Sunday, May 22, 2005

Wind Could Power Entire Global Electricity Needs

Study Maps Best Places for Turbines

Posted May 18, 2005 5:54PM

According to the study, global locations with Class 3 winds could produce about 72 terawatts of electricity. A terawatt is 1 billion watts, and the world's global electricity usage totaled about 1.7 terawatts in 2000.

With help from NASA , Stanford University scientists have created a map to estimate wind speeds around the globe to help figure out the best place to generate wind power.
The study, conducted by Cristina Archer and Mark Jacobson, will be published in the May issue of the Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, a publication of the American Geophysical Union.

The researchers looked at wind speed measurements from about 8,000 stations -- 7,500 on the earth's surface and 5,000 elevated stations at 300 feet above the surface, to simulate the conditions of wind turbines in those areas.

The best conditions, according to the map, are in Northern Europe, the southern tip of South America and the Australian island of Tasmania. In the United States, the best locations are along both coastlines and in the Great Lakes region.

Experts consider wind power generation to be feasible only if winds reach 6.9 meters per second, which is about 15 miles per hour. The Stanford study said nearly every region of the world has areas with "Class 3" wind power, which means sustained wind speeds of 80 meters per second.

According to the study, global locations with Class 3 winds could produce about 72 terawatts of electricity. A terawatt is 1 billion watts, and the world's global electricity usage totaled about 1.7 terawatts in 2000.

"The main implication of this study is that wind, for low-cost wind energy, is more widely available than was previously recognized," Archer said. "The methodology in the paper can be utilized for several applications, such as determining elevated wind speeds in remote areas or to evaluate the benefits of distributed wind power."

© 2005 Environment and Energy Daily.
© 2005 Sci-Tech Today.

GE Energy's 2005 Wind Revenues to Increase 300% over 2002

May 16, 2005 02:54 PM US Eastern Timezone

GE Energy's 2005 Wind Revenues to Increase 300% over 2002, Its First Year of Wind Operations; Wind Unit Expected to Exceed $2 Billion in Revenue

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 16, 2005--GE Energy has received orders and commitments for 2005 that total 2,400 megawatts of new wind power capacity worldwide. These projects represent an anticipated increase in revenue of 300% over its first-year wind operations in 2002, the company reported today at Windpower 2005.


From $500 million in revenue in 2002, GE Energy expects its wind energy revenue to grow to more than $2 billion this year. Supply orders calling for 1,600 wind turbines to be installed worldwide include 1,100 wind turbines, or a total of 1,650 megawatts, for the United States. This represents 66% of the up to 2,500 megawatts of new capacity that the American Wind Energy Association has forecast for the U.S. this year.

"Wind power continues to be the fastest growing segment of the global energy industry, and it certainly is a very significant part of the diverse energy solutions portfolio that we offer to our customers around the world," said Mark Little, vice president-power generation of GE Energy and one of the featured speakers at Windpower 2005. "As evidenced by GE's recent ecomagination launch, our commitment to cleaner energy solutions, including wind power, is at the forefront of our company's business initiatives."

To support GE's wind energy growth initiatives, Robert Gleitz was named general manager of GE Energy's wind business earlier this year and will lead its new product development. Gleitz brings 20 years of global energy experience to the position.

Highlighting its commitment to support its customers' wind energy needs, GE continues to expand its engineering staff and research and development capabilities dedicated to wind-related technology development. Recent customer-focused milestones include:

-- Enhancements to one of the most widely sold and tested megawatt - class machines in the global wind industry, GE's 1.5-megawatt wind turbine, which recently surpassed 3,000 installations worldwide.

-- The successful deployment of the industry's first offshore wind plant built by GE solely to demonstrate its offshore technology and learn more about the rigors of wind energy installation and operations at sea. Owned and operated by GE, the Arklow Bank Wind Park in the Irish Sea, the world's first offshore wind project to use turbines over three megawatts, has completed more than a year of successful operation. Comprising seven of GE's 3.6-megawatt wind turbines, the plant will be officially inaugurated during a May 26 ceremony to be attended by Bertie Ahern, the Irish Prime Minister (Taoiseach), and David Garman, Undersecretary of Energy for the U.S. Department of Energy.

-- The opening of two customer support and training centers. Located in Salzbergen, Germany and Tehachapi, California the facilities offer 24/7 response, and have facilitated an increase in GE's 1.5-megawatt wind turbine availability to 98% fleetwide. In addition, GE's Global Research-Europe Center was opened in Munich to support further technology R&D, including the increase of wind turbine reliability and performance.

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 output of 5,600 megawatts.

Contacts


GE Energy, Atlanta
Dennis Murphy, 678-844-6948
dennis.murphy@ps.ge.com
or
Masto Public Relations
Ken Darling or Howard Masto, 518-786-6488
kenneth.darling@ps.ge.com
howard.masto@ps.ge.com

Wind offers only sustainable energy future

Wind offers only sustainable energy future says commission (published on 20-May-2005)

Wind power must be made to work to tackle the problems of climate change and energy security, a report by the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) has said.


The report, prepared ahead of a review of energy policy in the UK and set against a backdrop of government targets to increase use of renewables and reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, says that wind: "offers the only truly sustainable and secure option for generating electricity over the long term."

Johnathon Porritt, Chairman of the SDC, the government's main advisors on sustainable development, said: "Climate change will have a devastating impact unless urgent action is taken to boost the contribution of renewables, alongside energy efficiency measures. We believe wind power is a critically important part of the overall energy mix, and hope that this authoritative guide will ensure wind power is harnessed in the most responsible way to ensure that emissions of carbon dioxide are reduced."

The study asserts that:

The UK has the best and most geographically diverse wind resources in Europe, more than enough to meet current renewable targets.
Technological advances mean there are no limits to the amount of wind capacity that can be added to an electricity system.
Planners and decision-makers should involve communities in effective public consultation from an early stage, and their concerns must be addressed as solutions exist to many such issues.
Onshore wind is one of the cheapest forms of renewable energy and increasing supply to 20% by 2020 would present only a very modest increase in cost for consumers that compares well with other sources.
Wind power will displace fossil fuelled plant and there is no need for dedicated back-up plant to cope with wind.
Wind farms are most successful where good working partnerships are formed.
The SDC said they had focused on the onshore sector as this is where decision making is primarily made at a local level and where debate is strongest. The offshore sector should be dealt with separately as offshore planning decisions are made centrally rather than locally.

The recommendations were welcomed by those in the renewable sector. Marcus Rand, Chief Executive of the BWEA said: "With a review of energy policy around the corner, this report has come at a critical time. The Commission's positive conclusions will come as no surprise to the three quarters of the UK public that believe wind energy is necessary to meet our current and future energy needs."

Most importantly, he said, the report dismisses claims that intermittency is a major barrier to large scale deployment of wind power. "The report confirms that significant amounts of wind capacity can be integrated onto our electricity network without the need for dedicated back-up and without compromising the nation's security of supply."

There are currently 18 wind projects under construction and due for commissioning by the end of 2005, including the third of the UK's large-scale offshore wind farms off the coast of Kent.

