Wind Power News

Maverick oilman T. Boone Pickens places $2 billion bet on wind power in massive Texas project NEW YORK (AP) -- Maverick oilman T. Boone Pickens has placed a $2 billion bet on wind power in just the first of a four-phase project to build the world's largest wind farm in Texas.

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

LM Glasfiber has been awarded DKK 30 million by the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation for the development of a blade technology based on the use of completely novel types of fiber.

Gamesa Corporación Tecnológica presented its first quarter results for 2008. The company maintained its steady profitable growth and culminated its focus on wind energy as the main driving force for growth once the sale of its solar unit was finalized.

Here's a great photo sent to use by Mike Correale at Solar Wind Technologies LLC . This is just a great shot of the home grown Skystream in front of the American flag with the high tension lines of big energy looming over head...very nice. The little guy taking a bite… Solar Wind Technologies is located in Lucas Texas - just north east of Dallas. phone: 972.727.6809 Thanks for the photo Mike.

Major New Technical Report Finds Wind Can Provide 20% of U.S. Electricity Needs by 2030 U.S. Department of Energy analysis finds that wind can be major contributor to energy mix Wind power is capable of becoming a major contributor to America’s electricity supply over the next three decades, according to a report released today by the U.S. Department of Energy. The groundbreaking report, 20% Wind Energy by 2030: Increasing Wind Energy’s Contribution to U.S. Electricity Supply, looks closely at one scenario for reaching 20% wind energy by 2030 and contrasts it to a scenario of no new U.S. wind power capacity.

Wind farm developer Noble Environmental Power LLC has filed documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a US$ 375 million initial public offering.

Broadwind Energy, Inc. has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Badger Transport, Inc., a heavy hauler based in Clintonville, Wisconsin, USA.

UPC Wind, an independent North American wind power company, has announced that it is changing its name to First Wind.

Post your Skystream's kWh production for April of 2008 . Just copy the line below and replace the current information with your own and post it in a comment. NAME: Joshua Janes      LOCATION: Oak Harbor, OH, USA       PRODUCTION: 246 kWh      AVG. WIND SPEED: n/a

Global Energy Concepts (GEC) has announced that they are joining forces with Det Norske Veritas (DNV) to create a new player in the international wind energy market.

Wind power is capable of becoming a major contributor to America's electricity supply over the next three decades, according to a report released by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Soaring world oil prices coupled with the sub-prime mortgage crisis in the US makes it little wonder that home owners are looking for financial relief in the form of renewable energy. Residential Wind Power has surged in popularity over the last 12 months with demand for the earth friendly power almost tripling according to the American Wind En­­­ergy Association (AWEA). The number of residential installations of wind turbines in the United States rose from 400 to 1,200 units in the past year. Supplying that tiny but red-hot market are dozens of new companies that have popped up since 2000. Though a half-dozen companies dominate the market, AWEA tracks about 45 US manufacturers. With demand strong overseas, too, the US is the world leader in wind power systems , exporting more than half of what it sells. Wind power can be expensive. Small wind turbines for homes and farms run in the 2 to 10 kilowatt range. A smaller wind turbine can cost anywhere from $12,000 to $60,000 installed. A rule of thumb: Turbine systems cost about $6 to $8 per watt (1 kilowatt = 1,000 watts), installed. The driving factor in the growth of residential wind power is the link to the power grid which is a..

Checking out You Tube this morning i found an interesting wind turbine. Check out this spiral design: There are no details about this device that i can find however it certainly is a hypnotizing invention!

Jim Gordon is not a pirate, as suggested by April 25 letter writer John Finnerty Jr. Mr. Gordon would pay us for a lease for ocean space for the benign purpose of generating electricity we all use. He'd remove nothing from the Sound.

REpower Systems AG and Enertad have signed a framework agreement for the supply of wind turbines with an individual capacity of 2MW, up to a total of 80 units, including an option for 30 additional turbines.

ENEL has announced that it has chosen REpower Systems AG as supplier for wind farm projects in France and Italy with a total output of 263MW.

BOSTON — The state would open up ocean sanctuaries to renewable energy development under a legislative agreement that could allow a controversial wind farm in Buzzards Bay to be built under certain conditions. A six-member conference committee of House and Senate members reached consensus on the bill this week, avoiding more drastic House legislation that critics say would have opened up Buzzards Bay and other ocean sanctuaries to unlimited renewable energy development.

FPL Energy has ordered 218 Siemens wind turbines to be installed at several wind farms across the U.S. for delivery in 2009.

