri-Columbia will look at six sites.
Kansas City Power and Light and Empire Electric are working on a similar project with the Department of Natural Resources.
New maps show that the windiest part of the state is northwest Missouri.
Sunday, June 05, 2005
World Wind Power Potential
Stanford Highlights World Wind Power Potential
June 3, 2005
Stanford, California [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] Stanford researchers have produced a new map that pinpoints where the world's winds are fast enough to produce power. The map may help planners place turbines in locations that maximize power harnessed from winds and provide widely available low-cost energy.
"The main implication of this study is that wind, for low-cost wind energy, is more widely available than was previously recognized."
- Cristina Archer, Stanford University After analyzing more than 8,000 wind-speed measurements to identify the world's wind-power potential for the first time, Cristina Archer, a former postdoctoral fellow, and Mark Z. Jacobson, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, suggest that wind captured at specific locations, if even partially harnessed, can generate more than enough power to satisfy the world's energy demands. Their report appears in the May Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, a publication of the American Geophysical Union.
"The main implication of this study is that wind, for low-cost wind energy, is more widely available than was previously recognized," said Archer, now a researcher at the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
The researchers collected wind-speed measurements from approximately 7,500 surface stations and 500 balloon-launch stations to determine global wind speeds at 80 meters (300 feet) above the ground surface, which is the hub height of modern wind turbines. Using a new interpolation technique to estimate the wind speed at hub height, the authors reported that nearly 13 percent of the stations had average annual wind speeds strong enough for power generation.
Wind speeds of 6.9 meters per second (15 miles per hour) at hub height, referred to as wind power Class 3, were found in every region of the world. Some of the strongest winds were observed in Northern Europe, along the North Sea, while the southern tip of South America and the Australian island of Tasmania also featured sustained strong winds. North America had the greatest wind-power potential, however, with the most consistent winds found in the Great Lakes region and from ocean breezes along coasts. Overall, the researchers calculated hub-height winds traveled over the ocean at approximately 8.6 meters per second and at nearly 4.5 meters per second over land (20 and 10 miles per hour, respectively).
The authors found that the locations with sustainable Class 3 winds could produce approximately 72 terawatts. A terawatt is 1 trillion watts, the power generated by more than 500 nuclear reactors or thousands of coal-burning plants. Capturing even a fraction of those 72 terawatts could provide the 1.6 to 1.8 terawatts that made up the world's electricity usage in 2000. Converting as little as 20 percent of potential wind energy to electricity could satisfy the entirety of the world's energy demands. The study, supported by NASA and Stanford's Global Climate and Energy Project, may assist in locating wind farms in regions known for strong and consistent breezes.
In addition, the researchers suggest that the inland locations of many existing wind farms may explain their inefficiency.
"It is our hope that this study will foster more research in areas that were not covered by our data, or economic analyses of the barriers to the implementation of a wind-based global energy scenario," Archer said.
June 3, 2005
Stanford, California [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] Stanford researchers have produced a new map that pinpoints where the world's winds are fast enough to produce power. The map may help planners place turbines in locations that maximize power harnessed from winds and provide widely available low-cost energy.
"The main implication of this study is that wind, for low-cost wind energy, is more widely available than was previously recognized."
- Cristina Archer, Stanford University After analyzing more than 8,000 wind-speed measurements to identify the world's wind-power potential for the first time, Cristina Archer, a former postdoctoral fellow, and Mark Z. Jacobson, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, suggest that wind captured at specific locations, if even partially harnessed, can generate more than enough power to satisfy the world's energy demands. Their report appears in the May Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, a publication of the American Geophysical Union.
"The main implication of this study is that wind, for low-cost wind energy, is more widely available than was previously recognized," said Archer, now a researcher at the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
The researchers collected wind-speed measurements from approximately 7,500 surface stations and 500 balloon-launch stations to determine global wind speeds at 80 meters (300 feet) above the ground surface, which is the hub height of modern wind turbines. Using a new interpolation technique to estimate the wind speed at hub height, the authors reported that nearly 13 percent of the stations had average annual wind speeds strong enough for power generation.
