December 22, 2006

Wind Harvest's "Wind News"
A compilation of story leads from around the world.
By:  Kevin Wolf <kwolf@windharvest.com>

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 Google and find the original source of the story. You are welcome to share this with others. This is a free service from Wind Harvest.   Thank you. Kevin
<><><><><><>


CONGRESS EXTENDS PRODUCTION TAX CREDIT AND ENERGY CREDIT SUNSET DATES

  Congress late last week passed the Tax Relief and Health Care Act
  of 2006, H.R. 6408 (the Act), which, among other things, extends
  the sunset dates for the production tax credit (the PTC) and the
  energy credit.
*********

WIND GENERATION PLEDGE BEING MET IN WESTERN STATES

  Proving that its promises weren't just a lot of hot air,
  MidAmerican Energy Holdings is making good on its pledge to
  increase the amount of electricity it generates from wind power
  for its Utah customers.
*********

WIND-POWER PUSH RAISING IRE: CONCERNED HOMEOWNERS FILE SUIT AMID
DRIVE FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY

  He may be spitting into the wind of public opinion, but Dale
  Rankin couldn't care less. With a half-dozen, 400-foot-tall wind
  turbines turning on the hills behind his home 20 miles southwest
  of Abilene, Rankin is less enamored with wind power than most Texans.
*********

VESTAS TURBINES WILL POWER PGE BIGLOW CANYON WIND PROJECT

  Portland General Electric Company (NYSE: POR) today announced it
  has executed an agreement with Vestas Wind Systems, of Denmark, to
   acquire 76 turbines for phase one construction of the 25,000-acre
   Biglow Canyon Wind Farm in Sherman County, Ore.
*********

ENDESA TO BUILD A NEW WIND FARM IN FRANCE

  The wind farm, located in Brittany, entails an investment of Euro
  13.4 million and will have installed capacity of 10 MW.
*********

PGE HAS THE WIND AND ADDS THE MILLS

  Portland General Electric announced Monday that it has snagged the
  wind turbines it needs to build its first wind farm, a $256
  million, 125.4-megawatt project in the Columbia River Gorge's
  Sherman County.
*********

NEW WIND POWER PROJECT TO PROVIDE CHEYENNE WITH RENEWABLE ENERGY

  Tierra Energy, LLC announced today  that its wholly owned
  subsidiary, Happy Jack Windpower, LLC, has executed a  20-year
  renewable energy purchase agreement with Cheyenne Light, Fuel &
  Power,  a wholly owned subsidiary of Black Hills Corporation
*********

E.ON UK COMMENCES WORK ON CAMBRIDGESHIRE WIND FARM PROJECT

  E.ON UK has held a ceremony to mark the initiation of work to
  build its Stag's Holt wind farm near March, Cambridgeshire.
*********

EDF WIND-UNIT SHARES JUMP 18% ON FIRST DAY

  EDF Energies Nouvelles, the renewable-energy unit of Electricite
  de France, climbed 18 percent on Wednesday, its first day of
  trading after raising 525 million in an initial public offering.
*********

BAIE-DES-SABLES WIND FARM PRODUCES ELECTRICITY

  Cartier Wind Energy (BDS) inc. ("Cartier") is pleased to announce
  the official inauguration of the Baie-des-Sables wind farm,
  located in the Regional County Municipality (RCM) of Matane and
  the RCM of Mitis.
*********

DEBATE DRIVEN BY THE WIND: ABOUT 150 PEOPLE GATHER AT KUTZTOWN
UNIVERSITY TO DISCUSS THE USE OF WIND TURBINES TO GENERATE ELECTRICITY

  Some of Pennsylvania's mountaintops may become a battleground
  between developers and environmentalists. Developers are eyeing
  the ridges of the Appalachian Mountains, which cross the middle of
  the state, to construct wind turbines to generate electricity.
*********

PUC TAKING COMMENTS ON WIND FARM

  The Idaho Public Utilities Commission is taking comments through
  Thursday on an application by Idaho Power Co. to enter into a
  sales agreement with Magic Wind Park LLC.
*********

SPAIN TO CUT SUBSIDIES TO WIND-POWER PLANTS

  Spain will cut subsidies to wind-power plants following an
  overhaul of the way it calculates aid for renewable power sources,
  hurting earnings at utilities including Iberdrola, the world's
  largest producer of wind power.
*********

WIND-POWER PLAN MUST CLEAR PNM HURDLE

  Santa Fe city government wants to start buying its electricity
  from a new wind power company, but it may run into opposition from
  Public Service Co. of New Mexico, the state regulated power monopoly.
*********

WIND FARM GETS LIMP SUPPORT

  Supporters of Bethany's municipal airport put a road block in a
  plan that could save city consumers a total of $75,000 a year in
  electric bills.
*********

PLANNING REFORM PROVIDES KEY TO WIND ENERGY DELIVERY

  The British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) has today welcomed the
  Barker ReviewÂ’s findings and recommendations, which put
  sustainability right at the heart of the planning system,
  identifying planning as playing a vital role in the mitigation and
  adaptation to climate change.
*********

PA. WIND FARMS GET HELP FROM NEW TAX LAW

  The wind-energy industry won a battle in Pennsylvania with a new
  state law that will settle the question of whether the value of
  turbines on wind farms can figure into property tax assessments.
*********

STRONG GROWTH SEEN FOR ALTERNATIVE POWER: POSSIBLE SALE OF HORIZON
WIND ONE OF MANY SIGNS

  The possible sale of Houston-based Horizon Wind Energy less than
  two years after it was purchased by Goldman Sachs reflects the
  booming outlook for the renewable energy business, industry
  observers say.
*********

FITCH RATES ENERGY NORTHWEST WIND PROJECT SERIES 2006 'A-'

  Fitch Ratings assigns an 'A-' rating to Energy Northwest's $68
  million wind project revenue bonds, series 2006. The Rating
  Outlook is  Stable. Fitch also affirms the 'A-' rating on the
  outstanding 2001,  2003 and 2005 wind project revenue bonds.
*********

CONGRESS EXTENDS PRODUCTION TAX CREDIT AND ENERGY CREDIT SUNSET DATES

  Congress late last week passed the Tax Relief and Health Care Act
  of 2006, H.R. 6408 (the Act), which, among other things, extends
  the sunset dates for the production tax credit (the PTC) and the
  energy credit.
*********

WIND FARM REDUCES PROPOSED TURBINES

  The company planning to build the UK's largest wind farm on the
  Isle of Lewis, yesterday revised its plans by cutting the proposed
  number of turbines from 234 to 181.
*********