By David Hopkins

Strong push for wind energy in Argentina

Mercosur
Friday, 20 May

Strong push for wind energy in Argentina

Among Argentina’s natural energy resources one has remained virtually untapped and is in endless supply: wind. But with Siemens’ recent purchase of Bonus Energy this could be about to change.

Siemens, one of the world’s largest electrical engineering and electronics companies, took over the Danish wind power company, Bonus Energy in December of 2004. Bonus Energy had an accumulated global market share of approximately 9% at the time of the purchase and this now forms the bulk of the new Wind Power Division of Siemens Power Generation.
The announcement in Buenos Aires means Siemens, headquartered in Germany, is promoting the use of their technology in Argentina and will provide the equipment and servicing for companies installing wind farms.

“We think that there is a potential in Argentina and we want to participate in this development,” says Luis Alberto Betti, director of Siemens Power Generation in Argentina, of the country’s emerging wind energy industry.

Argentina’s long coastline and vast open expanses make it an ideal location for harnessing wind power and generating electricity, yet relatively high costs of wind turbine technology have resulted in a lack of large scale investment in this sector.

Recent environmental initiatives such as Argentina’s ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, which went into effect on February 15, 2005, and a federal law promoting the use of renewable energy sources could serve as a boost for this nascent industry.

To date Argentina’s ventures in harnessing wind power have taken place largely in Patagonia and also in the province of Buenos Aires. The Patagonian city of Comodoro Rivadavia derives 10% of its electrical supply from wind farms. But Argentina has a long way to go before it catches up with European countries, such as Denmark and Germany, which are the driving force in this global industry.

According to the Global Wind Energy Council, Europe has a 34,205 MW capacity derived from wind power, while Central and South America have a combined capacity of 150 MW.

“It has been an energy [source] that has required a certain subsidizing, that Europe has given,” explains Betti, “In Argentina, the price of the megawatt dollar was and is low compared with the cost of the installation of a wind farm.”

Although wind energy requires a heavier initial investment than fossil fuel resources, generation costs have fallen by 50% over the past 15 years. The technology itself consists of wind turbines, which are large structures generating approximately 1,500 kw of electricity. These installations generally consist of a tower up to 80 metres in height and a rotor with a diameter starting at 60 metres.

Wind turbines stand alone or are grouped together to form wind farms either on land or offshore. Every mill has a generator which is connected to an electrical grid.

The Argentine federal government passed a law which stipulates remuneration of 1 Argentine cent for every KW/h generated by wind energy. However, industry analysts say this incentive has not been enough to weigh against the high cost of installing wind farms and that in addition, the government has not met their side of the agreement.

Other potential incentives for the installation of wind turbines could come from abroad under the Kyoto Protocol, which calls for industrialized countries to cut harmful greenhouse gas emissions by 2012 to 5% below 1990 levels. As a developing country, Argentina is not bound to meet emissions targets. However, Argentina’s wind energy sector could stand to benefit from the Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism, which outlines the possibility for developed countries to receive emissions credits (permission to pollute) for financing projects that reduce harmful emissions in developing countries.

Argentina’s 2004 energy crisis was widely regarded as driven by state regulation and not owing to a natural shortage, but it could be seen as another incentive for investment in renewable energy sources such as wind. But Betti says wind energy’s role in bridging the gap between demand and supply is minimal.

“It’s a contribution, no more,” says the Siemens Power Generation executive, who adds wind power functions best as one source among many providing the electrical grid.

Wind energy has a characteristic: it’s there when there’s wind,” says Betti, “You cannot trust in the continuous production of energy based exclusively on wind energy.”

“It doesn’t really benefit industry,” says Betti, “Industry requires dependability and permanency - wind power is for adding energy to the public grid.”

“What we see in Argentina is a potential for the installation of wind farms,” explains Betti, “Our project is, now early on, to contribute to this plan and to those businesses who want to install wind energy in the country.”

In related news United States General Electric announced this week that its wind energy (aeolic) department forecasts an annual turnover of 2 billion US dollars (approx. £ 1 billion). In 2002 when GE moved into the wind energy market sales reached 500 million US dollars and have since grown steadily.

GE currently has contracts for 1,600 wind generators (1,100 of them in the US) with a production capacity of 2.400 MW.

“Aeolic energy is the fastest growing sector in the energy market”, underlined Mark Little GE Energy Department vicepresident. (Bs.As.Herald/MP).-

2,000 more wind turbines in countryside

2,000 more wind turbines in countryside

Minister pledges numbers will double to generate 10pc of UK energy within five years

Mark Townsend, environment correspondent
Sunday May 22, 2005
The Observer

A massive expansion of wind power involving thousands of new turbines will go ahead despite increasingly bitter wrangling over claims that they are despoiling Britain's countryside.

In his first speech since becoming energy minister, Malcolm Wicks, will offer unequivocal backing to the green lobby by insisting it is 'vital' the government rides out vocal opposition to windfarms and sticks with wind energy.

Wicks will underline government pledges that by 2010 10 per cent of Britain's electricity will be produced by renewable energy, including wind. The move will more than double the number of turbines across the country over the next few years.


The backing for wind power will equate to at least another 2,000 turbines sited across the UK with another 1,500 located offshore if the industry is to reach government targets. At the moment there are around 1,230 turbines in the UK.
A DTI spokesman said Wicks would use his debut announcement to 'reaffirm the government's commitment to developing wind' to tackle the threat of climate change. The minister will also stress the importance of increasing British-produced electricity to limit reliance on imported power.

Pointedly, Wicks will not focus on another energy option - nuclear power - during the 'All-Energy' conference in Aberdeen.

The pledge comes days after a Sustainable Development Commission report insisted that wind power must be made to work in Britain if Tony Blair's hopes of tackling the threat of global warming were to succeed. It said that by 2020 onshore wind power would be the cheapest form of electricity generation and, if the government remained committed, a fifth of Britain's energy would come from wind.

Environmentalists will be delighted that the government remains serious about wind energy, although the option of nuclear, which provides around 23 per cent of Britain's electricity, is being kept open as an energy that does not increase the threat of climate change.

It comes as the public inquiry into the controversial Whinash windfarm in Cumbria is expected to hear evidence this week. One opponent, the broadcaster Melvyn Bragg, said: 'I predict that most of these windfarms will be taken down within 15 years after ruining the place. The freedom to roam around in an unspoilt landscape is vital for many [people]'.

Geoffrey Sinclair of the No Whinash Windfarm pressure group said the government should outline precisely how much of future wind expan sion should be sited on the mainland or off the coast.

Wicks will outline his support this Wednesday in Aberdeen, home of Scotland's oil industry. Others speakers include Lord Oxburgh, chairman of oil company Shell, who admits the threat of climate change had made him 'very worried for the planet'.

Sir David King, the government's chief scientist has said climate change posed a bigger threat to the world than terrorism. 'You can't slip a piece of paper between David King and me on this position,' Lord Oxburgh, a respected geologist has said. Officials from the DTI added that Wicks would also speak of other renewable energy sources such as solar and wave power.