Vestas generated first-quarter revenue 2008 of € 701 million against € 760 million in the first quarter of 2007.

AWS Truewind has announced that it has completed the first high resolution wind resource map of the contiguous United States.

Energy costs are skyrocketing. With regular gas at $3.60 to $4.60 per gallon on the Cape and Islands, gassing up is a numbing experience. Some experts forecast crude oil will cost $150 a barrel by 2010 and $200 a barrel in 2012. The Federal Reserve ratcheted down its interest rate from 5.25 percent last August to 2 percent today to keep the economy and jobs viable. Exxon-Mobil reported record first-quarter earnings of $10.9 billion; exorbitant fossil-fuel prices are choking our economy. What can we do?

On your April 25 editorial page you highlighted an excerpt from a letter written by John Finnerty Jr. accusing Jim Gordon of Cape Wind of committing piracy. I was offended that you would indulge so easily in something akin to slander. Mr. Gordon is my friend, and for many thousands of us on the Cape and Islands Jim Gordon represents leadership that is decent, creative and right.

Subsequent to the tender call issued on October 31, 2005, for Québec-produced wind power, Hydro-Québec is accepting 15 bids for a total of 2,004MW.

2008 and 2009 are expected to be boom years in the offshore sector in Europe - with planned commissioning of a total of 1,507.5MW on new installations coming online.

The EOL Easy Wind was developed with user friendliness and easy data access in mind and has a simple and user friendly interface with a 4x20 unit LCD display and 7 buttons for navigation.

The St-Laurent Énergies consortium, with which wind turbine manufacturer REpower Systems AG has concluded an exclusive option agreement concerning the delivery of wind turbines last year, has announced that it has been awarded five wind projects by the energy supplier Hydro-Quebec Distribution, representing a total capacity of 954MW in the Canadian province of Québec.

Catch the Wind, Inc has recently introduced a forward-looking, laser-based wind sensor system capable of sensing wind speed and direction at a distance. Named the Vindicator, the system utilises the latest aerospace industry technology to provide advance control information to wind farm turbines.

David Blittersdorf, president and CEO of Earth Turbines, Inc., a Vermont manufacturer of home wind turbines, has been elected to the board of directors of the Small Wind Certification Corporation (SWCC).

Hélimax Energy Inc (Hélimax) has announced that it has recently surpassed 6,000MW of due diligence and expert opinion services for wind power projects.

Thanks for participating in our recent energy poll, where we asked you to choose your favorite renewable energy sources. Voting is still open, but so far it looks like solar power is the most popular choice, with wind power in second place. We recently came across another interesting NWA news article that examines the [...]

The Bahrain World Trade Center (BWTC) has completed the construction of the three wind turbines that will generate electricity between it’s twin towers. The BWTC design blends maritime aesthetics with the functionality of traditional wind-towers. The buildings are the tallest in Manama and the turbines officially make it the world’s first wind-powered mega structure. [...]

Nearly 98% of all wind generation is owned by Big Corps – independent power producers and electric utilities. The rest - 2% to 3% - is owned by us little guys - farmers, ranchers, schools, towns, businesses, and colleges. The issues, policies, etc., of these two wind-generation ‘worlds’ are different. You need to understand the differences , and what does/does not apply to your own wind agenda so you can identify the best allies to support you and be prepared to answer your resistors . One of the best comparisons I’ve seen between the Goliaths of wind generation and us Davids is an excellent presentation that Tom Wind gave in Kansas in March 2008. Tom is a community wind activist working out of Jefferson Iowa. He is an engineer experienced in the utility business sector and has been involved in a number of projects where towns/farms/businesses have installed single turbines or small clusters of turbines on distribution lines. In Getting Community Wind Off the Ground Tom first compares Corporate-owned and Community-owned wind projects, then drills down on Community Wind Project specifics : Describing some example projects Identifying key issues Laying out the development st..

Thinking of tapping into wind power by leasing your farm land to a wind developer? You may want to look into the Minwind Energy wind farm near Luverne, in the southwest corner of Minnesota first. “The real money to be made from wind power comes not from land rental, but from the generation of electrical power ,” says Mark Willers, CEO of Minwind. “If someone is going to be making money off my land , it should be me –not some power company, and especially not an Australian or Spanish company,” adds Tom Arends a Minwind member and a semi-retired grain and hog farmer. “We must find ways to keep more of these wind-energy dollars within our state and within the Midwest–and we need to collaborate to make it happen,” says Willers. And collaborate they did! Most other wind farms in the U. S. are owned by private power companies. Minwind Energy is owned by the 300 farmers and community members who came together to develop this wind farm. The Minwind Energy story is less about gathering allies to support an agenda than it is a case study of the power of a commited community, although as I dig deeper I am sure I will find a lot more about how that communit..

