WINDS CHANGE COURSE FOR T BOONE - World's Largest Wind Farm is Off

T. Boone Pickens' plan to build the world's largest wind farm is off.

Instead, Pickens said he will build five or six smaller wind farms, in the Midwest and possibly Texas, though he hasn't settled on locations.

Last year, Pickens announced that he would build a 1,000-megawatt wind farm in Pampa, Texas. The problem a lack of a transmission line to bring the juice to population centers, Pickens said in an interview last week.

"I don't think the first place we build, though, is where we thought we would because we don't have the transmission," he said.

Remember that idea he had to build his own transmission line? "It was a little more complicated than we thought," he said.

In May 2008, Pickens announced that his company, Mesa Power LP, would order 687 wind turbines, or 1,000 megawatts of capacity, from GE for about $2 billion. By 2014, he expected to expand the Panhandle wind farm to 4,000 megawatts.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AT THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS

GLOBAL CLEAN ENERGY NOW GETS MORE NEW INVESTMENT THAN OIL

In 2008 investors pumped $155 billion into clean energy companies and projects worldwide--not including large hydro--according to a United Nations report released last week.

Extremely difficult financial market conditions prevailed during 2008 as a result of the global economic crisis. Nevertheless investment in clean energy topped 2007's record investments by 5% in large part as a result of China, Brazil and other emerging economies.

Of the $155 billion, $105 billion was spent directly developing 40 gigawatts (GW) of power generating capacity from wind, solar, small-hydro, biomass and geothermal sources.

A further $35 billion was spent on developing 25 GW of large hydropower, according to the report.

This $140 billion investment in 65 GW of low carbon electricity generation compares with the estimated $250 billion spent globally in 2008 constructing 157GW of new power generating capacity from all sources.

It means that renewables currently account for the majority of investment and over 40% of actual power generation capacity additions last year.

ARTICLE CONTINUES HERE AT SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS

AN AID FOR WIND FARMS AND BIRDS TO COEXIST-Texas wind farm pioneers radar technology to protect migrating birds

US wind farms kill about 7,000 birds a year but radar systems developed for Nasa can prevent fatal collisions by detecting approaching birds and analysing weather condition

Conservationists argue that wind farms should still be sited away from migration routes in the first place. Photograph: David Tipling/Getty Images

It could be considered an air traffic control system for birds who have flown perilously off course. A wind farm in southern Texas, situated on a flight path used by millions of birds each autumn and spring, is pioneering the use of radar technology to avoid deadly collisions between a 2,500lb rotating blade and bird.

US wind farms kill about 7,000 birds a year, according to a recent study. Other studies of individual wind farms suggest a higher toll on bats and birds, who crash into towers, blades, power lines and other installations. Estimates from a single wind farm in Altamont, California showed as many as 1,300 birds of prey killed each year – or about three a day.

Such direct threats to wildlife, and concerns for habitats, have increasingly pitted conservationists against the renewable energy industry. A handful of wind power projects in the US have been shelved because of wildlife concerns.

But new radar technology now in use at the Peñascal wind farm in Texas claims to have found a balance between competing environmental concerns – taking action against global warming and protecting wildlife – by protecting migrating birds at times of peak danger.

ARTICLE CONTINUES HERE AT GUARDIAN UK

CHINA SET TO OUTPACE THE WORLD IN WIND-100 GW capacity by 2020

BEIJING, May 4 (Xinhua) -- China plans to finish 100 gigawatts of wind power capacity by 2020 and expand its renewable energy consumption to 40 percent of the energy market by 2050.

The goal for wind power capacity was more than three times of the 30 gigawatts target that the government set 18 months ago, Monday's China Daily reported.

China will also become the biggest growth market for wind power generating capacity this year, ahead of the United States, said the report, citing a forecast from the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).

As the world's second largest energy consumer, China has around 12 gigawatts of wind power capacity and has said it wants to raise that to around 20 gigawatts by next year.

The plan means wind will be a bigger source of renewable energy than nuclear, despite a construction boom in nuclear power plants, and also far bigger than solar, which is expected to hit 1.8 gigawatts by 2020, according to a 2007 plan.

The annual growth rate in China's wind power will be around 20 percent, said Fang Junshi, head of the coal department of the National Energy Administration.

China is currently the fourth largest wind power producer in the world after the United States, Germany and Spain.

The World Wind Energy Report 2008 had predicted that Asia, under China's lead, will "become the worldwide locomotive for the wind industry" and "Chinese wind turbine manufacturers will be among the top international suppliers".

ARTICLE ORIGINALLY POSTED AT XINHUANET.COM

Chu Announces $193 Million For Renewable Energy Research

Senior Scientist Miguel Contreras shows U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, center, a solar battery charger that was developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory during a tour of the center near Golden, Colo., on Wednesday, April 29, 2009. Chu announced that more than $100 million for the Recovery Act would be used to support wind energy projects at NREL. Others looking on are Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, left, NREL Director Dan Arvizu, second from left, and research fellow Art Nozik, right. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski)

GOLDEN, Colo. — The primary U.S. lab for renewable energy will receive $110 million in federal stimulus funds and another $83 million will go toward wind energy and other alternative power and efficiency projects, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said Wednesday.