Last week's report by the Sustainable Development Commission was hailed by the industry as a breakthrough because it showed wind power was becoming price competitive with other fuels. While onshore generation presently costs 3.2p a kilowatt hour, the wholesale price of electricity is 3p.

Critics say that wind energy is intermittent so requires back-up power to be available to make up for sudden shortfalls. Some claim that wind can only generate power for a third of the time.

However the commission, which advises the government on its sustainable policies, concludes this is a small issue until the country gains a fifth of its power from wind. Technology also makes it possible to predict falling supply. The additional cost of making up for 'intermittency is 0.17p per kilowatt hour when there is 20 per cent wind power on the grid,' it concludes.

Offshore, wind farms a rare breed

May 22, 2005

Offshore, wind farms a rare breed
By ETHAN ZINDLER
STAFF WRITER
Across Europe and in the American heartland, wind farms are popping up like wildflowers. But offshore, they've barely begun to blossom.

Although renewable energy experts a few years ago were predicting offshore wind farms would quickly become the fastest segment of the already flourishing wind power industry, environmental concerns, bureaucratic red tape, grid infrastructure issues and a shortage of investment capital have stalled some projects while others have been shelved entirely.

''Let's be realistic about this,'' said Gordon Edge, who tracks offshore for the British Wind Energy Association. ''There's only about 600 megawatts of offshore power in the world and over half of that is in two projects in Denmark. It's a new industry and there's still lots to learn.''

Worldwide, there are now enough land-based turbines to light entire nations and last year another 8,154 megawatts were added, according to a report prepared by BTM Consult ApS, a Danish firm that has tracked the industry's global progress.

But offshore, just one new project hit the water in 2004 -- the 60-megawatt Scroby Sands wind farm off the coast of England.

Birger T. Madsen, who compiled the global study for BTM, said a confluence of factors have slowed offshore. In his latest report, he has scaled back his projections for the development of water-based projects over the next five years.

''The reason is that it seems to be taking longer to get approval and financing, whilst the market is also waiting for the proven design of a larger offshore turbine,'' says the report.

In Germany, for example, environmental concerns have put offshore entirely on hold, Madsen said during a phone interview last week. Though the shallows off country's coasts offer strong breezes, they also serve as important feeding grounds for migratory birds.

Madsen said what Germany needs is 5-megawatt turbines that can operate in deeper waters farther from shore, but there are none on the market. A few 5-megawatt turbines are currently in the experimental phase but the biggest windmills online to date are 3.6 megawatts.

Godfrey Chua, an analyst with Emerging Energy Research in Cambridge, cited another problem. He said Germany has a lack of clear regulatory framework for permitting offshore projects. Competing government agencies have at times stepped on each other's toes, slowing the process for developers.

Then there is the question of financing. Until this year, Germany was the world leader in wind power generation thanks to dozens of land-based wind farms. In many cases, the projects were backed by individual investors.

''There's going to be a lot more due diligence required on these (offshore) projects,'' said Chua. ''When you're selling a project to dentists and doctors, you just need some kind of brochure. When you're trying to get Goldman Sachs to hand you a half a billion dollars it's a whole different ballgame.''


Cash incentives
Back in the United Kingdom, which is considered to have the greatest wind resource of any nation in Europe, the British government established a plan to foster offshore wind facilities in 2001. Developers were invited to apply for water lease rights with the proviso that no project would be larger than 30 turbines or cover more than 10 square kilometers.

Once the projects came online, operators would pay the equivalent of .15 cents per each kilowatt hour produced to the Queen of England's Crown Estate, which still maintains control over the country's waters, said Edge. Operators would be subsidized by selling the renewable energy credits U.K. utilities must buy as the country seeks to meet its annual renewable energy output quotas mandated by the Kyoto accords.

The program appears to have had only limited success. To date, just two of the original 17 projects have come online. Most who bought into the first round have since sold their rights to develop larger utilities after finding they didn't have the financial resources to bring the projects to life.

Still, two more of the projects are expected to get up and running this year, Edge said. Ultimately, he said he expects all to come online.

The second round of U.K. offshore development launched last year allowed developers to buy the option to lease much larger plots and build substantially bigger facilities. Edge said he expects a 1,000-megawatt round two project to complete its environmental surveys and formally request a lease as soon as next month.

In all, the government plans to offer the equivalent of $215 million in capital grants to make sure these new projects get up and running, wrote Pete Barnao, a spokesman for the British Department of Trade and Industry in a recent e-mail.

Meanwhile, with 400 megawatts of installed capacity, Denmark remains the offshore wind power capital of the world with major projects in Nysted and Horns Rev. Both will double in size over the next year, according to Eva Balslev, press officer with Danish Wind Power, an industry association.


Learning from mistakes
Backers of the offshore wind farm proposed for Nantucket Sound frequently cite Denmark as a glowing example of a nation that has embraced offshore. Roughly 20 percent of the nation's electricity needs are met with wind, they point out.

But much wind project construction there was spurred by heavy government subsidy. Until 2002, operators received more than 6 cents per each kilowatt hour produced, Balslev said. By comparison, in the United States, wind projects are currently offered an incentive of 1.8 cents per kilowatt hour, which they receive in the form of a tax credit.

Today, wind-related projects employ 20,000 in Denmark and are the country's largest industrial sector.

''It's quite big when you consider in Denmark the population is five million people,'' Balslev said.

Still, the Danish experience with offshore wind has hardly been an unqualified success. The Horns Rev project went online in 2002 and by the following year its operator was experiencing difficulties with the turbines. Ultimately, all 80 had to be removed for repair.

Balslev said the industry has since moved on. ''You can say that Horns Rev is history and an experience that has been very valuable in a way,'' she said.

Still, Horns Rev cast a pall over the entire offshore sector and gave some potential investors pause, a fact at least one turbine maker appears to acknowledge.

An advertisement in the May edition of trade journal ''Wind Power Monthly'' depicts six General Electric 3.6-megawatt turbines spinning at the company's experimental project off the coast of Arklow, Ireland.

''We're getting our feet wet ... so you don't have to,'' reads the ad. ''We're working to bring you every advantage and all the assurance you need ... without the risk.''

Dennis Murphy, a spokesman for GE Power Systems denied the advertisement was created with Horns Rev in mind. He said GE generally experiments with major new technological innovations before selling it on a large scale to customers.

The turbines at Arklow are the same models Cape Wind Associates hopes someday to erect over Nantucket Sound. Were that project to come online tomorrow it would be more than three times the size of any currently operating wind farm.

Cape Wind opponents have seized on Horns Rev as an example of the risks inherent with new offshore technology. Those at Arklow are even less tested, they say.

''So we have asked the question, what are the risks of putting these late-model turbines in the midst of Nantucket Sound?'' said Susan Nickerson, executive director of the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, which has spearheaded local efforts to stop the project.

Jim Gordon, CEO of Cape Wind and Energy Management Inc., said opponents have used turbine technology as a red herring and would be unwilling to accept even the most battle-tested turbines on the Sound.

Gordon described offshore wind power as ''an industry in its infancy'' and attributed the slower-than-expected development primarily to unrealistic expectations and a slew of developers who had neither the expertise or financial resources to actually build a large-scale wind power facility.