Citizens of the town of Barnstable, stop this idiotic waste of taxpayer money.

Depending on who you talk with, Iowa is now either #3 or #4 in the country in wind energy generation . Add to that the Iowa Power Fund , Iowa’s $100 million renewable energy research and development initiative, and Governor Chet Culver’s mission to make Iowa “…the nation’s undisputed renewable energy leader.” Given all that you’d think that Iowa is a GREEN POWER haven! Not so! There is a battle going on and you can help . On the green side : Iowa Governor Chet Culver has stated, “ My goal is that 25 percent of our electricity comes from renewable sources by 2025.” There are 1,000 wind turbines in operation and five wind technology companies located in Iowa. And, the state is currently one of only two in the US that are manufacturing turbines, blades and towers - the three main components needed for wind energy. Wind power has already been very, very, good to Iowa. Clipper Windpower , a California-based company, opened its Cedar Rapids Iowa plant in 2006. The 330,000-square-foot facility employs 300 workers, built 150 of Clipper’s 2.5-megawatt turbines in 2007, and is on track to make more than 300 wind turbines in 2008. The company plans to double productio..

StopGreenwash.org Challenges Advertising Claims on Global Warming Made by Nuclear, Coal and Auto Industries WASHINGTON - Greenpeace, with a 36-year history of monitoring corporate malfeasance, confronting polluters, and stopping environmental misdeeds, marked Earth Day 2008 with the launch of project StopGreenwash.org to expose deceptive corporate environmental claims known as ‘greenwashing.’

Richard F. Mullin (Letters, April 22) is the latest writer to repeat the mantra that the "cost of power from the wind farm will be three times the present rate." This myth apparently arises from a confusion over wholesale versus retail power rates.

You can’t depend on wind they say. When you least expect it, the wind dies, the sails luff, the power goes. As we stretch to reach national 25×25 goals, there are plans afoot to tame the will-o-the-wind. The Iowa Stored Energy Park , a joint project of Iowa, Minnesota and the Dakotas, is one such effort. How do they plan to get wind energy on demand ? Why, simply harvest the wind's energy and store it for future use. And once again we see that grassroots organizing is so important!   The Iowa Stored Energy Park (ISEP) is a power supply project, being developed by over 100 municipal utilities across four states. The idea is similar to current methods being used to store natural gas underground in many locations around the world. The Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) project uses wind generated energy to compresses air and store it underground in a natural geological formation for later use in making electricity. When wind energy wanes, the stored air is released , mixed with fuel and used to power combustion turbines to produce electricity. Ok. So it may not be totally clean and green but it helps to make wind energy more reliably consistent . And, this process uses l..

Majority of Proposed Projects Involve Wind Energy BOSTON - “We are very excited to see the federal Minerals Management Service move forward on offshore renewable energy research,” said Barbara Hill, Executive Director of Clean Power Now. “The fact that the majority of research proposals involve wind energy is proof that projects like Cape Wind are viable solutions to the energy crisis.”

More than 40,000 individuals and organizations have submitted comments on an environmental review of the wind farm proposed for Nantucket Sound, according to federal officials. "I've never seen anything like this before," said Rodney Cluck, Cape Wind project manager for the U.S. Minerals Management Service, the lead federal agency to review Cape Wind Associates' plan to build 130 wind turbines in the sound.

Issues Notice to Determine Competitive Interest in Nominated Areas WASHINGTON -- The Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service today designated five areas on the Outer Continental Shelf as priority areas for alternative energy research in federal waters. The five areas are offshore New Jersey, Delaware, Georgia, Florida and California. The agency is proposing limited, temporary leases in these areas for data collection and technology testing related to wind, wave and ocean current energy development. There will be no commercial energy production activity associated with the proposed leases.

Recent news is encouraging the supporters of wind turbine-generators – favorable economic examples abound. With oil above $110 per barrel and gasoline prices escalating towards $3.50 per gallon, the economic benefits of using free wind have become overpowering. Compounding fossil fuels’ never-ending increases, KeySpan announced their natural gas price will go up by 27% from May through October.