Wind speeds of 6.9 meters per second (15 miles per hour) at hub height, referred to as wind power Class 3, were found in every region of the world. Some of the strongest winds were observed in Northern Europe, along the North Sea, while the southern tip of South America and the Australian island of Tasmania also featured sustained strong winds. North America had the greatest wind-power potential, however, with the most consistent winds found in the Great Lakes region and from ocean breezes along coasts. Overall, the researchers calculated hub-height winds traveled over the ocean at approximately 8.6 meters per second and at nearly 4.5 meters per second over land (20 and 10 miles per hour, respectively).
The authors found that the locations with sustainable Class 3 winds could produce approximately 72 terawatts. A terawatt is 1 trillion watts, the power generated by more than 500 nuclear reactors or thousands of coal-burning plants. Capturing even a fraction of those 72 terawatts could provide the 1.6 to 1.8 terawatts that made up the world's electricity usage in 2000. Converting as little as 20 percent of potential wind energy to electricity could satisfy the entirety of the world's energy demands. The study, supported by NASA and Stanford's Global Climate and Energy Project, may assist in locating wind farms in regions known for strong and consistent breezes.
In addition, the researchers suggest that the inland locations of many existing wind farms may explain their inefficiency.
"It is our hope that this study will foster more research in areas that were not covered by our data, or economic analyses of the barriers to the implementation of a wind-based global energy scenario," Archer said.
Nova Scotia Opens First Wind Farm
Wind Energy: Nova Scotia's First Wind Farm Opens
PUBNICO, NOVA SCOTIA, May 26 /CNW Telbec/ - Clean and renewable energy is
now flowing from Atlantic Wind Power Corporation's 30.6-megawatt wind farm at
Pubnico Point in southwest Nova Scotia. Today, the Honourable Robert Thibault,
Member of Parliament for West Nova (on behalf of the Honourable R. John
Efford, Minister of Natural Resources Canada), the Honourable Chris
d'Entremont, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Argyle (on behalf of the
Honourable Cecil Clarke, Nova Scotia Minister of Energy) and Aldric
d'Entremont, the Warden for the Municipality of Argyle, joined executives from
Emera, Nova Scotia Power and the wind farm in Pubnico to celebrate the grand
opening of the state-of-the-art facility, the largest in Atlantic Canada.
Pubnico Point wind farm was first conceived in 2001. Nova Scotia resident
owners of Atlantic Wind Power Corporation spearheaded years of development
work to bring the project to a reality. The Government of Canada will provide
$8.8 million in funding over 10 years to the $50 million project through the
Wind Power Production Initiative (WPPI).
"Nova Scotians - and all Canadians - want to protect our environment and
address climate change. At the same time, they want our country to lead the
world in the development and use of renewable energy technologies," said Mr.
Thibault. "Atlantic Wind Power's Pubnico facility reflects that desire, and I
congratulate all the partners for their vision to lead us into a new era for
energy."
"The Nova Scotia government's energy strategy, along with Nova Scotia
Power's voluntary efforts to procure renewable energy sources and the diligent
work of the Municipality of Argyle, helped open the door for this
development," said Charles Demond, President of the operating company, Pubnico
Point Wind Farm Inc., and Vice President of Atlantic Wind Power Corporation.
"Further, the WPPI played an important role in closing the inherent cost gap
between renewable energy and traditional forms of electricity generation."
The Pubnico Point wind farm consists of seventeen V80 wind turbines
(manufactured by Vestas), each with a nameplate generating capacity of
1,800 kilowatts (30.6 megawatts in total). It is estimated that the wind farm
will produce 100 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year - enough to
service up to 13,000 average households. This equates to a reduction of
approximately 90,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year.
The wind farm is owned by Atlantic Wind Power Corporation Ltd. and
certain funds managed by Creststreet Capital of Toronto. The day-to-day
operator of the wind farm is also Atlantic Wind Power Corporation.
The Government of Canada's approach to climate change is focused on
making the right choices for Canada. This will ensure that the actions taken
produce long-term and enduring results while maintaining a strong and growing
economy.