That has since changed, he said, noting Goldman Sachs' recent purchase of one of the industry's largest developers, Houston-based Zilkha Renewable Energy.

''You've got players that are coming in and crowding out some of the garage operators,'' he said.

Despite the relatively small number of offshore projects on line to date, Gordon said he is bullish on the technology's future in North America. With its universities and other intellectual resources, Gordon said he envisions Massachusetts leading the way.

''There's going to be an offshore wind capital in the U.S.,'' he said. ''Will it be in New York, Massachusetts or Houston, Texas.?''

Ethan Zindler can be reached at ezindler@capecodonline.com.

(Published: May 22, 2005)

Villagers find riches in 'the wind and the stone'

Villagers find riches in 'the wind and the stone'

Dale Fuchs in Sisante meets the farmers who have helped Spain to become a leader in green energy

Sunday May 22, 2005
The Observer

Some might complain about the spindly white towers or the incessant whoosh of the turbine blades, but Carmela Martinez Moratalla looks fondly at the wind farm in her rural Spanish town. It makes her think about buying presents for her grandchildren.
Two years ago, the 68-year-old grain farmer leased part of her property to the multinational Iberdrola, which planted three slender windmills on her land. She is one of roughly 50 residents in tiny Sisante who have let the Spanish utility use their property to harness the wind.

Iberdrola, one of the world's largest wind park operators, pays Martinez Moratalla €3,000 (about £2,000) a year per turbine.

'My only complaint is that instead of three turbines, they didn't give me 30,' she said on leaving the town church, restored in part with the additional revenue the wind blew in.

'The windmills only take up a few metres and you can keep planting around them,' she added. 'You hardly hear any noise. The money doesn't change my life, but I can afford one more luxury, one more present to my grandchildren.'

The goodwill of small-time farmers such as Martinez Moratalla has helped Spain to become one of the world's leaders in the production of wind energy, along with the US, Germany and Denmark. But a €45 million wind farm - the typical price tag, according to Iberdrola - is not built on love alone; employment is an important perk. Building and maintaining those oversized pinwheels creates jobs for between 15,000 and 20,000 Spaniards, according to the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA).

The government encourages investment by fixing prices, guaranteeing wind energy is given priority status in the overall electricity mix and, most recently, upping targets for renewable energy production beyond European Union goals. By 2010, Spain is expecting to generate 15 per cent of its energy from wind power.

'The wind isn't better in Spain or Germany, but the political climate is,' said Corin Millais, chief executive of the EWEA.

This has been especially beneficial in the arid central La Mancha region, where Don Quixote once tilted against windmills. Four hundred years after Miguel de Cervantes's novel was published, few specimens remain of those squat mills. But the breeze is still big business. Iberdrola alone has 37 wind farms in the region.

'We get petitions daily from city halls wanting wind parks,' said a company spokesman. 'It's like when oil was discovered in the United States, every town wants a well.'

If wind energy is oil for this poor region, then the town of Higueruela, near Sisante, hit a gusher. The 1,300 residents share the land with 244 modern windmills, each more than 45 metres high, perched on the hilltops around the town. But Higueruela's residents are not concerned about the view. They are more interested in the profit they made by selling their fallow land to Iberdrola.

For city hall, the park is also a windfall - roughly €400,000 a year in taxes, licences and rent. Isabel Gotor, mayor of Maranchón, approved the construction of 80 turbines, which she expects will generate enough money to repair the town's water system, street lamps and historic homes.

'All we have here,' she said, 'is air and stone - and now the air is going to benefit us.'

WINDPOWER 2005 Conference Highlights Expansion of Industry

Utility, National And State Leaders Recognized At Largest U.S. Wind Energy Event Ever
WINDPOWER 2005 Conference Highlights Expansion of Industry and Challenges to Continued Growth
Denver, Colorado - The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) recognized utility and business leaders, national and state policymakers, and renewable energy advocates at its largest conference and trade show ever, hosting more than 4,100 attendees at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado.

The WINDPOWER 2005 Conference and Exhibition featured an Exhibit Hall with more than 235 companies demonstrating advanced products and technology, an awards banquet honoring twenty-two individuals from across the nation for leadership in the development and promotion of the U.S. wind energy industry, and the U.S. launch of the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) uniting the global wind energy industry and its representative associations.


High-tech wind energy equipment worth $3 billion will be installed across the U.S. in 2005. Wind energy facilities in 30 states currently total 6,740 megawatts of energy capacity from coast to coast, producing enough power for the equivalent of 1.6 million households. New exhibitors at this year’s conference included Siemens, which purchased Bonus Wind Energy in late 2004; and Goldman Sachs, which purchased a controlling interest in Zilkha Renewable Energy earlier this year.

“Wind energy is big business,” said Randall Swisher, executive director of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). “Clean, renewable, domestic wind energy is increasingly being seen as an important part of the solution to Americans’ growing appetite for energy. Private and public utilities, global finance leaders, international power plant developers and all facets of the energy industry now look to wind energy as part of their future planning and to more stable government support for this fast-growing sector.”

The industry’s annual awards banquet recognized over twenty individuals for accomplishments ranging from the passage of the first voter-approved renewable energy standards initiative (in Colorado) to Congressional leadership on promotion of the renewal of the federal production tax credit for wind energy. The list includes the following awards and individuals (Complete list -- PDF):

State Leadership Award for “tireless support of state renewable energy policies culminating in the passage of the precedent-setting Colorado RPS initiative”

• Lola Spradley, Former Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives
• U.S. Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO)

Congressional Leadership Award for “longstanding leadership in support of wind energy
and the wind energy Production Tax Credit”

• U.S. Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA)
• U.S. Representative Bill Thomas (R-CA)
• U.S. Representative Jim McCrery (R-LA)

Utility Leadership Award for a “leadership role in the increasing utilization
of wind power by the electric utility industry”

• Western Farmers Electric Cooperative
• MidAmerican Energy Company

Wind Energy Advocacy Award for “outstanding leadership and support of wind through effective advocacy, culminating in the passage of the Colorado RPS initiative”

• Matt Baker, Environment Colorado
• John Nielson, Western Resource Advocates
• Craig Cox, Interwest Energy Alliance
• Ron Lehr, Western Representative, AWEA

Wind energy is a global industry, and the Denver WINDPOWER 2005 conference also marked the U.S. launch of the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC). GWEC brings together the wind industry and its representative associations -- such as AWEA, the European Wind Energy Association, the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association -- and global companies such as GE and Vestas to call for stronger national and international policies to support the expansion of wind energy. GWEC members operate in more than 50 countries and represent over 1,500 organizations involved in hardware manufacture, project development, power generation, finance and consultancy, as well as researchers and academics.

“Wind energy today is a global, multi-billion-dollar industry,” Swisher said, “and the growth of this conference reflects the dynamic market for wind power. Our association believes that, with stable, supportive federal policy, wind energy could provide six percent of the nation’s electricity by 2020 – all from a clean, domestic, and inexhaustible source.”

