May 21, 2008

Wind Harvest International's "Wind News" - May 21, 2008
A compilation of story leads from around the world.
By:  Kevin Wolf <kwolf@windharvest.com>

*********************************************************************
This newsletter includes 26 news stories from May 14-21, 2008
*********************************************************************

Note:  These story titles and lead paragraphs predominantly come from Energy Central's  (www.energycentral.com/) 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.
<><><><><><>

MINNESOTA POWER ANNOUNCES LONG TERM PROJECT TO ACCELERATE WIND
ENERGY AND CUT BACK CARBON

  In a major move to accelerate its strategy of reducing carbon
  emissions and expanding renewable wind energy development,
  Minnesota  Power (NYSE: ALE) proposes to purchase a major
  transmission line from  North Dakota, phase out a long-term
  contract to buy coal-based  electricity, and add several hundred
  megawatts of wind generation.
*********

FPL ENERGY, OTTER TAIL POWER COMPANY AND MINNKOTA POWER COOPERATIVE
DEDICATE NORTH DAKOTA WIND FARM

  FPL Energy, LLC, a subsidiary of FPL Group (NYSE:FPL), Otter Tail
  Power Company and Minnkota Power Cooperative, Inc., today joined
  about  150 guests near Langdon to dedicate FPL Energy's Langdon
  Wind Energy  Center in Cavalier County, North Dakota.
*********

BUCKSPORT: PANEL WANTS MORE TIME TO EXAMINE WIND POWER

  The town's energy committee wants a little more time and
  information before it makes any recommendations to the Town
  Council about how to proceed with plans for municipal wind power.
*********

HOME WIND TURBINES APPROVED IN CARROLL COUNTY

  Carroll County has become the first jurisdiction in Maryland to
  allow wind turbines in private yards. Towers must be no more than
  150 feet tall and no more than two single-tower turbines will be
  allowed per property.
*********

MESA POWER PLACES WORLD'S LARGEST SINGLE-SITE WIND TURBINE PURCHASE ORDER

  Mesa Power LLP, a company created by legendary energy executive T.
  Boone Pickens, has placed an order with General Electric to
  purchase 667 wind turbines capable of generating 1,000 megawatts
  of electricity, enough to power more than 300,000 average U.S.
  homes.
*********

AGENCY LOOKING INTO SMALL WIND ENERGY PROJECTS

  Large wind farms that supply electricity to major power grids are
  still a long way from coming to the immediate Clovis area,
  according to Eastern Plains Council of Government Executive
  Director Lee Tillman.
*********

DOUGLAS COUNTY PLANNERS SEE NEED FOR WIND TURBINE RULES

  As the hunt for cleaner, domestic sources of energy continues,
  some Wisconsin counties have adopted wind farm ordinances, but
  Douglas County isn't one of them.
*********

WIND TURBINE REGULATIONS APPROVED BY WILL COUNTY BOARD: MEASURE SETS
HEIGHT, NOISE LIMITS FOR ENERGY PRODUCING DEVICES ON ROOFS, IN BACKYARDS

  After months of delays, alternative-energy advocates got what they
  wanted Thursday when the Will County Board unanimously approved an
  ordinance greenlighting installation of wind turbines to power
  homes and businesses.
*********

WE ENERGIES WIND PROJECT BEGINS COMMERCIAL OPERATION

  We Energies' Blue Sky Green Field wind project was placed into
  commercial service today. "Blue Sky Green Field is one of several
  targeted efforts we're undertaking to generate more energy from
  renewable resources," said Rick Kuester, executive vice president
  of Wisconsin Energy Corporation, the parent of We Energies.
*********

NEW WIND FARM IN BLISS PROMISES POWERFUL RESULTS: OPPOSITION TO
TURBINES IS BLOWING OVER AS ENERGY SOURCE BECOMES MORE WIDESPREAD

  Stanley Marsh didn't answer immediately when asked whether the
  wind turbine in his backyard was noisy. Noble Environmental Power
  built the $260 million Noble Bliss Windpark in Wyoming County.
*********

LOGAN CO. WIND FARM DEVELOPER PULLS PERMIT APPLICATION

  The developers of a proposed wind farm in northern Logan and
  Tazewell Counties have pulled their application for a special use
  permit, but say the project will still go forward.
*********

GROUPS SUE WIND PROJECT TO PROTECT BATS, BIRDS

  Eleven citizen and environmental groups in West Virginia and
  Maryland have filed a 60-day notice about their intent to sue a
  wind power project.
*********

WIND FARMS POWER UP: PROJECTS IN DODGE, FOND DU LAC COUNTIES HAVE
BEEN COMPLETED

  Wisconsin is generating six times as much electricity from wind
  power today as it did last year. Milwaukee-based We Energies said
  Monday that construction of its wind power project in Fond du Lac
  County is complete and that all 88 turbines are generating power.
*********