_____________________________________________________________________
FOR BROADCAST USE:
A state-of-the-art wind power facility, the largest in Atlantic Canada,
opened today at Pubnico Point in southwest Nova Scotia. Robert Thibault,
Member of Parliament for West Nova, joined local and provincial officials
for the opening. The Government of Canada provided funding for the
project through the Wind Power Production Incentive.
For further information: media may contact: Ghyslain Charron, Media
Relations, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, (613) 992-4447; Tom Ormsby,
Director of Communications, Office of the Minister, Natural Resources Canada,
Ottawa, (613) 996-2007; Lori Messenger, Assistant to Charles W. Demond,
Pubnico Point Wind Farm Inc., Telephone/Fax: (902) 835-3352; Charles W.
Demond, President, Pubnico Point Wind Farm Inc., (902) 835-3340,
Cell: (902) 456-6160
PUBNICO, NOVA SCOTIA, May 26 /CNW Telbec/ - Clean and renewable energy is
now flowing from Atlantic Wind Power Corporation's 30.6-megawatt wind farm at
Pubnico Point in southwest Nova Scotia. Today, the Honourable Robert Thibault,
Member of Parliament for West Nova (on behalf of the Honourable R. John
Efford, Minister of Natural Resources Canada), the Honourable Chris
d'Entremont, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Argyle (on behalf of the
Honourable Cecil Clarke, Nova Scotia Minister of Energy) and Aldric
d'Entremont, the Warden for the Municipality of Argyle, joined executives from
Emera, Nova Scotia Power and the wind farm in Pubnico to celebrate the grand
opening of the state-of-the-art facility, the largest in Atlantic Canada.
Pubnico Point wind farm was first conceived in 2001. Nova Scotia resident
owners of Atlantic Wind Power Corporation spearheaded years of development
work to bring the project to a reality. The Government of Canada will provide
$8.8 million in funding over 10 years to the $50 million project through the
Wind Power Production Initiative (WPPI).
"Nova Scotians - and all Canadians - want to protect our environment and
address climate change. At the same time, they want our country to lead the
world in the development and use of renewable energy technologies," said Mr.
Thibault. "Atlantic Wind Power's Pubnico facility reflects that desire, and I
congratulate all the partners for their vision to lead us into a new era for
energy."
"The Nova Scotia government's energy strategy, along with Nova Scotia
Power's voluntary efforts to procure renewable energy sources and the diligent
work of the Municipality of Argyle, helped open the door for this
development," said Charles Demond, President of the operating company, Pubnico
Point Wind Farm Inc., and Vice President of Atlantic Wind Power Corporation.
"Further, the WPPI played an important role in closing the inherent cost gap
between renewable energy and traditional forms of electricity generation."
The Pubnico Point wind farm consists of seventeen V80 wind turbines
(manufactured by Vestas), each with a nameplate generating capacity of
1,800 kilowatts (30.6 megawatts in total). It is estimated that the wind farm
will produce 100 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year - enough to
service up to 13,000 average households. This equates to a reduction of
approximately 90,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year.
The wind farm is owned by Atlantic Wind Power Corporation Ltd. and
certain funds managed by Creststreet Capital of Toronto. The day-to-day
operator of the wind farm is also Atlantic Wind Power Corporation.
The Government of Canada's approach to climate change is focused on
making the right choices for Canada. This will ensure that the actions taken
produce long-term and enduring results while maintaining a strong and growing
economy.
_____________________________________________________________________
FOR BROADCAST USE:
A state-of-the-art wind power facility, the largest in Atlantic Canada,
opened today at Pubnico Point in southwest Nova Scotia. Robert Thibault,
Member of Parliament for West Nova, joined local and provincial officials
for the opening. The Government of Canada provided funding for the
project through the Wind Power Production Incentive.
For further information: media may contact: Ghyslain Charron, Media
Relations, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, (613) 992-4447; Tom Ormsby,
Director of Communications, Office of the Minister, Natural Resources Canada,
Ottawa, (613) 996-2007; Lori Messenger, Assistant to Charles W. Demond,
Pubnico Point Wind Farm Inc., Telephone/Fax: (902) 835-3352; Charles W.