Download Complete Award List (PDF Document)

AWEA, formed in 1974, is the national trade association of the U.S. wind energy industry. The association’s membership includes turbine manufacturers, wind project developers, utilities, academicians, and interested individuals. More information on wind energy is available at the AWEA web site: www.awea.org

Global Wind Energy Council Launched

Global Wind Energy Council Launched
May 20, 2005


Denver, Colorado [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] Leading wind associations representing the United States, Canada, Europe, China, India, Japan and Australia jointly announced the North American launch of the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) at WindPower 2005 in Denver, Colorado this week.

"Wind energy reached a point where it needed a global voice and capability to collaborate on a common agenda."

- Randall Swisher, Executive Director of AWEA and founding member of GWEC GWEC, convened to unify the wind industry and promote wind energy globally, stands united in its call for stronger policy worldwide to support wind energy growth to help lessen the impact of climate change. The organization aims to provide a global forum for the wind energy industry and its representative organizations worldwide.

GWEC operates in more than 50 countries and represents over 1,500 organizations involved in hardware manufacture, project development, power generation, finance and consultancy, as well as researchers and academics.

Randall Swisher, Executive Director of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), a founding member of GWEC, said the consideration of this global wind energy collaboration has been in the works since the 2002 global wind conference in Paris.

"Wind energy reached a point where it needed a global voice and capability to collaborate on a common agenda," said Swisher. "The council is in an organizational phase, and the work plan is beginning to evolve."

"Our key objective is to serve our members," Swisher said. "They will actually define the council's specific objectives."

GWEC celebrated its European launch in March in Brussels, and has scheduled additional announcement launch dates -- Australia in August at Sydney's AusWind; Canada in October at Toronto's Can-WEA and China in November at the International Conference for Renewable Energies.

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http://www.gwec.net/

Lake Erie Wind

Harnessing the wind on Lake Erie

Benefits include enhancing Cleveland's image, economy, and environment

The following proposal to create a 'farm' of wind mills that will generate clean, renewable energy off the Cleveland lakeshore was presented by Green Energy Ohio in December 2002. Green Energy Ohio sponsors projects to help Ohioans learn about how renewable energy works in the Buckeye State and showcases examples of real people using real renewable energy system today in Ohio.

In a recent series of meetings, the public has shown overwhelming enthusiasm for positioning Cleveland's waterfront as a unique, quality-of-life amenity, and as a driving force in promoting economic development. Consistent with both of those goals, Green Energy Ohio (GEO) proposes installing several state-of-the-art wind turbines in Lake Erie approximately the same distance from the shore as the Cleveland Water Crib, offering an aesthetically distinctive yet functional addition to Cleveland's lakefront. An offshore wind park would provide a forward-looking image for the city while creating substantial economic and environmental benefits for the region.

A wind park as a Cleveland image

Wind power is clean, quiet, and increasingly cost-effective—and is today the fastest growing source of electricity in the world. Large wind turbine development has origins at Cleveland's own NASA Glenn Research Center where research began in the late 1970s. Each machine today can reach up to 360 feet tall and produce up to two megawatts of electricity (enough for about two thousand homes).

Wind turbines for utility-scale generation of electricity are not new to the United States, and they are quite common in Europe. There are several thousand in operation across the U.S., although they are largely in rural and unvisited areas of the country. Despite the rush to offshore wind development in Europe, however, there are currently no offshore turbines in the U.S.

Capitalizing on extensive European experience, Cleveland could become the leader in North American offshore wind park development. The Cleveland Wind Park would become a signature element of the lakeshore, a potential recreational and educational attraction for both on-shore viewing and boat rides on the lake. It would demonstrate that Cleveland is looking to the future with newer, cleaner technology and provide a positive image in people's minds.

Economic and environmental potential

In addition to the positive image described above, as well as clean, locally produced power, a wind park offers potential economic benefits. The design, fabrication, and installation of the wind turbines would create many jobs in the area, and this development would be a good fit with Cleveland's existing manufacturing infrastructure.

Unlike the major areas where wind turbines are currently being installed in the U.S., Cleveland has a skilled industrial workforce, tremendous metalworking resources, and excellent access to rail, sea, and highway transportation routes. Timken Industries and Lincoln Electric are already suppliers to the wind industry, and it is not difficult to envision other and new manufacturers entering the market locally with the development of a wind park.

Furthermore, installing the first offshore wind farm would encourage not only local suppliers but also local expertise that would be marketable in subsequent projects in the Great Lakes region and beyond. Thus, unlike most of the coal and all of the natural gas used here for electricity generation, which are resources that comes from out-of-state, wind offers the possibility of spending money locally.

Each wind turbine installed also reduces the amount of pollution that escapes into our environment with the use of fossil fuels. Ohio is one of the nation's top polluters, and this has led to health risks, environmental damage, interstate lawsuits, and an enduring image of Cleveland as the place where the river burned. Wind turbines produce pollution-free power, and their installation in Lake Erie may even provide artificial reef habitat for spawning fish. Thus, a wind park would offer a new set of images to associate with Cleveland: graceful wind turbines, new industrial development, and clean power.

Steps toward a wind park

Preliminary research by Green Energy Ohio (GEO) into water depth, soil conditions, bird migration, and development costs indicates that offshore development is feasible in Lake Erie. GEO has begun plans to conduct a wind monitoring project in the lake to provide data regarding the offshore wind resources. Although available meteorological data indicate that offshore wind potential on Lake Erie is excellent, these measurements are taken well below the height of modern wind turbines and are sparse. It is critical that more accurate and complete data be obtained in order to effectively predict turbine performance.

Besides gathering data, it is vital to present the concept of wind turbines as a viable and productive option for the city to both the public and those groups or industries with more specific interests in lakefront development. As a second part of the wind park project, GEO plans to engage the variety of groups with interests in Cleveland's lakefront.

Cleveland has a unique opportunity to embrace a new, effective technology. A wind park on Lake Erie would place Cleveland among the first major cities in the U.S. committed to this clean energy source—providing a positive boost for the city. Most importantly, a wind park would bring important economic and environmental benefits that few other investments could match.

