March 4, 2008
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
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GLOBAL WIND POWER CAPACITY GROWS RAPIDLY IN 2007, BUT JAPAN LAGS
Global wind power capacity that was newly installed in 2007
totaled 20,000 megawatts, an amount equivalent to capacity
generated by 15 large-scale nuclear power plants, but Japan lags
behind in the field, a recent report compiled by an industry group
shows.
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FORUM PROVIDES INFO ON BENEFITS OF WIND FARMS
Jobs. Environmental benefits. BP Alternative Energy touted the
benefits of the Cape Vincent Wind Farm and explained continuing
studies for the project at a public forum this week.
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BIG MONTH FOR WIND ENERGY
Without a flicker of interruption, some 280,000 people in
northeastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota will join the
wind energy generation this month.
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UTILITY AIMS TO RIDE NEW BREEZE: COMPANY TOUTS ITS WIND FARM
CAPACITY IN SEEKING STATE APPROVAL TO BUY ENERGY EAST
Iberdrola SA, the Spanish utility seeking to acquire Energy East
Corp. for $4.5 billion, is the largest wind power developer in the
world.
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FORT MADISON WIND PLANT EXPANDS
Siemens Power Generation plans to invest $33 million to expand its
wind turbine blade plant in Fort Madison.
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WIND FARMS TO BE BUILT THROUGHOUT COUNTRY
New wind farms to be built throughout Tunisia by 2009, national
production should reach 175 MW by 2010.
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VESTAS TO SUPPLY 33 WIND TURBINES TO CANADA
Danish wind turbine maker Vestas has received an order for 33
units of its V90-3MW wind turbine for installation in Canada. The
order was received from an affiliate of Suez Renewable Energy NA,
the renewable energy division of Houston, Texas-based Suez Energy
North America
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GREEN GROUPS BACK PLAN FOR WIND TURBINES
Ambitious plans to build a GBP15million wind farm to power
Glasgow's street lights have been backed by environmental groups.
OnSaturday, the Evening Times revealed city council bosses want to
build a wind farm with five massive turbines the size of the
Science Centre Tower.
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GROUP DROPS WIND SUIT
The Western Catskill Preservation Alliance has withdrawn a lawsuit
filed against the town of Stamford and Invenergy because the delay
of the judge's decision allowed Invenergy time to file an
application.
*********
CHINESE WIND POWER INDUSTRY FORECAST TO EXPAND RAPIDLY
With the huge market demand at home and abroad and the sound
policy environment, China's wind turbine industry promises great
prospects in the coming year, and experts have given the
"recommended" rating of investment.
*********
COUNCIL OKS REVISIONS TO WINDMILL CODE
The Lackawanna City Council on Tuesday approved revisions to its
windmill ordinance that will affect where the wind turbines may be
erected along the former Bethlehem Steel site, define lot sizes on
the site and allow developers to post unobtrusive signage on the
property.
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DEP HAS CONCERNS ABOUT WIND FARM
The state Department of Environmental Protection has issued a
letter of deficiencies about the controversial Shaffer Mountain
Wind project, The Tribune-Democrat has learned.
*********
WIND TAKEN OUT OF TURBINE PROJECT IN GEORGES, SPRINGHILL
An Oregon-based company is weighing its options after a decision
by Fayette County's zoning hearing board earlier this week to deny
a request for a special exception to construct 18 wind-powered
turbines in Georges and Springhill.
*********
BRALEY: EXTEND WIND ENERGY TAX CREDIT
That's roughly the cost difference between producing a
kilowatt-hour of electricity with coal (5.4 cents) and wind (7.6
cents). Since 1992, wind enthusiasts and their allies in Congress
have narrowed the cost gap with a 2-cent-per-kilowatt tax credit,
renewed every year or two.
*********
H.E.B. TO TRY OUT WIND ENERGY PROJECT AT WESLACO FACILITY
The 125-foot-tall tower soon to be sticking out of the ground in
Weslaco may resemble a colossal cotton swab or a mammoth
corkscrew, but it could mean cost savings to H.E.B.
*********
WIND PROJECT MOVING FORWARD: COMMISSION GIVES OK TO SEEK BIDS FOR
$10 MILLION PLAN
City commissioners voted unanimously to move toward creating a six
megawatt wind farm on land near the city landfill.
*********
IDAHO UTILITY COMPANIES, WIND DEVELOPERS COME TO AGREEMENT
A nearly three-year dispute between Idaho utility companies and
wind developers has been resolved, according to a statement issued
by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission.
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EDP SUBSIDIARY ACQUIRES WIND ENERGY PORTFOLIO IN THE US
Horizon Wind Energy, EDP's wholly owned subsidiary for US wind
operations, has acquired from Hydra Energy, a portfolio of six
early stage projects in the US that aggregate to 1,050MW of wind
capacity.
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MAINE HAS THE WIND - AND A PLAN
Maine is still a small player when it comes to wind power, but it
clearly has potential and big-time aspirations.
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GRANHOLM SAYS MICHIGAN IS A RENEWABLE ENERGY 'BACKWATER'
Gov. Jennifer Granholm said Michigan is "a backwater" in promoting
renwable energy such as wind power, and called on lawmakers to
quickly approve legislation requiring the state to generate 25% of
its electric power from renewable sources by 2025
*********
OREGON UTILITIES PREPARE TO COMPLY WITH RENEWABLE-ENERGY LAW
Eight months after the Oregon Renewable Energy Act was signed into
law, Pacific Power -- the utility with the most customers in
Central Oregon -- is already working to meet the state's mandate
to deliver 25 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2025.
*********
SUEZ ENERGY NORTH AMERICA AFFILIATE AND NEW BRUNSWICK POWER ENTER
INTO LONG-TERM POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT FROM NEW 99 MW WIND PROJECT
SUEZ Renewable Energy NA (SRENA), the renewable energy business of
SUEZ Energy North America, today announced that an affiliate has
signed a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement with New Brunswick Power
Distribution and Customer Service Corporation.
*********
WIND FARM PROPOSED NEAR ELKINS
A global electric company wants to build a $250 million wind-
power plant with up to 65 turbines on a ridge top near Elkins.
*********
FINAL PLEA OVER PLANS FOR BIGGEST WIND FARM IN EUROPE
Developers yesterday made a final plea to the Scottish Government
to construct the biggest wind farm in Europe in the Western Isles.
*********
ACCIONA INAUGURATES TWO WIND PARKS IN SPAIN
Spanish renewable power firm Acciona Energy has inaugurated the
Serra del Tallat and Serra de Vilobi wind parks. With their joint
capacity of 90MW, they represent 26% of installed wind power
capacity in the Catalonia province of Spain.
*********
CHANGE IN WIND FOR RENEWABLES
Bank of Scotland Corporate took its first steps to becoming a
leading investor in the renewable energy sector in 1993 and has
had a front-row seat in witnessing the huge growth of the industry
both in the UK and internationally.
*********
SIEMENS TO BUILD WIND FARM IN FRANCE
Siemens Energy has received an order from the wind project
developer Eolfi for a wind farm in France, to be located 30
kilometers north of Troyes.
*********
IBERDROLA RENOVABLES COMMISSIONS EL MARQUESADO WIND FARM
Spanish renewable energy firm Iberdrola Renovables has
commissioned the El Marquesado wind farm complex in Spain's
Granada province. The firm has said that the facility is the
largest to be built in the Andalusian region.
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