Demond, President, Pubnico Point Wind Farm Inc., (902) 835-3340,
Cell: (902) 456-6160
Prince Edward Island to Triple Wind Power
Wednesday, June 1, 2005
Wind energy on Island to triple
By Ron Ryder, The Guardian
Premier Pat Binns and Environment Minister Jamie Ballem announced Tuesday the province is one step closer to building a 30-megawatt wind farm in eastern Kings County. (GUARDIAN PHOTO BY BRIAN MCINNIS)
The wind-powered generation capacity stands to triple this year after government announced plans for a $60-million wind farm in eastern Kings County.
Premier Pat Binns and Energy Minister Jamie Ballem said Tuesday they will be requesting proposals for both the financing and construction of windmill generation capable of producing 30 megawatts of electricity.
Ballem said the facility will consume about 600 acres of land; several thousand suitable acres have already been scouted in the region between North Lake and East Point.
Government had set a June 14, 2005, deadline for proposals and said it wanted work to begin this fall so that the project will be ready by the fall of 2006.
The facility will complement the 13.5 megawatts of generating capacity already provided in North Cape by the Atlantic Wind Test Site and by the testing ground of windmill builder Vestas.
Ballem said the province wanted to spread its wind investment around.
“This is an Islandwide resource, this is not a resource that’s just in western P.E.I.,” he said.
“We wanted to have this project separate from the North Cape project because we wanted this one to have a specific ownership model.”
Government’s plan is to help defray some of the project financing costs by letting Islanders make their own private investments in the new generation.
A wind energy co-operative, offering shares that the province hopes to make RRSP eligible, will become a shareholder in the P.E.I. Energy Corporation subsidiary that will own the actual wind project.
Binns sees the idea as a way of letting the public make their own commitments to the Island’s power capacity.
“Our wind resource in Prince Edward Island is one of the best in North America and we want all Islanders to have the opportunity to share the benefits of that resource,” he said.
“At this point, it appears the best way to achieve that goal is with a government and co-op ownership model which would give every Islander an opportunity to invest in this project and have a stake in their own energy future.”
Liberal MLA Richard Brown said government is moving too quickly in its pursuit of wind energy.
He said the Island’s investment would make sense only if there were some reassurances of markets for excess energy produced, and of suppliers willing to sell power to P.E.I. when the wind isn’t doing its part.
“We have to have back-up power. We have to know that when the wind stops blowing we can count on buying from New Brunswick,” he said.
“We had talked about a Maritime co-operation deal on energy and that’s what we need to have in place before we go further with the idea of wind energy. I’m all for us building 200 megawatts of capacity but only after we have commitments that our neighbours are going to buy power from us when we produce too much power and that they will sell to us when the wind stops.”
Souris MLA Andy Mooney said the project would be a boon for landowners in his area and would provide a temporary surge in construction jobs for the local workforce.
“I have had a lot of land owners calling asking if their land could be considered,” he said.
“This project is all going to go on private land. It’s not going on to government property so landowners see an opportunity to have some money going in for many years. It would be a long term lease.”
Mooney said many farmers have expressed interest in seeing windmills built in hedgerows or on headlands that are not intensively farmed.
“They can farm right up to the base of these windmills, they’re so high they don’t interfere with much,” he said.
Ballem doesn’t think government’s announcement will be the only major wind project in the coming year.
The province has committed itself to having turbine capacity equal to 15 per cent of energy demand by 2010. Ballem said Tuesday he expects to beat that deadline easily.
“We think we will need in the range of 50 megawatts. We already have 13 or 13.5 megawatts , this project will bring us to 43.5,” he said.
“We understand that there’s private developers looking at projects that could bring us to 15 per cent by next year.”
Wind energy on Island to triple
By Ron Ryder, The Guardian
Premier Pat Binns and Environment Minister Jamie Ballem announced Tuesday the province is one step closer to building a 30-megawatt wind farm in eastern Kings County. (GUARDIAN PHOTO BY BRIAN MCINNIS)
The wind-powered generation capacity stands to triple this year after government announced plans for a $60-million wind farm in eastern Kings County.