Saturday, May 14, 2005

ALBERONA RESIDENTS SAY GOODBYE TO TAXES THANKS TO WIND-ENERGY

ALBERONA RESIDENTS SAY GOODBYE TO TAXES THANKS TO WIND-ENERGY
(AGI) - Foggia, Apr. 28 - The residents of Alberona, a town in the province of Foggia, will soon be paying no local property, income and waste-disposal taxes as the local town council faces huge returns from the town's second wind-energy plant. The plant, which will be built on nearby hills, is set to change the residents' lives for the better. "The environmental impact of the second plant will be minimal", said mayor Arturo Petti, "whereas the benefits will be enormous for all". The older plant, managed by an Avellino-based company called IVPC, already provides the local council with returns for 150,000 euro every month. But that's nothing compared to the revenues which the 60 new wind-energy towers which will be planted over the next few months are expected to generate. "Each year, our council's budget will be bolstered by some 1.25 mln euro of royalties", said Mr Petti. "It's a whopping figure, which equals our cash returns generated by taxes. And that's only half of the story, as the companies managing both plants will pay an extra 10,000 euro contribution to finance eco-friendly and social programmes. Plus, they will pay us some 1.25 mln euro as a one-off". This will make it possible to reimburse Alberona citizens of their energy bills. The council will also be able to abolish local property, income and waste-disposal taxes. Students and employees will travel to their workplaces or schools for free, and each family whose children attend a local school will receive a 1,000 euro cheque from the council. Further plans include upgrading local infrastructure to benefit artisans and small-sized firms, as well as an old people's cafeteria and a social centre for young and elderly people. In a written commitment with the citizens, the mayor has pledged to carry out all of the above. He says: "We will even abolish waste-disposal taxes and build new roads and a kennel". Hopefully, the new plant will halt the process of emigration, which has long affected Alberona citizens. "For each new child born of an Alberona-based family, the council will pay a 1,000 euro contribution". And maintenance on the plant will be performed by hiring Alberona residents alone. (AGI) .
282003 APR 05

Global wind energy majors make India a manufacturing hub

Global wind energy majors make India a manufacturing hub

CHENNAI: In a boost to its manufacturing capabilities, global wind energy majors including GE, Enercon, and Vestas are turning to India to produce key wind energy components, making the country a sourcing hub for export operations.

GE Wind Energy, which has an assembling unit in Chennai, is exporting components including blades to China and other European markets, while Enercon India is exporting wind turbine generators to Germany, industry officials said.

"A major reason for the trend is lower costs in India and availability of skilled persons," said Mr V V Shanta Raman, secretary, Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association.

Exports of wind energy components and even the entire wind energy equipment (except towers) are taking place from India, he said, adding during the last four years, the exports of such products from India stood in the region of Rs 40-50 crore per annum.


Other leading firms NEG Micon, Vestas RRB are also exporting components, generators and blades produced in India for the overseas markets. Vestas RRB recently announced expansion plans for its Chennai facility, sensing the potential for both domestic and overseas markets.

GE Wind Energy, which got into the sector after the acquisition of Enron's Wind Energy, was looking at India as a manufacturing hub for exports markets, said Mr M Saibaba, its general manager (marketing).

Last week, Spanish wind energy major Gamesa Eolica announced entry into India through a joint venture with Pioneer Asia for establishing a manufacturing facility in the country. - PTI

farmers take advantage of grant to produce wind energy

Sunday, May 1, 2005 6:14 AM CDT
Colwell farmers take advantage of grant to produce wind energy
By MATTHEW WILDE, Courier Staff Writer

COLWELL --- Volatile energy prices undermine the long-term stability of agriculture. A trio of Floyd County farmers said finding a solution was a breeze.

Actually, a good, stiff wind is more like it. Brothers Larry and Dean Tjaden, and Larry's son, Scott, invested $206,000 in a used wind turbine near Colwell last year. The income generated from selling electricity is expected to help offset energy expenses for grain and livestock production.

For years, the Tjadens wondered if farming would provide enough income for both Larry, 62, and Dean, 52, to comfortably retire and Scott to return home to farm full-time.

A few years ago, the Tjadens built three hog confinement buildings and contracted to finish pigs for Heartland Pork of Alden, which eventually was purchased by Christensen Family Farms of Minnesota. The added income helps, but increasing energy bills for the buildings, along with rising diesel fuel costs, continue to eat away at profits.

"The unknown was electrical costs. We had to find some way to control that figure ... making long-term profitability more favorable," said Scott, 34.

Farming the wind seemed like a logical answer. It is a decision they probably wouldn't have made if it wasn't for the Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Program.

Included in the 2002 Farm Bill, the program provides grants to farmers and small rural businesses to help finance renewable energy projects and make farms or businesses more energy efficient. There's $23 million available nationwide this year. Applications are due to the state U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development office by June 27.

USDA grants will pay up to 25 percent of a project. A maximum of $500,000 can be awarded for wind, solar or other renewable energy projects. Energy efficiency grants of up to $250,000 are available to upgrade grain drying and heating systems or insulate a hog building, for example.

"The USDA wants to help farmers reduce energy costs and help the country meet its energy needs," said Teresa Bomhoff, Iowa Rural Development rural energy coordinator.

Farming the wind

The 110-foot tall wind turbine with three 60-foot blades certainly sticks out in the mostly flat land and gently rolling hills in northeastern Floyd County. But to Scott, it is a thing of beauty --- especially on a windy day.

During Scott's weekly commutes to the farm --- the industrial chemical representative lives in Cedar Rapids --- the turbine is the first thing he looks for as he approaches Colwell. It is the last thing he sees in the rearview mirror when he leaves.

On a recent Monday, as he caught sight of the tower a few miles away, the wind was relatively calm. The blades were barely turning. The blade tips, which also serve as air brakes, were turned out searching for the wind. The turbine head swivels to help.

"I don't like that," he recalled thinking. Then the southerly wind picked up just as Scott drove up to the tower --- almost on cue. The tips automatically retract as the blades rotate faster and faster.

Whoosh .... Whoosh ... Whoosh. Standing under the monstrosity, it sounded like a huge, spinning carnival ride. Scott opened up a door at the tower's base to check monitoring equipment.

The generator kicked in with a slight clank. Inside the tower, the roar sounded like a jet engine in need of a tune up.

"It feels good every time (you hear that). You know your doing something good," Scott said.

A 9-mph wind generates electricity. Maximum output for the 450 kilowatt-hour unit is reached at 36 mph.

Providing enough electricity to power 80 to 100 homes a year through a clean, renewable resource isn't the main reason behind the family's decision. The main reason was financial.

They expect to make $20,000 to $25,000 a year selling electricity to Dairyland Power, based in Wisconsin. Payback on the unit is estimated at 10 years. The expected life span before a major overhaul is 20 to 25 years.

"The bottom line is we did it for our business to help control our future," Scott said.

Whether a producer is farming the land or the wind, the weather is still the wild card. The Tjadens lost money during relatively calm February.

The Tjadens do most of their own maintenance to save money, which means climbing the tower at times in the winter to chip ice away from wind speed and direction instruments. A 20 mph wind may be blowing from the northwest, but if the unit doesn't think there is wind or is pointed in the wrong direction, it won't generate power.

Program interest

Last year, seven Iowa projects received about $240,000 in program funding. The Tjadens were the only Northeast Iowa farmers to qualify.

"I would like to increase that. Last year half of the money went to three states," said Bomhoff. "We feel Iowa needs that money, too."

Bomhoff thinks the application process, time involved and the mountain of paperwork scared people in the past. This year, the process has been streamlined and a grant writing workshop was recently held.

Bomhoff hopes these improvements, along with success stories getting out to the public, will inspire others to apply. The Tjadens received $45,540 for their project. A southern Iowa couple was awarded $12,540 last year to replace old grain drying equipment, saving them an estimated $16,739.

"We'll do everything we can to work with (farmers), and make them successful," Bomhoff said.

Apparently interest is being generated with farmers around the state. Dan Malloy, sales manager with U.S. Grain Storage Systems, based in Cedar Falls, said he is getting swamped with calls. Last Monday alone, he provided 26 quotes on new equipment.

