Commercial Operations Begin at Stetson Wind

First Wind, an independent North American wind power company, today celebrated the achievement of commercial operations for its Stetson Wind project. Situated in Washington County, Maine, Stetson Wind will have the capacity to generate clean, wind energy to power about 23,500 New England homes per year.

At an event hosted by First Wind outside the town of Danforth, Governor John E. Baldacci spoke about the project and the environmental and economic benefits of wind power to the State of Maine.


“The Stetson Wind project continues Maine’s aggressive leadership in pursuing energy independence. We are capitalizing on the clean, renewable sources of energy that exist in our State, like wind, solar and tidal. By harnessing these sources of energy locally, we keep money in our State and we create jobs in our State, all while improving our environment and our national security.”
Governor John E. Baldacci


Stetson Wind, a 57 megawatt (MW) wind project, will surpass First Wind’s Mars Hill facility as the largest wind energy project in operation in the State of Maine and in New England. The project consists of 38 General Electric 1.5 MW wind turbines, and will have the capacity to generate approximately 167 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean electricity every year. The project officially began generating power on a commercial basis and delivering it to the New England electrical grid today.

Construction on the project began in January 2008. The project created 350 development and construction jobs, and First Wind spent about $50 million with Maine-based businesses developing and building the project.

“Today, we are proud to mark the commencement of commercial operations of our Stetson Wind project. With nearly 100 MW of clean, wind energy being generated between Stetson Wind and our Mars Hill project, we’re making renewable wind power in Maine a reality and plan to continue our commitment to the state through a number of other projects already in development.”
Paul Gaynor, President and CEO of First Wind

First Wind plans to build additional projects in Maine, including a proposed 25.5 MW expansion at Stetson Wind, as well as the 60 MW Rollins Wind project near the town of Lincoln. First Wind has submitted permit applications with state agencies for both projects.


“This project represents another big step in Maine’s leadership in generating clean, renewable energy. Each wind power project built in Maine provides us with jobs and helps reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. In Maine, we’re not just talking about the need for clean energy, we’re doing it. The companies and subcontractors who have brought this project to completion are helping to create a new energy future not just for Maine, but for our nation."
Pete Didisheim, Advocacy Director for the Natural Resources Council of Maine.

Stetson Wind will provide both environmental and economic benefits to the surrounding region. A project of this type can be considered a success for the following reasons:

• A traditional fossil fuel facility producing the same amount of electric energy that Stetson Wind will generate, would consume more than 331,000 barrels of oil per year or over 89,000 tons of coal per year.
• Wind energy emits no greenhouse gases. Based on data recently published by the U.S. EPA’s Emissions and Generation Resource Integrated Database (E-GRID), traditional New England generation sources producing an equivalent annual amount of electric energy as Stetson Wind would emit greenhouse gases (GHG) consisting of nearly 76,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2).
• To put this in perspective, the amount of CO2 avoided is the equivalent to the annual emissions of over 13,000 cars or over 9,000 SUVs.
• In addition, equivalent energy production from traditional sources would produce 190 tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2). Both SO2 and NOx cause acid rain.
• Through the development and construction of Stetson Wind, more than $50 million has been spent with Maine-based businesses and organizations.
• In total, $4 million in tax payments will be made to local communities over the next 20 years.
• First Wind hires local business services whenever possible, and employed more than 350 people during construction of Stetson Wind. In addition, 6 full time jobs have been created now that the project is in commercial operation.

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Picture: Kilbraur Wind Farm
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Picture: Kilbraur Wind Farm

Photos By Ray Cranfield and Ronnie Mackay (More Pics Available Here)Kilbraur wind farm of 19 turbines, with maximum output of 47.5MW. Kilbraur Wind Energy Co-operative, have just released shares up to the value of £1.8 million for purchase to locals in the largest wind farm co-op in the United Kingdom. I'm tempted to buy a few shares, more on how to invest in wind power?

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Want to Invest in Wind Power?

From today you can invest in a UK based wind farm of 19 turbines, with maximum output of 47.5MW. Shares in the Kilbraur Wind Energy Co-operative, up to the value of £1.8 million will be available for purchase to locals in the largest wind farm co-op in the UK.