Premier Pat Binns and Energy Minister Jamie Ballem said Tuesday they will be requesting proposals for both the financing and construction of windmill generation capable of producing 30 megawatts of electricity.
Ballem said the facility will consume about 600 acres of land; several thousand suitable acres have already been scouted in the region between North Lake and East Point.
Government had set a June 14, 2005, deadline for proposals and said it wanted work to begin this fall so that the project will be ready by the fall of 2006.
The facility will complement the 13.5 megawatts of generating capacity already provided in North Cape by the Atlantic Wind Test Site and by the testing ground of windmill builder Vestas.
Ballem said the province wanted to spread its wind investment around.
“This is an Islandwide resource, this is not a resource that’s just in western P.E.I.,” he said.
“We wanted to have this project separate from the North Cape project because we wanted this one to have a specific ownership model.”
Government’s plan is to help defray some of the project financing costs by letting Islanders make their own private investments in the new generation.
A wind energy co-operative, offering shares that the province hopes to make RRSP eligible, will become a shareholder in the P.E.I. Energy Corporation subsidiary that will own the actual wind project.
Binns sees the idea as a way of letting the public make their own commitments to the Island’s power capacity.
“Our wind resource in Prince Edward Island is one of the best in North America and we want all Islanders to have the opportunity to share the benefits of that resource,” he said.
“At this point, it appears the best way to achieve that goal is with a government and co-op ownership model which would give every Islander an opportunity to invest in this project and have a stake in their own energy future.”
Liberal MLA Richard Brown said government is moving too quickly in its pursuit of wind energy.
He said the Island’s investment would make sense only if there were some reassurances of markets for excess energy produced, and of suppliers willing to sell power to P.E.I. when the wind isn’t doing its part.
“We have to have back-up power. We have to know that when the wind stops blowing we can count on buying from New Brunswick,” he said.
“We had talked about a Maritime co-operation deal on energy and that’s what we need to have in place before we go further with the idea of wind energy. I’m all for us building 200 megawatts of capacity but only after we have commitments that our neighbours are going to buy power from us when we produce too much power and that they will sell to us when the wind stops.”
Souris MLA Andy Mooney said the project would be a boon for landowners in his area and would provide a temporary surge in construction jobs for the local workforce.
“I have had a lot of land owners calling asking if their land could be considered,” he said.
“This project is all going to go on private land. It’s not going on to government property so landowners see an opportunity to have some money going in for many years. It would be a long term lease.”
Mooney said many farmers have expressed interest in seeing windmills built in hedgerows or on headlands that are not intensively farmed.
“They can farm right up to the base of these windmills, they’re so high they don’t interfere with much,” he said.
Ballem doesn’t think government’s announcement will be the only major wind project in the coming year.
The province has committed itself to having turbine capacity equal to 15 per cent of energy demand by 2010. Ballem said Tuesday he expects to beat that deadline easily.
“We think we will need in the range of 50 megawatts. We already have 13 or 13.5 megawatts , this project will bring us to 43.5,” he said.
“We understand that there’s private developers looking at projects that could bring us to 15 per cent by next year.”
British Columbia Considers More Wind Energy
News and Views News and Views Archives
B.C.’s wind energy touted
By charlie smith
Publish Date: 2-Jun-2005
A Danish alternative-energy expert says there is potential to develop a thriving wind-power industry in B.C. Preben Maegaard, president of the World Wind Association, told the Georgia Straight that there are currently 45,000 megawatts of installed wind-power capacity in the world—four times the total power generation in B.C. He added that in his home country of Denmark, the renewable-energy sector employs 30,000 people and wind turbines generate 20 percent of all electricity.
Maegaard spoke to the Straight shortly after a meeting with BC Hydro and BC Transmission Corp. executives in Vancouver on May 30. “You have good wind-power sources here, and you have motivated people,” Maegaard said. “There is plenty of land here also.”