However, program officials aren't sure if the company's bins that both dry and store grain will qualify. The bins use an aeration system that doesn't need propane to dry corn.

"The way things are going, I'll have to find another salesman," Malloy said. "A lot are wondering if they qualify."

Scott said the grant process isn't easy, but farmers can do it on their own instead of paying hundreds, if not thousands, to a grant writer to do it for them.

The idea for the turbine came during supper one night in December 2003. The partners held an impromptu brainstorming session on how to insure the future of their farms. The three families farm together, but also have some of their own land.

Larry, who is on the board of directors of the local power cooperative, suggested the idea, and Scott ran with it. He researched turbines and found out financial assistance was available.

The initial goal was to meet their own electricity needs by purchasing a much cheaper and smaller turbine, in the 60 to 80 kwh range. However, Scott found a larger unit in California, and convinced his dad and uncle selling power would pay more in the long run.

"It was a tough sell," Scott said, due to the initial capital investment. "But the deal was too good to pass up."

Scott wrote and sent in the grant proposal by July of last year, consuming more than 100 hours. By August, the turbine was delivered. The first kilowatts of Tjaden power flowed into the grid in November.

"To have a thought, put a plant together ... and less than 12 months later it's running... ," Scott said. "That's the most exciting part."

Contact Matthew Wilde at (319) 291-1579 or matt.wilde@wcfcourier.com.

FPL Energy Begins Commercial Operation of Weatherford Wind Energy Center

May 03, 2005 09:02 AM US Eastern Timezone

FPL Energy Begins Commercial Operation of Weatherford Wind Energy Center; Announces Plans to Expand Project by 40.5 MW

JUNO BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 3, 2005--FPL Energy, LLC, a subsidiary of FPL Group (NYSE:FPL), today announced that it has begun commercial operation at its 106.5-megawatt (MW) Weatherford Wind Energy Center, located near Weatherford, Oklahoma, and plans to expand the project by 40.5 MW.


FPL Energy has entered into an agreement with Public Service Company of Oklahoma, a wholly owned operating subsidiary of American Electric Power (NYSE:AEP), to purchase the entire output from the expansion under a long-term contract.

Today's announcement brings the total capacity of the Weatherford Wind Energy Center to 147 megawatts. Construction on the expansion will begin in the near future and is expected to be completed by year end.

Mike O'Sullivan, senior vice president of development for FPL Energy, said: "We applaud the commitment of PSO to clean, renewable wind energy. We appreciate the support we have received from our customer, the city of Weatherford and the surrounding community on making this project and its expansion a reality."

In June 2004, FPL Energy announced an agreement with PSO for the purchase of 106.5 MW of electricity from the Weatherford Wind Energy Center. Combined with today's announcement, PSO will now purchase the entire output from the 147 MW facility.

The 40.5 MW expansion will be comprised of 27 1.5 MW wind turbines located on approximately 1,400 acres southeast of the original project site.

With today's announcement, FPL Energy has completed 220.5 MW of new wind projects in 2005 and has announced an additional 261 MW that are expected to reach commercial operation by the end of the year. With the addition of the 106.5 MW from the Weatherford project, FPL Energy is currently the largest owner and operator of wind turbines in the world with more than 2,978 net MW in operation.

FPL Energy is a leading wholesale generator utilizing clean fuels such as natural gas, wind, solar, hydroelectric and nuclear to generate electricity. It is the nation's leader in wind energy, with 45 wind facilities in operation in 15 states. It is a subsidiary of FPL Group, one of the nation's largest providers of electricity-related services with annual revenues of more than $10 billion. FPL Group's principal subsidiary is Florida Power & Light Company, one of the nation's largest electric utilities, serving more than 4.2 million customer accounts in Florida. Additional information is available on the Internet at http://www.FPLEnergy.com, http://www.FPLGroup.com and http://www.FPL.com.

Note to Editors: High-resolution logos and executive head shots are available for download at http://www.fpl.com/news/contents/logos.shtml .

Contacts


FPL Energy, LLC, Juno Beach
Steve Stengel, 888-867-3050

Clean Patagonian Energy from Wind and Hydrogen

Clean Patagonian Energy from Wind and Hydrogen

Marcela Valente*


BUENOS AIRES, May 12 (Tierramérica) - A laboratory situated in the southern Patagonia region of Argentina is producing hydrogen from wind energy to supply power to a village -- and prove that it is possible to replace the polluting fuels derived from petroleum.

At the centre of the project in the community of Koluel Kaike, home to 200 people, is a technology that combines wind and hydrogen energy. The goal is to achieve the capacity to meet the energy demands of 500 people by 2008 in this town 2,000 km south of Buenos Aires.

''The aim is that the development commission, homes, schools, cars, farm machinery -- everything in Koluel Kaike, will run on hydrogen,'' engineer Juan Carlos Bolcich, president of the Argentine Hydrogen Association, which is promoting the project, told Tierramérica.

The hydrogen plant is located 23 km from Koluel Kaike, in Pico Truncado, Santa Cruz province, and home to 15,000 people, a third of whom are already supplied by wind-generated electricity, despite the area's wealth of petroleum and natural gas reserves.

Patagonia has extraordinary potential for wind energy due to its strong and constant windy climate. With that power, the windmills of the hydrogen plant produce electricity that feeds an electrolyser.

Through electrolysis, water molecules are broken down into hydrogen and oxygen. The procedure permits the storage of hydrogen, already proven successful as a fuel for engines. The energy can be stored for use during windless days or for distribution within Argentina or sold abroad.

''Hydrogen is on its way to replacing petroleum. Fossil fuels contaminate, they are expensive, but hydrogen is inexhaustible,'' said Bolcich.

The Patagonian energy project is a candidate for inclusion on the list of what are known as Clean Development Mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol on climate change -- energy technologies that do not emit so-called greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.

The ''Wind-Hydrogen'' project is the South American chapter of a broader programme of the International Centre for Hydrogen Energy Technology of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).

The international programme is under way in small scale projects on five continents.

China is producing hydrogen from hydraulic sources; in Libya the effort aims to complete the cycle with solar energy; in Turkey experts will test using the new fuel in public transportation; and in Oceania hydrogen is being produced from biomass (organic materials).

Hydrogen is the most basic and most abundant element in nature, and its combustion is totally clean. The problem is that hydrogen is not found isolated on its own, but as part of compounds, and production of hydrogen, through electrolysis, requires expending energy.

''The debate is centred on the energy utilised to produce it,'' says Juan Carlos Villalonga, an energy expert with the ecological watchdog organisation Greenpeace.

''If hydrogen is co-opted by the producers of nuclear energy or petroleum, then it will be 'dirty' hydrogen,'' Villalonga told Tierramérica. But the combination of hydrogen production with wind energy is ideal, he added.

''Hydrogen has enormous potential because it is easily stored. It will permit (Argentina's) energy matrix -- which today has only marginal renewable energy sources -- to make a jump towards relying solely on those sources,'' he said.