Shares will cost £1 each and residents will have to buy a minimum of £250 up to £20,000 before October 24. Although anybody in the UK can buy shares, priority will be given to residents of Sutherland, then Caithness, Ross-shire and City of Inverness. Members of the 15 other co-operatives run by Energy4All will also get priority on buying shares.

Energy4All was formed in 2002 to expand the number of renewable energy co-operatives in the UK as an integral part of our transition to a low carbon economy.

Community-owned green energy is the corner stone of European renewable expertise and has worked successfully in the UK since 1996 through the award-winning Baywind Co-op.

Energy4All is uniquely owned by the co-operatives it assists; Baywind Energy Co-operative Ltd, Westmill Wind Farm Co-operative Ltd, Boyndie Wind Farm Co-operative Ltd, Fenland Green Power Co-operative Ltd, Isle of Skye Renewables Co-operative Ltd and Great Glen Energy Co-operative Ltd. As additional co-ops are established they too will take a share in this growing organisation.

Energy4All offers a highly successful combination of industry experience, community involvement, and business acumen providing a package of sector, admin, and financial services to Co-ops in return for an annual fee.

Energy4All was created due to daily enquiries received by Baywind Co-operative from people looking to replicate the success of Baywind, the UK's first community-owned wind farm. Baywind co-op has generated enough green electricity to power 1,300 homes a year whilst paying an attractive return to its 1,350 members (averaging 7% per annum), and supporting local initiatives, such as the Baywind Energy Conservation Trust. Owning a wind farm increases awareness of and involvement in renewable energy developments, maximises financial returns from local resources, and mobilises environmental concern.

"We're ethical, green and democratic - we have local people on the boards for each co-op. With Kilbraur we'd like our existing members to take an interest, and we'd particularly like people from the local town of Inverness to invest. If we can match our other projects and reach £1 million of investment, then we'll be very happy."
Paul Phare, Scotland development manager for Energy4All



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Picture: Wind Power at Olympic Sailing Venue

Some elements of sustainability have been seen on show at the olympics already at the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Venue, with 168 wind turbines lining the marina to the media centre, which is cooled and heated by sea water. The city has also seen tree planting covering 37,000 hectares since 2008, in the run up to the games.

When's a Green Tariff Not a Green Tariff? ...

... When Ofgem sets the guidelines for a Green Tariff.Philip Sellwood, Chief Executive of the Energy Saving Trust has hit out at Ofgem at the weekend;

"If Ofgem's guidelines progress as proposed then green tariffs cannot make a meaningful contribution towards increased renewable energy supply in the UK. What the public needs is clear and simple information so that they can make informed choices about the energy they use. They'll end up being misled and buy something which will not have a direct impact on their carbon emissions. Welcome to Greenwash. The world needs to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 80 per cent by 2050 in order to avoid dangerous climate change. Personal carbon emissions - the emissions from homes and travel - account for around 43 per cent of the UK total, or around 235 million tonnes of C02 a year. A low carbon lifestyle means using energy responsibly and efficiently - it also means choosing energy we do need from renewable, low-carbon sources. A million people each year contact our advice line for practical help in reducing their carbon footprint. We would not be able to advise those people to buy the Ofgem version of green tariffs as these will make no meaningful difference to whether the energy they buy in renewable or not."

The Energy Saving Trust & we at Energy Saving are not supporting Ofgem's expected proposals on Green Tariffs because:

1. They are misleading. Consumers presume that green means that the energy produced comes from a renewable source. A study commissioned by Ofgem shows that for most, 'green' in energy terms means the same thing as renewable energy. The study goes on to say that most expect all of the electricity included in the tariff to be from renewable sources. The Energy Saving Trust's own research shows that over one third of all households were interested in signing up to a green tariff, once the concept had been explained to them. In Ofgem's proposals, green can mean offsetting or giving cash to environmental charities which would not have any impact on energy sources.
   
   
2. No increase in energy from a renewable source. If the consumer buys a Green Tariff it does not result in more renewable energy being produced. The energy companies have an obligation to produce 9.1 per cent renewable energy anyway. Consumer demand would have to exceed this obligation for there to be an overall increase. But Ofgem are taking the decision to deny customers the chance to use their buying power to drive more demand for renewable energy in the long term. More customer demand would lead to more investment in renewable energy.
   