Earth Day 2008 is a far cry from its launch in 1970. Then, Earth Day was a protest against corporate environmental misconduct. Today, it’s become a marketing strategy to sell the ‘green’ side of everything from SUVs to snack chips. Just how bad has Earth Day become? On the one hand, Earth Day has helped to successfully fight smog and contaminated waters and raised environmental issues to the forefront in peoples’ thinking. But lately this well-meaning once-a year celebration has become a flood of inadequate gestures - full of sound and fury but really accomplishing little. “ The danger is we let ourselves be happy with gestures rather than substance ,” said Hal Harvey, environment-program director for the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation which funds environmental groups. We bring our own canvas bags to pick up groceries but then drive back home in our SUVs, feeling that we’re doing our bit to help save the planet. It's like going to church for an hour on Sunday to atone for sins of the rest of the week. We think that taking a significant stand is refusing to buy cat food in non-recycleable pouches. And, corporate marketing has jumped right on this “fe..

We received this sound report on the Skystream from one of our readers that thought people might be interested in seeing. < click this link to open the pdf file >

Hey everybody, if you get a chance swing by the Huddler and check it out. It's a very cool new site and has lots of great green energy products on it, including the  Skystream . Make sure if you stop by to click on the Skystream and write a review to let others know your experience with the turbine. Also anybody who writes a review on the site before Tuesday the 22 of April is entered in a chance to win one of ten great green energy prize packages including LED light bulbs, Method/Biokleen/Eco Touch and a variety of other cleaners and more...

Think “wind power” — and electricity, generators, light bulbs, and air conditioners all pop into mind. But the city of Seminole has a pilot project in the works that will use wind power to desalinate groundwater to make drinkable water . How will they do that you ask? The Seminole pilot project is a collaboration between the Office of Rural Community Affairs (ORCA), Texas Tech University, and this west Texas town. Groundwater will be pumped from the deep, brackish Santa Rosa aquifer to a reverse osmosis plant that will make the water drinkable for the town's residents. To help power that osmosis plant - a 50 kV wind turbine will do the job. Charles Stone, ORCA's executive diretor notes that if this project is successful, it “…could be a road map for how our rural communities can use wind power to help meet future water needs .” To read more on this story and to follow the project as it unfolds, check out North American WindPower  (both on line and in print) for some of the latest, breaking news on “big wind” projects and the wind industry in general.

Now we've been hearing for a long time now from politicians that they are huge supporters of alternative energy sources and that big business lobbyists have no effect on their decision making. Well, here at Keep Turning.com we think that it is about time they prove it. We say why not put something in DC that spins it's wheels but actually produces something for a change and there should be plenty of hot air gusting there to produce easily 900 kWh a month.

Heh heh, check these guys out! It looks like someone has found the quick way down from some Vestas V90-2MW turbines in Germany (they have the distinctive tip marking) - or maybe they are pioneering some innovative maintenance access techniques? Either way, I'm sure the wind farm owner wouldn't be too happy if they found out! If you really gotta do it, points to note: Make sure the manual rotor lock is on (it's bright red man!) Don't kick off the trailing edge like those guys did (it's a delicate laminate dude!)

Check out the heat on this solar cooker . Watch your fingers! ShareThis

THE EXCITEMENT on Cape Cod was palpable before recent Minerals Management Service hearings on the Cape Wind project, and not just at the thought of dueling minstrels at the microphone. To the unbounded joy of the Nantucket Sound wind-farm opponents on stage, the deus ex machina of Blue H USA appeared from the wings with perfect timing to state that you can have wind power without seeing it.

On the road to becoming governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick visited Evergreen Solar in Marlborough, a campaign stop that at the time seemed more of a nod to environmental stewardship than part of a greater economic policy. But more than two years later, the solar-cell manufacturer has demonstrated the explosive potential of ecoindustry, announcing plans this week to triple its Massachusetts workforce to 1,000 by 2009. The move will bring $44.5 million a year in salaries and benefits to the Bay State. The "clean tech" industry may not be big enough to stave off a recession this year, but states increasingly see such companies as economic drivers of the future – and are beginning to compete among themselves to attract them. So far, Massachusetts and California have taken the lead, but less obvious competitors, such as Iowa and Minnesota, are also vying for a share of the clean-tech market.

Ah, a few more entries in the Wind Songs hunt. Same song title - The Will of the Wind - two different takes; two different artists - both are on YouTube . The Will of the Wind by Jim Photoglo and The Will of the Wind live by Kenny Loggins  are both worth a listen. Each is a beautiful piece that you will surely want to add to your positive wind music collection.