IBERDROLA PLANS $8B INVESTMENT IN U.S. RENEWABLES

Spanish utility company Iberdrola has announced that it will invest $8 billion in the U.S. renewable energy market during the period of 2008-2010.
*********

OKLAHOMA UTILITY FILES RENEWABLE PROGRAM WITH OCC

Oklahoma City-based Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co. (OG&E) has filed a renewable energy program with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission detailing its commitment to quadruple its wind energy capacity in the state to 770 MW.
*********

WHITE CREEK WIND PROJECT DEDICATED

The 205 MW White Creek Wind Project has been dedicated in Roosevelt, Wash. The project began commercial production in November and features 89 2.3 MW Siemens wind turbines. It is located on 9,500 acres of ranchland in Klickitat County.
*********

NEW YORK WIND PROJECTS START OPERATIONS

Essex, Conn.-based Noble Environmental Power held a joint ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the start of operations at New York's newest wind projects - the 100.5 MW Noble Clinton Windpark and the 81 MW Noble Ellenburg Windpark, both located in Clinton County.
*********

AGL PARTNERS WITH WIND PROSPECT FOR FOURTH HALLETT WIND FARM

  Australian energy services provider AGL has signed a development
  agreement with European energy developer, Wind Prospect, which the
  former expects will pave the way for a fourth wind farm at Hallett
  in South Australia.
*********

SIEMENS TO SUPPLY 140 WIND TURBINES FOR THE WORLD'S LARGEST OFFSHORE
WIND FARM GREATER GABBARD

  Siemens Energy has received an order for the supply of 140 wind
  turbines with a capacity of 3.6 megawatts (MW) each. They will be
  delivered to the future world's largest offshore wind farm Greater
  Gabbard located 25 kilometers off the coast of Suffolk in Great
  Britain.
*********

RENERWIND AND AWP TO BUILD WIND POWER PARK

  The wind power park to built by Renerwind Energetikai Kft and
  Austrian Wind Power in Janossomorja (AWP) will generate around 8
  megawatts of electric power annually with four Vestas 90 wind
  turbines.
*********

COMMUNITY WIND PROJECT PLANNED FOR NOVA SCOTIA

Toronto-based SkyPower Corp., a Lehman Brothers Co., and Scotian WindFields Inc., a community owned Nova Scotia company, have announced a 20-year power purchase agreement by Nova Scotia Power. The contract is to develop a 30 MW wind park in Digby, Nova Scotia.
*********

CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON DOKIE I WIND PROJECT

Calgary, Alberta-based EarthFirst Canada Inc. has commenced construction at its 144 MW wind project located in the Peace River area of northeast British Columbia
*********

NACEL ENERGY AND RIDGE PARTNERS LLC TO BRING 600 MW OF NEW WIND
ENERGY ONLINE IN CARIBBEAN AND LATIN AMERICA

  NACEL Energy Corporation (OTCBB: NCEN) (FRANKFURT: 4FC) ("NACEL
  Energy"), a growing wind power company generating clean, renewable
  energy for America, has entered into a joint venture agreement
  with Ridge Partners, LLC, an established developer of
  infrastructure in the Caribbean and Latin America.
*********

UK WIND PROJECTS MIRED IN PRE-APPROVAL STAGE, FACE EXTENDED DELAYS

  New wind energy projects in the UK are mired in pre-approval
  delays, with at least 222 new projects awaiting sanction, even
  though the UK government has promised to speed up the process of
  inquiry and approval, according to the Guardian.
*********

IBERDROLA RENOVABLES TO PURCHASE 310MW WIND TURBINES FROM ECOTECNIA

  Spanish clean energy firm Iberdrola Renovables has signed a
  contract with Alstom's subsidiary, Ecotecnia, to purchase wind
  turbines with an aggregate capacity of 310MW, to be installed on
  its wind farms across Europe, at a total cost of E435 million.
*********

ACCIONA WINDPOWER TO SUPPLY 782MW WIND TURBINES TO EDP RENOVAVEIS

  Spanish wind turbine manufacturer Acciona Windpower and Portuguese
  clean energy company EDP Renovaveis have signed a wind turbine
  supply deal, under which Acciona will supply wind turbines with a
  total capacity of 782MW to EDP, over three years.
*********

<><><><><><>

If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter, please reply to <kwolf@windharvest.com> with the subject line UNSUBSCRIBE.

If you received this message from a colleague and would like to receive this summary directly, to submit a press release, or for any other concern please contact <kwolf@windharvest.com>.

Wind News is a free service provided by Wind Harvest International <http://www.windharvest.com>