   
3. No transparency. Ofgem is proposing that the suppliers will not need to provide information about how much renewable energy is included within the individual tariffs they are selling. The suppliers are only required to make public their overall fuel mix eg renewable, nuclear, gas or coal. How can consumers know what they are buying? It is like if a supermarket was selling a range of sandwiches and on the labels for each sandwich was the overall mix of ingredients in all its sandwiches.
   
   
4. They are not independently certified. Ofgem has appointed the Energy Retail Association to appoint an independent certifier. The accreditation process should be fully independent from suppliers and overseen by the regulator.
   
   

Views from The Carbon Challenge blog;

OFGEM yesterday published a press release along with a consultation piece which was headed up "OFGEM Clears Up Green Tariff Confusion". Unfortunately I wish it were so, as I believe there is every possibility that if the guidelines to customers OFGEM are proposing are adopted, this could lead to even greater confusion in the market itself. There have been numerous studies commissioned, amongst them one by OFGEM, which consistently show that for most people "Green" in terms of "Green Tariff" is synonymous with renewable energy. Therefore, most customers expect that all electricity included in a Green Tariff should come from renewable sources and we know that is simply not the case at the moment.

Under OFGEM’s proposals suppliers will be able to launch a series of options which will illustrate additional environmental benefits - such as proposals around demand management, renewable heat, or offsetting. All of these I have no problem with, but they are environmental benefits and not what people expect of a Green Tariff. The whole purpose, from a customer’s point of view, is that buying a Green Tariff should result in more renewable energy being brought to market. However, and to be fair to OFGEM they do make this clear, just re-packaging what is already an obligation under Government plans is not likely to bring forward any additional renewable energy capacity to the Grid. If these tariffs were offered as Environmental Tariffs that’s one thing, but to call them Green Tariffs means customers will not be able to exercise their buying power to drive even greater demand for renewable energy in the medium term.

One of the key reasons for the consultation and for OFGEM taking action was that customers consistently tell us they need to be able to understand the attributes of each tariff on offer. However, under OFGEM’s proposals suppliers will not need to provide information about how much renewable energy is included within individual tariffs only that they declare their overall fuel mix, which includes renewables, gas, coal even nuclear.

So how do customers know what they are buying? It’s as if Marks and Spencer were to label all of their sandwiches with the mix of ingredients contained in all the varieties of sandwich sold within its range, rather than the ingredients specific to that sandwich. What the customer wants is clear and simple information so that they can make informed choices about the sort of energy they buy. I cannot see how this scheme will deliver on that aspiration. We will not doubt see this one run and run. I am all in favour of giving the public an increasing choice around environmental benefits, but that is not the same as clearing up the confusion around Green Tariffs, far from it.

Pictures: World's Largest Offshore Windfarm

Pictures from BBC Pictures

The world’s largest offshore wind farm, the Lynn & Inner Dowsing, is set to provide 194 MW of power to the National Grid after completion this year. The Government wants energy companies to build 33 gigawatts of offshore wind farms by 2020.

The MV Resolution is the world's first purpose-built vessel for installing offshore wind farms. It uses its six massive legs, each half the length of a football pitch, to hoist itself out of the water at a rate of a metre per minute to create a stable platform. The turbines are secured approximately 25m below the North Sea. Some 70 crew live onboard the 130m by 38m vessel, which can carry up to 10 wind turbines measuring 100m high, almost 100m in diameter from the blade tips and weighing 260 tonnes each.

Each turbine can power 2,500 homes, with the whole wind farm eventually able to supply 140,000 homes.

E.On For Humber

E.ON through its subsidiary company Humber Wind Ltd, has just submitted its planning application for the development of the 300 MW Humber Gateway Offshore Wind Farm.

The site itself is located near to the north of the mouth of the River Humber, off the Holderness Coast of the East Riding of Yorkshire. It lies just to the East of Spurn Head. At the northernmost point, the site is 8.2km from Easington and 18km from Grimsby.

The area of the site is approximately 35 square kilometres.

The operational life of the project is expected to be 40 years.

The actual proposed site footprint for Humber Gateway was chosen following a lengthy consideration of alternatives and has taken into account shipping navigation and regulartory constraints.

E.ON believes Humber Gateway to be an ideal location for offshore wind energy for a number of reasons, including; High winds, Low waves, Flat and stable seabed and Selection of suitable ports for construction and maintenance.