If your project is a large community wind project, a small to medium wind farm, or even a single turbine you want to connect back into the power grid, you may run into the Power Grid Debate . The national power transmission system is old , vulnerable , and inadequate . But will your project have any impact on the transmission grid where you aim to be connected? How much do you really know about the transmission grid and how it works? As a child, digging out information on How Stuff Works meant endless hours at the library. Today, the How Stuff Works website and Discovery Channel's How It's Made TV program are excellent sources for background information. How Power Grids Work by Marshall Brain on the How Stuff Works website is a really good first source for transmission grid information . The reader-friendly descriptions give you a good overview of a transmission system. With photos, diagrams, charts, etc., this article covers the key elements of the power grid : power plant; electric current; substations; distribution grid and bus; regulator banks; taps; safety devices; fuses and circuit breakers at the house; and more. Although this article should not be your only source for unde..

A wind turbine shaped like a jet engine that its designers hope will provide more electricity at a lower cost than conventional windmills has earned FloDesign Inc. a $500,000 loan from the state to develop a prototype. The Massachusetts state governement has made a great investment in the future by injecting $500,000.00 into FloDesign's jet-like wind turbine design. The funding is from the state's economic development agency for renewable energy, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. FloDesign is aiming to build a prototype of the wind turbine over the coming 18 months, said FloDesign's CEO Stanley Kowalski III. The majority of wind turbines feature three long blades mounted on a tall pole and spinning about a central point. The FloDesign turbine resembles a jet engine that has been mounted on a pole, with a number of spinning blades enclosed in a casing. “The reason our turbine has a lower cost is that it is smaller than a conventional wind turbine . This design is around half the diameter of conventional designs. The reason for the increased performance is that it is more efficient,” Kowalski said. “We estimate it will be 35 to 50 percent cheaper per kilowatt..

Wind turbines, radio towers and tall buildings have the potential to affect radar. They are signal reflectors. If sited in the wrong location, wind turbines can impact the ability of radar to perform its mission . But to what extent is radar interference a large enough problem to halt wind farm development and how exactly do turbines interfere with radar ? Like so many issues regarding wind energy, emotions on the radar issue run high in both supporters and resistors. A great deal of misinformation can lock contenders in a stalemate, block a wind farm project and slam the door on further discussion. It is incredibly important to do a great deal of homework on the big picture around your wind project agenda . On the radar interference issue, do a Google search for Gary Seifert. Gary Seifert , a senior program manager at the Idaho National Laboratory, has over 25 years of engineering experience in wind turbine technology. Among other things he is currently involved in studies for multiple Department of Defense government wind projects and is currently leading a technical wind radar interaction project for the US Department of Energy. In an excellent presentation on radar interfer..

In 2005 , the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued its proposed regulations for connecting wind projects to the grid. The technical requirements it proposed recognized the proliferation of wind farms, and their special nature and potential impact on grid reliability . In February 2007 , new FERC transmission access rules were finally adopted. They took effect in June 2007. The new rules focus on a whole lot more than just wind project access to transmission lines. They cover transmission line access for renewable energy power sources in general . Step 3 of our Seventeen Steps to Success says to Research the issue fully to understand the big picture . Even though you may not care about transmission access by other renewable energy sources, the MORE you KNOW …. the stronger you will become in pursuit of your own agenda. If the will-o-the-wind and power grid reliability is a hot and heavy debate around your wind project . You will want to download the whole 1,255 transmission access rule report by clicking here:   Preventing Undue Discrimination and Preference in Transmission Service . It is certainly not the most spicy reading, but it will bring in new flavors..

Post your Skystream's kWh production for March of 2008 . Just copy the line below and replace the current information with your own and post it in a comment. NAME: Joshua Janes      LOCATION: Oak Harbor, OH, USA       PRODUCTION: 308 kWh      AVG. WIND SPEED: n/a

Coming soon to the Boston Harbor Islands: Wind turbines. Governor Deval Patrick and other state officials plan to announce today the long-sought installation of wind turbines on Deer Island, home to Greater Boston's sewage treatment plant. The Federal Aviation Administration recently signed off on two 190-foot wind turbines, with the possibility of three more in the future.

The excitement on Cape Cod was palpable on the weekend leading up to the MMS hearings on the Cape Wind project, and not just at the thought of dueling minstrels at the microphone. To the unbounded joy of the wind farm opponents on stage, the Deus ex Machina of Blue H USA appeared from the wings with perfect timing to state that you can have wind power without seeing it.