September 2, 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
<><><><><><>


WIND POWER'S GUSTY FORECAST

  Propelled by the twin pressures of global warming and high energy
  costs, wind energy's growth is picking up speed. In the U.S., wind
  farms were the second-largest source of new power generation last
  year, after natural gas, according to the Energy Information Administration.
*********

PSC OKS 124-TURBINE GREENBRIER COUNTY WIND FARM

  The state Public Service Commission on Monday approved a planned
  124-turbine wind farm in southeastern West Virginia that area
  residents say would ruin property values and scenic views.
 *********

AES ANNOUNCES START OF CONSTRUCTION OF 233 MW WIND PROJECT IN TEXAS;
PROJECT TO BECOME ONE OF THE LARGEST WIND FARMS IN THE UNITED STATES

  The AES Corporation (NYSE:AES) today announced it has  begun
  construction of a 233 MW wind generation project near Abilene,
  Texas, and has signed a 10-year power purchase agreement (PPA) to
  sell  all of the electricity the project produces at fixed prices
  to Texas  retail electric provider Direct Energy.
*********

ENERGY GROUP TO TEST BACA COUNTY (CO) WIND

  A local energy group has received an $80,000 grant to install test
  towers for a proposed wind farm in Baca County.
*********

GREENBRIER IS GROUND ZERO IN FIGHT OVER WIND POWER: ENVIRONMENTALIST
SIERRA CLUB BACKS PLAN FOR 124 TOWERS

  Last week, the state's Sierra Club chapter endorsed a
  Chicago-based developer's plans to build 124
  electricity-generating wind turbines along mountain ridges in
  Greenbrier County.
*********

FARMERS TO 'PLANT' MINI WIND TURBINES

  Thousands of wind turbines could be "planted" in hedgerows on
  farmers' land in a new pounds 200m energy scheme.
*********

IRISH ENERGY: WIND IN ITS SAILS?

  On the back of a recent expansion of wind power in the Irish
  Republic, the government has announced an increased renewables
  target of 15% of total generated output by 2010.
*********

WIND FARMS ARE COMPLICATED DEAL; MCLEAN COUNTY SITE SPENT YEARS ON
DRAWING BOARD

  Building a wind farm is not as simple as putting up some windmills
  and waiting for the wind to blow.
*********

COUNTY MAY BE WIND FARM MATERIAL: A COMPANY WANTS TO STUDY ITS POTENTIAL.

  A Pennsylvania wind energy development company wants to study
  Allen County, the first step toward potentially building a wind
  farm in the area.
*********

MALI TURNS TO WINDPOWER

  Mali is one of the poorest countries in Africa. In 2001 the
  country's total electricity generation capacity was 140 MW, with
  half accounted for by hydroelectric power plants. Livestock market
  of Touareg nomads near Gao, Mali.
*********

HOUSTON-BASED RELIANT HAS SPARKED A DEBATE OVER SUBSIDIES THAT HAS
THE EPA, CITIZENS AND CONSUMER ADVOCATES CONCERNED: FIGHT WHIPS UP
OVER WIND RULES

  Texas' robust wind power industry could be stifled by new market
  rules being pushed by Reliant Energy before state regulators,
  consumer advocates and the Environmental Protection Agency are warning.
*********

PEPCO ENERGY SERVICES PROVIDES WIND POWER TO PRESTIGIOUS WASHINGTON
SQUARE OFFICE BUILDING AND LERNER/TOWER HEADQUARTERS

  Pepco Energy Services, a  subsidiary of Pepco Holdings, Inc.
  (NYSE: POM) and a leader in renewable  electricity initiatives in
  the Mid-Atlantic region, announced today that  Lerner Enterprises
  and The Tower Companies have committed to purchasing 100%  wind
  renewable energy credits for their premier Washington, D.C. office
   building, Washington Square and their combined headquarters
  building in  Bethesda, Maryland.
*********

GE, CHINAÂ’S NGC TO JOINTLY DEVELOP WIND TURBINE GEARBOX

  GE Energy and Nanjing High Speed & Accurate Gear Company (NGC)
  today signed an agreement to jointly develop gearboxes for GEÂ’s
  1.5-megawatt wind turbines.
*********

COMPANY DROPS BID TO PUT WIND FARM IN REGION

  A Chicago-based company is no longer looking at tapping into power
  lines for a possible wind farm on Bent and Poor mountains in
  Roanoke County.
*********

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY FUNDING MORE RESEARCH AT NORTHERN POWER ON
MODULAR TECHNOLOGY FOR LARGE WIND TURBINES

  The U.S. Department of  Energy (DOE) has awarded Northern Power, a
  subsidiary of Distributed Energy  Systems Corp. (Nasdaq: DESC), a
  Phase 2 Small Business Innovation Research  (SBIR) grant to
  continue development of key modular construction technologies
  necessary to build 5-megawatt to 8-megawatt wind turbines.
*********

DUKE ENERGY INDIANA TO PURCHASE WIND POWER

  Duke Energy Indiana  has finalized an agreement to purchase up to
  100 megawatts of wind-generated  electricity from an Orion Energy
  wind farm under development in Benton County,  Ind.
*********

WIND FARMS TO INCREASE IN AUSTRALIA

  The officials in Victoria, Australia have approved the
  construction of a wind farm in the southwest Mount Gellibrand area.
*********

From Refocus Weekly - August 24, 2006

- BP has purchased Greenlight Energy of Virginia for US$98 million as part of its strategy to develop its wind business in North America. Greenlight has a portfolio of 40 wind projects with total potential of 6,500 MW, including a number of projects which BP expects to develop over the next five years. The purchase gives BP Alternative Energy ³immediate access to a large number of high-quality wind development projects² across the U.S., say officials. In July, BP reached agreement with turbine manufacturer Clipper Windpower to acquire a half-stake in a 2,000 MW wind development portfolio in the U.S., as well as an agreement for the supply of turbines with capacity of 2,250 MW over the next five years.