Extensive discussions with ABP Humber Ports have led to the project being bounded at the south by the shipping lanes approaching the Humber (broadly defined by the ship Traffic Separation Scheme), the 8km coastal exclusion zone set by the DTI.

If planning permission is granted, the Humber Gateway Offshore Wind Farm would consist of between 42 and 83 three bladed turbines The maximum installed capacity would be 300MW, and this would generate enough clean renewable energy to power up to 195,000 homes.

The application is the first since the business and enterprise secretary, John Hutton, called for more than 33 gigawatts of offshore wind-generating capacity to be installed by 2020. The 300-megawatt production of Humber Gateway would be less than one third of a gigawatt.

The opposition from the MoD is likely to make the application a test of the government's commitment to offshore wind farms. The MoD is understood to have objected to the project because it could cause interference with its radar operations.

If its objections are successful it would halt not only E.ON's plans but also those of other companies that are hoping to build wind farms in the area.

"The next generation of large-scale offshore windfarms like Humber Gateway have a vital role to play in the UK's future energy mix. This scheme will displace the emissions of hundreds of thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide every year and will make a significant contribution to helping the government meet its tough renewable energy targets. E.ON said the MoD had not raised objections when it was initially consulted about Humber Gateway in 2004 and that it was optimistic it could reach agreement. We're speaking to both the MoD and DBERR [Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform] and we're confident that we can find a way forward."
Dr Paul Golby, Chief Executive, E.On

Hospital Wind Turbine Makes Profit

The 40 metre high 660 kW Vestas V47 wind turbine, the largest at any hospital in the UK, has been fully operational since February 7th 2005. Providing all the power required at night and two -thirds of daytime use the turbine generates 1.2m kWh annually, providing a large majority of the £90 000 annual electricity bill.

Since it's launch just over three years ago the turbine has made a £56 000 profit, and reduced CO2 emissions by 1 085t.

The turbine cost £497,000, of which 80% was a grant from the Government Central Energy Efficiency Fund. Without a grant it would take five years for the initial cost to be repaid. The wind turbine has been a success and other hospitals across the UK are taking an interest in replicating what has been achieved at Antrim.

"The money freed up by not having to pay electricity bills and the profit gained from selling electricity back to the national grid can now be spent on patients and service. This turbine is not only good for the environment but it is good for the local people too."
Thomas Burns, South Antrim, MLA

With the use of favourable grants, and a short payback period, Antrim Area Hospital has used their location to make a sound business and environmental decision which has decreased their substantial energy bill, enabling them to use the profit to reinvest in primary care. The turbine will continue to generate electricity for many years to come, reducing their overall impact on the environment by 350t of CO2 per annum. Strategic planning similar to this, where it is feasible to implement will be vital to enacting a low carbon economy for the future.

Picture: Zero Carbon City

Masdar City will be constructed in the desert on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi. The aims are to use only renewable energy sources, and to eliminate 99% of the waste stream. This artist's impression shows wind turbines on the edge of the city and public transport links running through. The six-square-kilometer city designed by Foster and Partners, will be capable of housing 47,500 people, who are scheduled to start moving there in 2009. Construction is expected to take 10 years.

The city will be placed to take advantage of the cool sea breezes, while a perimeter wall around the entire city will protect buildings from the hot desert air and noise from the nearby Abu Dhabi airport.

No cars will be allowed in the city. People will get around through an electric light-rail system that will be linked to the center of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Picture: Enercon E-126: World's Largest Wind Turbine

The world’s largest wind turbine is now the Enercon E-126. This turbine has a rotor blade length of 126 meters (413 feet). The E-126 is a more sophisticated version of the E-112, formerly the world’s largest wind turbine and rated at 6 megawatts. This new turbine is officially rated at 6 megawatts too, but will most likely produce 7+ megawatts (or 20 million kilowatt hours per year). That’s enough to power about 5,000 households of four in Europe.

Via MetaEfficient

Plain Sailing for CO2 Reductions in Shipping

The first cargo ship to harness wind power in more than a century is to sail across the Atlantic.