"Wind energy will be one of the most important contributors to meeting President Obama's target of generating 10 percent of our electricity from renewable sources by 2012," Chu said.

Also on the administration's priorty list is making buildings more energy efficient.

NREL, in Golden, will get $68 million for an energy-efficient office building, with the goal of creating a design process for use on other construction projects. NREL will also receive $19.2 million for solar, geothermal and fuel cell equipment to produce electricity for its labs and $13.5 million for upgrades to its biorefinery research facility.

NREL will get another $10 million for testing and evaluation of wind technology at the Energy Department's Wind Technology Center in Colorado.

ARTICLE CONTINUES HERE AT THE HUFFINGTON POST

NYC BUSINESSES USE OF WIND POWER ON THE RISE

The use of wind power by owners of commercial real estate in New York City is rising rapidly, but from a very low base, according to energy service companies, which supply the power to businesses.

Wind power is expected to be a critical component of President Obama’s plan to expand the production of renewal domestic energy, and there are signs that this is starting to happen in New York. ConEdison Solutions, one energy supplier, said its sales of wind power to commercial customers rose 25 percent in 2007 and again in 2008.

Still, only about 250 businesses buy some measure of wind power from ConEdison Solutions. This number represents slightly over 1 percent of its commercial and industrial customers; of these, some 200 get all of their power from wind farms.

Jorge J. Lopez, chief executive of ConEdison Solutions, said that these buyers were “green pioneers” and that in honor of Earth Day, a ceremony this week involving the City Council speaker, Christine C. Quinn, would honor about a dozen customers.

ARTICLE CONTINUES HERE AT THE NEW YORK TIMES

Wind turbine industry growing in the U.S.

Although imports have continued to rise, manufacture of wind turbine parts in the U.S. is increasing.

BY RENEE SCHOOF - McClatchy News Service

WASHINGTON -- Manufacturing of wind turbine parts in the United States grew last year as the market for wind energy boomed, but trade figures show that imports continued at a high rate after years of big growth.

Wind turbine imports from Europe and Asia rose from $60 million in 2004 to $2.5 billion in 2008, according to Customs data reviewed by McClatchy. Imports of other equipment usually, but not always, used for wind power production also increased in the same period. The value of AC generators and towers, for instance, jumped from $84 million to $1.6 billion.

The numbers suggest that there's potential for U.S. manufacturers to seize some opportunities, and some of the largest turbine makers say they're looking for U.S. suppliers.

ARTICLE CONTINUES HERE AT THE MIAMI HERALD

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar: Ocean wind could replace coal

.......touts turning blades over burning fossil fuel

	Europe leads the world in offshore wind turbines, such as these in Denmark. View related photos
Heribert Proepper / AP

updated 12:01 p.m. MT, Mon., April. 6, 2009 ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - Windmills off the East Coast could generate enough electricity to replace most, if not all, the coal-fired power plants in the United States, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Monday.

But those numbers were challenged as "overly optimistic" by a coal industry group, which noted that half the nation's electricity currently comes from coal-fired power plants.

The secretary spoke at a public hearing in Atlantic City on how the nation's offshore areas can be tapped to meet America's energy needs.

STORY CONTINUES AT MSNBC

Wind Power Experiencing Exponential Growth Globally

A new study from Energy Watch Group "Wind Power in Context – A Clean Revolution in the Energy Sector" shows that there has been exponential growth in wind power capacity since the early 1990s. With net capacity additions of almost 20,000 megawatts in 2007 the report suggests that, contrary to IEA forecasts, growth of wind power additions will continue and that it will be driven not just by costs for fossil fuels and nuclear cost overruns, but by access to new wind resources, new grid regulations and by cheaper and better wind technology.

The author of the report, Dr. Rudolf Rechsteiner, explored the drivers behind the growth in wind power identifying sixteen key attributes that will continue to drive growth. These include a free primary energy, an infinite resource supply, global accessibility to supply, stable life cycle cost guarantee, increasing price competitiveness, zero operational carbon emissions or hazardous waste, zero requirement for cooling water, decreased payback times and fast innovation cycles.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AT RENEWABLE ENERGY WORLD

Germany Unleashes World’s Toughest Wind Turbines

Written by Ariel Schwartz Published on January 24th, 2009

The first turbines designed specifically for offshore wind energy are finally ready for deployment in Germany after 10 years of development. Areva’s turbines are waterproofed, light, and have a simplified design— meaning they are easy to install and maintain. At full power, each 5MW turbine can supply enough energy for 5,000 homes.

The 120m blades are reinforced with carbon fiber to make them as light as possible, and all of the mechanisms needed to change their position are encased to prevent damage from sea air. In case of technical failure, sensors and power management systems are installed in duplicate.

Additionally, the turbine’s generator and engineering components are hermetically sealed.

Areva plans on installing 6 of the 90m tall turbines as part of Germany’s first offshore wind project, located 45km off the island of Borkum. The turbines should be completed by the end of this summer.

Photo Credit: Multibrid

ARTICLE IS AT CLEANTECHNICA.COM