But how much more expensive than fossil fuels will it be to produce hydrogen from clean energy sources? For the moment it remains a costly venture, although the rising petroleum prices contribute to reducing that gap.

Bolcich believes that the rise in the price of crude and looming depletion of oil reserves are creating a scenario in which wind energy is increasingly competitive. ''By 2009 the two energy sources will be competing throughout all of Patagonia,'' he predicts.

But that future requires local effort and international cooperation.

The objective of the Pico Truncado hydrogen plant is to produce the gas in compliance with all safety regulations, prove that it can work as energy for electrical equipment, vehicles, and industrial machinery, and evaluate the costs involved in its widespread use.

Furthermore, the laboratory will work to optimise each stage of production, experiment with managing the fuel for storage and transport, and train specialised staff in this technology and its inputs.

The project also seeks to disseminate the use of hydrogen as fuel. ''Petroleum production is very concentrated (in the hands of a few), but this would be more democratic because hydrogen belongs to everyone,'' says engineer Bolcich.

(* Originally published May 7 by Latin American newspapers that are part of the Tierramérica network. Tierramérica is a specialised news service produced by IPS with the backing of the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Environment Programme.)

Continued Growth Of Wind Energy Industry In The United States

Annual Rankings Demonstrate Continued Growth Of Wind Energy Industry In The United States
Posted by Patriot on 2005/5/13 7:24:47 (341 reads)


Annual Rankings Demonstrate Continued Growth Of Wind Energy Industry In The United States
Most Populous States, Recognized Corporate Leaders Continue to Hold Top Rankings in 2004; New Players Emerging
Washington, D.C. – On the eve of WINDPOWER 2005, expected to be the wind industry’s largest-ever annual conference and exhibition in North America, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) today released its second annual industry rankings of wind energy development in the United States. The rankings, which include the top states for wind energy development, the top suppliers of wind energy turbines and the top developers and purchasers of wind energy, provide a useful perspective on the size and scope of the American wind industry.

At the end of 2004, wind energy facilities in 30 states totalled 6,740 megawatts of energy capacity from coast to coast, producing enough power for the equivalent of 1.6 million households.

The annual industry rankings tell the rest of the story, providing a standard reference point for the burgeoning growth of the wind industry in the United States. Wind continues to be one of the fastest growing energy sources in the world and in the nation. The entrance into the U.S. market of major new players signals that pace will continue in 2005: in the past eight months, international power plant developer AES, global power generation giant Siemens, and international financial industry leader Goldman Sachs each entered the American wind energy business with purchases of major wind energy companies.

“The American wind industry is an economic, environmental and energy success story,” declared AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher. “Despite ongoing challenges facing the industry such as the imminent expiration of the federal production tax credit, the relevance of wind energy to the nation’s energy mix is increasingly being recognized by the nation’s economic and energy leaders. This year’s industry rankings demonstrate that wind energy remains on a track that would allow it to provide six percent of the nation’s electricity by 2020.”

The rankings (as of December 31, 2004) include the following:

States with most wind energy installed, by capacity (MW):

#1 California - 2,096 MW
#2 Texas - 1,293 MW
#3 Iowa - 632 MW
#4 Minnesota - 615 MW
#5 Wyoming - 285 MW

Largest wind farms operating the U.S. (MW):

# 1 Stateline, Oregon-Washington - 300 MW
# 2 King Mountain, Texas - 278 MW
# 3 New Mexico Wind Energy Center, New Mexico - 204 MW
# 4 Storm Lake, Iowa - 193 MW
# 5 Colorado Green, Colorado - 162 MW
# 5 High Winds, California - 162 MW

Leading owners of wind energy installations in the U.S. (MW):

#1 FPL Energy - 2,758 MW
#2 Shell Wind Energy - 315 MW
#3 AEP – 311 MW
#4 enXco – 298 MW
#5 PPM Energy - 225 MW

Utilities/power companies that buy the most wholesale wind power (MW purchased):

#1 Southern California Edison purchases the output from 1,025 MW of wind power
#2 Xcel Energy purchases the output from 884 MW
#3 Pacific Gas & Electric Co. purchases the output from 680 MW
#4 PPM Energy purchases the output from 606 MW (for resale)
#5 TXU purchases the output from 580 MW

As AWEA reported in its first quarter market release in April 2005, the installed capacity number for 2005 could increase by as much as 35% over 2004. The current forecast calls for up to 2,500 megawatts of new wind power capacity installed in the United States this year, which would bring the national total to more than 9,000 megawatts of clean, renewable, wind-derived electricity.

However, the pending expiration of the wind energy production tax credit at the end of 2005 threatens to stall this remarkable growth in 2006 and later years. With ever-increasing demand for energy, and wind’s energy, economic and environmental benefits, the need for clear, consistent policies to encourage wind’s continued development remains urgent.

“The industry has proven over the past several years that it can ramp up quickly to meet demand, as evidenced by the figures in our second annual industry rankings of wind energy development,” explained Swisher. “With stable policy support, investments will flow on an even larger scale into the U.S. wind energy market. We hope that Congress will recognize that approving a long-term extension of the production tax incentive is key to extending this remarkable record of accomplishment.”


AWEA, formed in 1974, is the national trade association of the U.S. wind energy industry. The association’s membership includes turbine manufacturers, wind project developers, utilities, academicians, and interested individuals. More information on wind energy is available at the AWEA web site: www.awea.org

Indian wind energy firm plans $230 mln IPO

Indian wind energy firm plans $230 mln IPO - sources

Wed May 11, 2005 1:46 PM GMT+05:30
BOMBAY (Reuters) - Indian wind power company Suzlon Energy Ltd. plans to raise up to 10 billion rupees ($230 million) through an initial public offer (IPO) of shares, bankers and shareholders told Reuters on Wednesday.

"The filing is expected by the end of this month," said one source, who declined to be identified.

Sources said the offer of fresh shares would represent 25 percent of Suzlon's expanded equity capital, valuing the company at as much as 40 billion rupees.

The private equity arm of Citigroup Inc. and investment firm ChrysCapital jointly own about 15 percent of the company.

Morgan Stanley's Indian unit and Bombay-based Enam Financial Consultants are lead book runners and CLSA's local arm is co-bookrunner for the IPO.

Another banker helping the IPO said the offer was expected to be launched in July. The company has annual sales of between 7 billion and 8 billion rupees, he added.

Wind power has been gaining currency due to fears of global warming and rising energy prices. Worldwide, installed capacity rose by some 8,000 megawatt (MW) last year, to nearly 48,000 MW, one-third of that in Germany.

Denmark's Vestas is the world's biggest wind-turbine maker.

At end-January, India had an installed wind energy capacity of 2,488.13 MW, which accounted for just 2 percent of the total power capacity of the energy-starved nation.

Coal-fired thermal power stations account for about 65 percent of the total capacity.

According to industry estimates, India needs an additional 100,000 MW of power in the next 10 next years with an investment of $100 billion to meet soaring demand of an expanding economy.

India has allowed foreign companies to invest in fully owned operations in the energy sector to overcome a peak electricity shortage of about 12.2 percent.