- PacifiCorp and MidAmerican Energy have added 223.5 MW of new wind capacity, which boosts the company¹s green power portfolio to 15% of its generating capacity. A 123 MW windfarm in northwest Iowa and the purchase of a 100.5 MW facility in north central Oregon will place MidAmerican as the top in ownership of wind generation among rate-regulated utilities in the U.S., with 695.5 MW of turbines in operation, under construction and under contract in Iowa. It also sources 17 MW from hydroelectric, biomass and methane facilities. PacifiCorp's purchase of the 100.5 MW Leaning Juniper 1 wind project is part of its commitment to have 400 MW of cost-effective new renewables in its portfolio by the end of 2007. It has also committed to acquire another 1,000 MW of cost-effective green power by 2015.

- The Green party in Australia will oppose the Bald Hills windfarm in the riding of Gippsland South in Victoria. In the state elections this November, the Greens candidate, Jackie Dargaville, will contest the seat held by Peter Ryan, leader of the National Party. She says the Greens support renewables but green power facilities should be in the right place, and not in coastal areas of beauty and tourism potential.

- Nebraska Public Power District has stalled development of a private windfarm in northeast Nebraska, because it ran out of time to finalize details with the developer coalition. Action on the facility has been tabled indefinitely and the private company must bring the project back for review. NPPD was to sign a 20-year contract to buy electricity from the 40 MW site, which was to be constructed under an economic strategy called Community-Based Energy Development. The project was supported by the Nebraska Farmers Union, American Corn Growers Association and the Center for Rural Affairs, and the proposal needed to sign a contract with NPPD this month to be eligible for US$45 million of production tax credits. Nebraska is ranked sixth in the U.S. for wind energy potential by the American Wind Energy Association, and NPPD owns the 60 MW windfarm near Ainsworth.

- Researchers at Montana State University have created one of the largest open-access databases for wind energy research in the United States. In 1989, Sandia National Laboratories funded research to predict if 50,000-pound blades would break after half a billion revolutions expected in a 20-year lifespan.

- Horizon Organic of Coloado, a U.S. manufacturer of certified organic foods, will consume wind energy exclusively for its supply chain. It will purchase green tags to cover its power needs, joining its sister brand, White Wave, a soyfoods manufacturer, which became the largest company in 2003 to purchase wind energy credits for 100% of its needs. In 2004, White Wave's purchase of tags was 25,000 MWh and recently won the "Green Power Partner of the Year" award from the U.S. Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency.

- Nordex of Germany has transferred control of 37 wind turbines to Energía y Recursos Ambientales (EYRA), a subsidiary of ACS of Spain, for the 50 MW Tortosa windfarm 200 km south of Barcelona.

- The advisory council of the European Technology Platform for Wind Energy (TPWind) is seeking applications for membership on its steering committee that will lead sector technology and policy R&D strategy. Members will develop strategic research agendas to map priorities for wind energy research to 2030 and "TPWind is vital in the struggle to build up public and private funding for wind energy research," says Arthouros Zervos of the European Wind Energy Association. "Even in this time of energy uncertainty, we cannot be sure of increased public funding for wind energy, but we can at least ensure that the funds go where they are needed most." The steering committee will be established by October, at which time the advisory council will be dissolved.

- Utility regulators in the state of Idaho have denied a request from Magic Wind to amend a sales agreement with Idaho Power. The developer wanted to be paid for surplus power based on an alternative pricing method used in other wind contracts signed by the utility, but the Idaho Public Utilities Commission ruled that Idaho Power did not agree to that pricing method and could not be forced to alter the deal. The PUC did approve another request from Magic Wind, to be exempted from a cap on the size of windfarms that can qualify for a rate. The company wants to install eight 2.5 MW turbines and to receive US$61 per MWh.

- Two remote towns in Western Australia have installed wind turbines to decrease their consumption of diesel generation. Hopetoun and Denham received Aus$1.8 million from the federal Renewable Remote Power Generation Program, and both projects include additional diesel generators to integrate with the turbines and allow more green power to be included in the power supply. Environment minister Ian Campbell says the Hopetoun project will generate 1,100 MWh and reduce diesel consumption by 220,000 litres each year, while Denham will add 705 MWh and save 230,000 litres of diesel fuel a year. "Wind is a clean and reliable energy source that works well in these communities," says Campbell. "Combined with modern, efficient diesel generators, these two towns are now assured of sufficient electricity supplies for their future development needs," such as the new Ravensthorpe nickel mine near Hopetoun. Australia¹s RRPGP offers $205 million to support installation of green power equipment to displace diesel generation in remote parts of the country.