Into the Wind - the AWEA Blog

The wind power industry now has another new and innovative business to help make it even more cost-effective and efficient.

Marking the day with a celebration attended by over 150 people including state and local officials as well as representatives from some of the nation’s top wind industry companies, Gearbox Express (GBX)—a new company with a first-of-its-kind business model—opened the doors of its gearbox refurbishing facility in Mukwonago, Wis.

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U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) appeared on Fox News Tuesday to argue the case for an extension of the federal wind energy Production Tax Credit (PTC), saying of Congress, "We're just not doing our job. We need to get after it."

Added Mr. Bennet, "I think that in the overall scheme of things in Washington where the place... (has) really become, I call it 'the land of flickering lights', because  the standard of the success there is where we kept the lights on for another two months, and kept the government running for another two months."

Mr. Bennet is a cosponsor of

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As reported in the recent release of the AWEA 2011 U.S. small wind report summary, U.S. small wind manufacturers last year for the first time sent more capacity overseas than they installed domestically. Numbers in the recently released U.K. small wind report provide added insight into that trend, with that market achieving triple-digit growth.

The U.K. 2011 market report, released at last week’s annual RenewableUK Small and Medium Wind Conference, revealed that the U.K. market for small wind turbines (i.e., less than 100 kW) surpassed the U.S. market, with 22 MW installed in the U.K. in 2011 compared to 19 MW in the U.S. The U.K. experienced a huge 153 ...

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This article by Jeff L. Fox originally appeared in the Bozeman (Mont.) Daily Chronicle May 1, and is reprinted with permission of the author.

Every two years, NorthWestern Energy, the electricity supplier for most Bozeman-area residents, submits a Supply Procurement Plan to the Montana Public Service Commission. The plan provides a snapshot of the energy resources the utility currently uses, as well as a 20-year outlook on the utility’s future plans and operating conditions.

If you care about consumer rates, reliable service, and the health of your community and environment, the plan is an important indicator of what you can expect from your electricity provider.

Taken as a whole, the plan should give ratepayers confidence ...

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The federal wind energy Production Tax Credit (PTC) is a policy that makes sense for U.S. veterans and the American economy, according to Jeff Duff, COO of Airstreams Renewables, a firm that specializes in training veterans for jobs in the renewable energy industries.

In an op-ed in Monday's edition of the Bakersfield (Calif.) Californian, Duff comments, "Veterans seeking good, well-paying jobs can find great opportunities in the clean energy sector--jobs that enable them to continue to help safeguard America's national security ... Our veteran graduates are a great fit with our company, and the renewable energy industry in general, ...

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The lead author of a recent study finding that wind farms appear to affect local air temperatures has told a media watchdog group that he believes news stories on the study have been "misleading."

Liming Zhou, who led a team of researchers at the State University of New York-Albany (SUNY-Albany), made the comment in an e-mail to Media Matters, which published an analysis of media coverage of the study.  Referring to a Q&A originally published with a news release on the study, the group added: "The researchers, led by Liming Zhou, said it is "[v]ery likely" that "wind turbines do not create a net warming of the air and instead only ...

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Deems cutting clean energy unacceptable, cites solutions within reach

Portland, Ore. (April 30, 2012) – This week, Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) issued wind power curtailments, a policy the Federal Energy Regularly Commission previously rejected in a December 7, 2011, ruling. Rachel Shimshak, executive director of non-profit advocacy group Renewable Northwest Project, issued this statement:

Given a full year to plan ahead, we are disappointed that BPA is choosing to curtail wind energy despite more equitable solutions within reach. This practice wastes clean and affordable energy while power plants continue to burn coal ...

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