He said that it’s usually cheaper to develop wind-power projects on land, but there are also wind turbines generating electricity off the coast of Denmark. A B.C. company, Nai Kun Wind Development Inc., has proposed a 700-megawatt offshore project in Hecate Strait near Haida Gwaii (the Queen Charlotte Islands).
Guy Dauncey, president of the BC Sustainable Energy Association, told the Straight there are eight other B.C. companies planning or developing wind-power projects. Dauncey said that they would all be viable if BC Hydro would agree to buy the electricity for between seven to 12 cents per kilowatt hour. However, Dauncey claimed that BC Hydro and its regulator, the British Columbia Utilities Commission, are undermining the wind- power industry’s future in B.C. by favouring cheaper electricity sources.
“It is not considered in the public interest to protect the world from global climate change or from fossil-fuel emissions or mercury or anything else like that,” Dauncey said.
Two Stanford University researchers, Cristina Archer and Mark Jacobson, concluded in a recent study that there are 72 terawatts of potential wind power in the world—which is greater than global electricity consumption, according to Dauncey. Their study included a map that identified the Queen Charlotte Islands and northern Vancouver Island as two of the best locations for wind power.
Dauncey claimed that BC Hydro doesn’t consider wind power to be a “firm” electricity source, so wind-energy companies are excluded from certain requests for proposals for independent power. Vancouver energy lawyer David Austin echoed Dauncey’s allegation.
“BC Hydro is saying the typical green sources of energy, including wind and run-of-the-river hydro, are not firm,” Austin told the Straight. “More to the point, they’re basically saying, ‘We don’t need your electricity in that sort of May-to-July period.’?”
Mary Hemmingsen, BC Hydro’s manager of power planning and porfolio management, told the Straight that the Crown corporation and the BC Sustainable Energy Association jointly sponsored the meeting with Maegaard to consider the application of wind power in B.C. In 2003, BC Hydro announced that it would buy almost 60 megawatts of power from a wind farm being built on northern Vancouver Island.
Hemmingsen said that in a recent call for proposals, BC Hydro has asked for a certain level of “firm” energy, and it will buy an “associated” amount of non-firm energy. “We understand that can fit the profile of certain wind projects in the province,” she said.
Wind-power consultant Garrad Hassan recently submitted a report on the topic to BC Hydro. According to a summary obtained by the Straight, Hassan reported that industry officials have identified the potential generation of 5,000 megawatts of wind energy across the province.
British Columbia Transmission Corp., a Crown corporation, commissioned a report from North Carolina–based ABB Inc., which suggested that wind power could potentially supply 20 percent of U.S. energy demand. The report also stated that wind power is feasible in B.C.
“In the end, most of the issues surrounding integration of wind generation into the bulk transmission system are commercial issues and limitations are not technical limitations,” the ABB report stated.
Maegaard said there are three necessary conditions before a wind-power industry can succeed in any country: a legal framework granting producers access to the electricity grid; contracts for wind-power producers; and reasonable prices for producers guaranteed over long time frames. BC Transmission Corp. offers open access to the grid; BC Hydro determines who will provide the electricity and at what price.
Austin said that even though BC Hydro imported 13 percent of its domestic electricity needs last year, it is still reluctant to issue requests for proposals for new supplies. He added that there is “excellent potential” for wind-power generation and run-of-the-river hydro from independent power producers in B.C. “There are some good projects out there,” Austin said, “but it just depends on how the deck is stacked against them and everyone else, because what BC Hydro is really pushing these days is Site C.”
Austin said that BC Hydro has claimed that the Site C dam on the Peace River would cost $2.3 billion to develop, though he noted that the cost estimate in 1981 was $2.6 billion. He said he has asked BC Hydro to “reconcile” this difference.
B.C.’s wind energy touted
By charlie smith
Publish Date: 2-Jun-2005
A Danish alternative-energy expert says there is potential to develop a thriving wind-power industry in B.C. Preben Maegaard, president of the World Wind Association, told the Georgia Straight that there are currently 45,000 megawatts of installed wind-power capacity in the world—four times the total power generation in B.C. He added that in his home country of Denmark, the renewable-energy sector employs 30,000 people and wind turbines generate 20 percent of all electricity.
