Energy
News
Wind Power in Region 8
Links | News/Info
As power costs continue to rise, alternative power sources, like wind, become
not only environmentally viable but economically feasible. Rife with large,
windswept rural areas, communities in EPA Region 8 are uniquely situated to
take advantage of this.
Links to Additional Wind Energy Resources
Wind
Info
Largest
Wind-Energy Conference (6/3/02)
Rosebud,
Arabia of Wind (5/21/02)
The Rosebud Indian Reservation has begun a pilot wind project that
will provide a model for other Indian tribes and others. It will
also be the beginning of what is expected to be a 50-megawatt wind
farm on three locations on the Rosebud reservation.
First Native American Large-Scale Wind Turbine in South Dakota
(5/7/02)
The E-Wire news service reports: The Rosebud Sioux Tribal
Council and NativeEnergy today announced the completion of an agreement
that will bring critical financial support that will allow the Tribe
to proceed with construction on its first large-scale wind turbine,
which has been stalled over the past year due to funding uncertainties.
For full text see:
http://www.ewire-news.com/wires/1AA0E0F1-092C-49AD-96A522C64FBD023D.htm.
Wind Powers 10 Million Homes Worldwide - Report (3/8/02)
PlanetArt reports: Wind power now accounts for the energy
demands of over 10 million homes around the world, and is the fastest
growing energy source, a joint report by three industry associations
said yesterday. Wind turbine installations worldwide soared by 45
percent or 6,500 megawatt (MW) in 2001, bringing global total windpower
capacity to 24,000 MW, the European, American and Indian wind energy
associations said in a statement. To read the full article see:
http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/14917/story.htm.
Energy Poll Results (12/10/01)
A recent poll by the Gallup Organization indicates broad support
for investmenting in the nation's energy supply. Americans seem
to support the construction of traditional power plants and development
of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power. See at:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/releases/pr011127.asp.
Newest Iowa Wind Farm Dedicated (Iowa Department of Natural
Resources)
The 89 wind turbines that make up the Top of Iowa Wind Farm are
in north central Iowa are now producing electricity for Iowa and
Wisconsin. The farm will produce about 80 MW of electricity per
year, enough to power 40,000 homes. See: http://www.state.ia.us/government/dnr/energy/news/press/
2001/November%2030.htm.
Omaha Public Power Approves Wind Turbine (9/21/01)
In their first attempt to harness wind power, Omaha Public Power District
is designing and building a wind tower. The turbine will generate a maximum
of 660 kilowatts. If the turbine operated at maximum power, it would generate
enough electricity to power about 480 homes, based on figures provided
by OPPD. For more information see: http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_np=0&u_div=3&u_hdg=0&u_sid=198156
University of
Colorado Students Vote "Yes" For Wind Power!
Wind Power Cheaper than Coal-Generated (8/23/01)
According to a group of Stanford engineers, wind is now "obviously
cheaper" than coal. When indirect health and environmental costs
are calculated, coal-generated electricity is much more expensive than
cleaner wind-generated power. For more information see: http://www.msnbc.com/news/617631.asp.
Tax Credits for Small Wind Turbines For Residential Use
(7/9/01)
A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would provide a tax credit
for residential wind generators. Representative J.C. Watts, an Oklahoma Republican,
sponsored the legislation, which would provide a 30 percent investment tax credit
for the units. For more information see: http://www.awea.org
or http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jul2001/2001L-07-09-09.html.
Wind Turbine Studies, RFP Scheduled for Release: September
1, 2001 (7/7/01)
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), through its National Renewable Energy Laboratory
(NREL), announces its intent to conduct a competitive procurement with industry
to perform Low Wind Speed Turbine (LWT) Concept Studies.
Approx. $600K expected to be available for 4 to 6 awards of a 3 to 6
months duration. For more info, contact Neil Wikstrom,
NREL, at 303/384-6960. Refer to Sol# RAM-1-31235.
New
Green-e Renewable Energy Website (6/18/01)
The Green-e Program has officially launched a new advanced web site, http://www.green-e.org, which offers fresh
approaches to informing consumers and power providers on renewable energy. The
new site enables consumers to receive information on renewable electricity choices
by clicking their state on the US map. For more information contact: Keri Bolding,
CRS Communications Director, 415-561-2100, kbolding@resource-solutions.org/
or see http://www.resource-solutions.org/.
Wind
Power Becoming Worldwide Choice (5/18/01)
Worldwide installations of wind energy generating capacity outstripped those
of nuclear for the second year in a row in 2000, an indication that wind is
becoming a competitive player in today's power markets. The steady growth of
investment in wind farms makes it clear that deployment of wind power can be
part of the solution to America's energy crisis, according to AWEA. For more
information contact: Tom Gray at 802/649-2112, or Christine Real de Azua at
202/383-2508/ or visit http://www.awea.org/.
Wind Power as Rural “Crop”(3/22/01)
Capturing energy from wind blowing over the land is emerging as one of the most
lucrative "crops" around. An article in Tidepool Magazine,
“Harvesting The Wind: A New Economic Opportunity for Rural Communities,” reports
that farmers and ranchers typically
earn $2,000 annually for each wind turbine sited on their land. Since a turbine
only requires around one-half acre, harvesting the wind has a profitability
per acre many times that of most other crops. Additionally, the Seattle Post-Intelligencier
reports: “As the Northwest faces the prospect of skyrocketing wholesale electricity
rates in coming years, experts say rural communities could become a major source
of clean power for the region's energy-hungry cities. Rural landowners could
generate energy not only for their own needs but even produce marketable excess
power to sell.” To view these articles see: http://tidepool.org/features/mazza.wind.cfm
or http://seattlep-i.nwsource.com/local/farm30.shtml
.
Low Costs Position Wind as Clean Solution to Energy Crisis (3/22/01)
The American Wind Energy Association reports: "Electricity from large
new wind farms proposed in the Western United States will be generated at record-low
costs, establishing wind energy as a source of electricity that can play a significant
role in stabilizing electricity prices while offsetting pollution associated
with conventional electricity generation." View the AWEA
comparative energy cost fact sheet, at: http://www.awea.org/pubs/factsheets.html.
Largest Wind Farm In the World (3/22/01)
In January, plans for construction of 450 windmills along the Oregon-Washington
line, to generate 300 megawatts or enough electricity for 70,000 homes in 11
Western states, was announced. Factoring in the savings from the federal wind
energy production tax credit, the “Stateline” wind farm will achieve record-low
costs of only 2.5 cents per kilowatt-hour, according to the American Wind Energy
Association. Construction could be completed by the end of the year. With this
winter's elevated natural gas prices, wind energy is now shaping up as one of
the lowest-cost options for electricity production. For more information view
http://www.enn.com/news/wire-stories/2001/01/01112001/ap_wind_41291.asp.
What is the Value of Energy? (2/27/01)
The Flathead Business Journal reports that Columbia Falls Aluminum
Co. will shut down for a year, and sell its available power (via contracts negotiated
with the Bonneville Power Administration) to energy-strapped Western utilities.
The plant can make more money by shutting down and selling its power, than by
operating.
|