Travelling from Hamburg to Venezuela, the merchant ship Beluga will be The first commercial cargo ship with additional propulsion by a towing kite system. The kite measuring 160 square metres is predicted to reduce fuel consumption by 20%, and a similar reduction in CO2 emissions. SkySails are available in sizes up to 5000 square metres.

The technology is being pioneered by SkySails, whose aim to reduce fuel consumption of modern shipping by the utilisation of environmentally friendly, free-of-charge wind energy

By using the SkySails-System, a ship‘s fuel costs can be reduced by 10- 35% on annual average, depending on wind conditions. Under optimal wind conditions, fuel consumption can temporarily be reduced by up to 50%. Even on a small, 87 metre cargo ship, savings of up to 280,000 euros can be made annually. According to an up-to-date study from the University of Delaware (USA), the world trade fleet consumes approx. 280 million tons of oil or 2 times more than Germany (approx. 125 million tons). Cargo ships run on extremely sulphurous fuel oil, their emissions damage our environment considerably.

Experts from Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance (London) estimate that shipping traffic generates 7% of the total worldwide output of sulphur dioxide (SOx), and is thus one of the main causes of climate-damaging gases (see climatic impact). Through the consistent global use of the SkySails technology worldwide, it would be possible to cut over 146 million tons of CO2, which equals approx. 15% of the CO2 emissions of Germany. Read more on shipping and the environment.

This is an excellent concept that has become a reality, not just an energy saving measure, but cost effective with some ships reducing energy use by 35% without effecting timescales on which cargo ships are reliant. The excellent support services offered by SkySail ensure that emergency maintainece support by specialists can be availble at any harbour in the world in 36hrs.

33GW by 2020

As a deal is being drawn out in Bali at the United Nations Climate Change Conference by nations of the world, with Ban Ki-moon flying in to help broker a binding deal between all parties. Currently the EU are seeking binding targets for 25 - 40% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2020. With US, Canada and Japan, seeking to implement policy in place of binding targets as a way of reducing emissions.

One way that has been touted this week by the secretary of state for energy, John Hutton for the United Kindom to meet a substainial reduction target by 2020 was to build 7000 offshore wind turbines around the coast, or one for every half mile of coast line.

"There is the potential, we believe, out there, using the resources that there are around the UK to generate maybe all of the electricity that households need ... from offshore wind sources. We should see whether we can maximise that potential because it's obviously in the nation's interest, in the world's interest, for us to make sure that more of our energy comes from clean sources."

Currently the UK has an installed capacity of 2.2GW, with a further 5.8GW potentially coming online before 2014, including the 1GW Atlantic Array, which is set to be the worlds largest wind farm. The British Wind Energy Association predicts the wind potential in the UK is large enough to facilitate seven times current energy use.

Watch this Announcement
Read the Transcript of this Interview

The plans have been well received by all parties, who like me are keen to know more, which will be revealed in a series of announcements over the coming months, hopefully the efforts and policy that is being implemented will increase the development of offshore wind farms over the next decade ensuring a sustainable future for the United Kingdom.

The potential in reduced CO2 emissions by installing 33GW at full capacity taking into consideration intermiitency and variablity would be about 46m tonnes of CO2 per annum, or approximately 7.8% of UK CO2 emissions or removing half of the cars off UK roads.

Renewables: Wind Turbines for Home Installation

With the potential of UK wind energy being the greatest in Europe, the Energy Saving Trust suggests that this figure is 40%, the increase in installed wind turbines has greatly increased in recent years. It is expected that installed wind energy potential will double every three years, and domestic wind energy is becoming increasingly more affordable. But at the moment wind power accounts for a fraction of our electricity needs.

If you do not wish to install a wind turbine you could support wind energy through your current electricity supplier some of which offer for free green energy tariffs.

The majority of wind turbines generate direct current, for systems on the grid this can easily be installed to the current electricity supply with an inverter and controller. For off-grid systems these also require a battery. Excess energy to requirements can be sold to your local electricity company, however rates vary (from 1p/kWh - 6p/kWh) and are normally dependant on time.

There are two types of wind turbines:

• Mast mounted - which are free standing and located near the building(s) that will be using the electricity.
• Roof mounted - which can be installed on house roofs and other buildings.