Maegaard spoke to the Straight shortly after a meeting with BC Hydro and BC Transmission Corp. executives in Vancouver on May 30. “You have good wind-power sources here, and you have motivated people,” Maegaard said. “There is plenty of land here also.”
He said that it’s usually cheaper to develop wind-power projects on land, but there are also wind turbines generating electricity off the coast of Denmark. A B.C. company, Nai Kun Wind Development Inc., has proposed a 700-megawatt offshore project in Hecate Strait near Haida Gwaii (the Queen Charlotte Islands).
Guy Dauncey, president of the BC Sustainable Energy Association, told the Straight there are eight other B.C. companies planning or developing wind-power projects. Dauncey said that they would all be viable if BC Hydro would agree to buy the electricity for between seven to 12 cents per kilowatt hour. However, Dauncey claimed that BC Hydro and its regulator, the British Columbia Utilities Commission, are undermining the wind- power industry’s future in B.C. by favouring cheaper electricity sources.
“It is not considered in the public interest to protect the world from global climate change or from fossil-fuel emissions or mercury or anything else like that,” Dauncey said.
Two Stanford University researchers, Cristina Archer and Mark Jacobson, concluded in a recent study that there are 72 terawatts of potential wind power in the world—which is greater than global electricity consumption, according to Dauncey. Their study included a map that identified the Queen Charlotte Islands and northern Vancouver Island as two of the best locations for wind power.
Dauncey claimed that BC Hydro doesn’t consider wind power to be a “firm” electricity source, so wind-energy companies are excluded from certain requests for proposals for independent power. Vancouver energy lawyer David Austin echoed Dauncey’s allegation.
“BC Hydro is saying the typical green sources of energy, including wind and run-of-the-river hydro, are not firm,” Austin told the Straight. “More to the point, they’re basically saying, ‘We don’t need your electricity in that sort of May-to-July period.’?”
Mary Hemmingsen, BC Hydro’s manager of power planning and porfolio management, told the Straight that the Crown corporation and the BC Sustainable Energy Association jointly sponsored the meeting with Maegaard to consider the application of wind power in B.C. In 2003, BC Hydro announced that it would buy almost 60 megawatts of power from a wind farm being built on northern Vancouver Island.
Hemmingsen said that in a recent call for proposals, BC Hydro has asked for a certain level of “firm” energy, and it will buy an “associated” amount of non-firm energy. “We understand that can fit the profile of certain wind projects in the province,” she said.
Wind-power consultant Garrad Hassan recently submitted a report on the topic to BC Hydro. According to a summary obtained by the Straight, Hassan reported that industry officials have identified the potential generation of 5,000 megawatts of wind energy across the province.
British Columbia Transmission Corp., a Crown corporation, commissioned a report from North Carolina–based ABB Inc., which suggested that wind power could potentially supply 20 percent of U.S. energy demand. The report also stated that wind power is feasible in B.C.
“In the end, most of the issues surrounding integration of wind generation into the bulk transmission system are commercial issues and limitations are not technical limitations,” the ABB report stated.
Maegaard said there are three necessary conditions before a wind-power industry can succeed in any country: a legal framework granting producers access to the electricity grid; contracts for wind-power producers; and reasonable prices for producers guaranteed over long time frames. BC Transmission Corp. offers open access to the grid; BC Hydro determines who will provide the electricity and at what price.
Austin said that even though BC Hydro imported 13 percent of its domestic electricity needs last year, it is still reluctant to issue requests for proposals for new supplies. He added that there is “excellent potential” for wind-power generation and run-of-the-river hydro from independent power producers in B.C. “There are some good projects out there,” Austin said, “but it just depends on how the deck is stacked against them and everyone else, because what BC Hydro is really pushing these days is Site C.”
Austin said that BC Hydro has claimed that the Site C dam on the Peace River would cost $2.3 billion to develop, though he noted that the cost estimate in 1981 was $2.6 billion. He said he has asked BC Hydro to “reconcile” this difference.
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