May 23, 2004

Wind Harvest Company Wind News
A compilation of story leads from around the world.
By:  Kevin Wolf

Note:  These story titles and lead paragraphs predominantly come from Energy Central's daily posting of the world's energy stories. Others are sent to me by subscribers of Wind News.  Energy Central requires paid membership to read full stories.  You can often paste the headline into the Google search engine and find the original source of the story.   When I have them, I will include the URL.  Please send me stories that you find, and I will add them into the next edition of Wind News.  Thank you. Kevin
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AROOSTOOK COUNTY, MAINE, WIND FARM PROJECT NEARS NEXT PHASE

  The construction season has begun, yet a proposed wind farm in
  Mars Hill still hasn't received its permits to place 33 turbines
  atop Mars Hill Mountain in Aroostook County.
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Excerpts from AWEA (http:awea.org)
MONTGOMERY COUNTY MAKES LARGE WIND PURCHASE

On May 13, Maryland’s Montgomery County announced the fifth largest retail purchase of wind power in U.S. history, enough to supply 5% of the electricity to Montgomery and Prince George’s County government buildings, schools, and assorted agencies.

Montgomery County is taking the lead in a purchasing consortium of local governments, including Prince George’s County, six County agencies, and 11 municipalities.  The group is to purchase green tags equal to 5% of its total electricity demand generated from the Mountaineer Wind Farm in West Virginia through Community Energy, Inc.
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NEW MEXICO LAND COMMISSIONER SIGNS QUAY COUNTY WIND FARM LEASE


On May 13, Commissioner of Public Lands Patrick Lyons signed an agreement with Cielo Wind Power of Austin, Tex., to develop a wind power generating facility on 1,840 acres of state trust land southeast of Tucumcari in Quay County.

The facility is expected to consist of 80 turbines, eight of which will be located on trust land, and is projected to produce 80 MW of power.
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SAN FRANCISCO APPROVES RENEWABLE AND CONSERVATION PROGRAM

On May 11, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved legislation to use the state’s “Community Choice” law to switch San Francisco residents and businesses to a new power supplier for electricity service and to finance a network of renewable energy and energy conservation projects.

The move follows a recent California Public Utilities Commission decision to allow communities like San Francisco to break away from utility power contracts, and answers a 2001 voter mandate for green power from San Francisco’s 2001 Solar Bond Authority, Proposition H.

The Energy Independence ordinance directs City departments to prepare an implementation plan and request for proposals for the Board of Supervisors to solicit new electric service providers interested in supplying power to San Franciscans as soon as 2005, and building 360 MW of new solar photovoltaic installations, distributed generation such as fuel cells, wind turbines, hydrogen, energy efficiency, and conservation technologies as standard components of the City’s electricity service.  The City Controller’s office has agreed to assist in developing the analysis necessary to develop the draft implementation plan.  Ratepayers would also have the option to opt out and remain with PG&E as their power supplier.
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AWEA ADVISES PJM DIRECTORS TO PREPARE FOR THOUSANDS OF MEGAWATTS OF WIND

Developers have brought 1,100 MW of wind for interconnection study to the Mid-Atlantic states’ PJM (Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland) regional transmission organization, and identified 5,000 MW of potential near-tem development.  Consumer and environmental advocates joined with AWEA’s Eastern Representative, Mike Jacobs, at a PJM Board of Directors meeting last week to urge the organization to plan for wind power’s growth.
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SACRAMENTO MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT PREPARES FOR RENEWABLE SOLICITATION IN JUNE

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) has announced that it plans to issue a renewables solicitation this summer to meet its Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) goals and green power program requirements.

In order to facilitate the coming solicitation, SMUD has invited potential renewable energy suppliers to place their names on a solicitation e-mail list, which will be used to issue a Request for Information and Qualifications (RFI/Q) in June.  The RFI/Q will help SMUD purchase renewable electric capacity and energy and identify renewable projects.

SMUD’s RPS program includes a policy target of 10% of its electricity energy needs from renewable resources by 2006 and 20% by 2011.  The utility also expects to procure renewable power to supply its green power program, known as the Greenergy® program.  SMUD estimates that it will need varying amounts of renewable electric energy each year for these two programs equaling a cumulative total of approximately 1,840 million kWh by the end of 2011.
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BLM TO CONDUCT BID FOR PREFERENCE RIGHT-OF-WAY

Beginning June 1, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will accept written bids to award a preference right-of-way to construct, operate, and maintain wind energy testing and/or generating facilities on approximately 285 acres of public lands near San Bernardino.  The land segment is described as a portion of section 28, T 3S, R 4E, San Bernardino Meridian.

Written bids will be accepted for a 45-day period beginning Tuesday, June 1, and ending 3 p.m., Thursday, July 15.  The bidding period may be extended.
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