Wind energy is a renewable source of clean energy, a 2.5Kw system can save 1-2 tonnes of C02 and £150 - £250 per year. A 6kW system can save 2.5 - 5 tonnes C02 and £250 - £450 per year. Larger systems in the region of 2.5kW to 6kW would cost between £11,000 - £25,000 installed. These costs are inclusive of the turbine, mast, inverters, battery storage (if required) and installation; however it's important to remember that costs always vary depending on location and the size and type of system.

Turbines can have a life of up to 20 years but require service checks every few years to ensure they work efficiently. For battery storage systems, typical battery life is around 6-10 years, depending on the type, so batteries may have to be replaced at some point in the system's life.

Individual turbines vary in size and power output from a few hundred watts to two or three megawatts (as a guide, a typical domestic system would be 1 - 6 kilowatts). Uses range from very small turbines supplying energy for battery charging systems (e.g. on boats or in homes), to turbines on wind farms supplying electricity to the grid.

You should consider the following issues if you're thinking about small scale wind. An accredited installer will be able to provide more detailed advice.

• Wind speed increases with height so it's best to have the turbine high on a mast or tower.
• Generally speaking the ideal site is a smooth top hill with a flat, clear exposure, free from excessive turbulence and obstructions such as large trees, houses or other buildings.
• Small scale wind power is particularly suitable for remote off grid locations where conventional methods of supply are expensive or impractical.

Small-scale building-integrated wind turbines suitable for urban locations are also available to install in homes and other buildings.

Please note that the electricity generated at any one time by a wind turbine is highly dependent on the speed and direction of the wind. The windspeed itself is dependent on a number of factors, such as location within the UK, height of the turbine above ground level and nearby obstructions. Ideally, you should undertake a professional assessment of the local windspeed for a full year at the exact location where you plan to install a turbine before proceeding. In practice, this may be difficult, expensive and time consuming to undertake. Therefore we recommend that, if you are considering a domestic building mounted installation and electricity generation is your main motivation, then you only consider a wind turbine under the following circumstances:

• The local annual average windspeed is 6 m/s or more. An approximate figure for your location can be checked on the DTI website
• There are no significant nearby obstacles such as buildings, trees or hills that are likely to reduce the windspeed or increase turbulence

If you are in any doubt, please consult a suitably qualified professional.
Planning issues such as visual impact, noise and conservation issues also have to be considered. System installation normally requires permission from the local authority, so it's important to always check with your local authority about planning issues before you have a system installed.

If you are interested in installing a wind turbine, typical installation cost for a domestic system is £2,000 - £4,000 per kW, however grants are available from the low carbon buildings programme (funded by the Department of Trade and Industry, DTI). To be eligible for a grant you will need to use a certified installer and products. The low carbon buildings programme offers a maximum of £2 500 or 50% of the relevant eligible costs, whichever is the lower for solar PV systems.

Related Links

Low Carbon Buildings Programme
Department of Trade and Industry
Certified Installers
Certified Products

Wind Energy Could Be Criminal in USA

Chairman Nick Rahall, a democrat representing West Virginia's third district, and the chairman of the Committee on Natural Resources gave an opening statement on the “Energy Policy Reform and Revitalization Act of 2007" on Wednesday, May 23, 2007 at Room 1324 Longworth House Office Building. There he outlined HR 2337, containing amendments to seven of eight-four sections of the act under the committee's jurisdiction.

This bill is also being greeted with a hysterical reaction from the wind industry. Again, let me be perfectly clear. I am not against wind energy.
Nick Rahall (D-WV), Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources

The American Wind Energy Association stated in their press release of the same day that provision, Subtitle D of HR 2337, would:

• Stall all new wind projects until Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) rules are issued and require FWS certification of every turbine
• Require all existing turbines, even small residential units, to cease operating 6 months after issuance of new FWS rules until they are “certified,” an unwieldy bureaucratic process applying to many thousands of turbines that, again, will take years
• Make it a crime, punishable by a $50,000 fine or a year in jail, to construct or generate electricity from an unapproved turbine, even for home use
• Undermine state and federal efforts to promote renewable electricity generation and subvert the growing movement to reduce global warming pollution
• Create an unworkable bureaucracy that will delay clean, emissions-free wind energy projects throughout the U.S.

The provision is being offered as a solution to protecting wildlife. However evidence from varying sources refute claims that wind turbines pose significant danger to wildlife. A report from the National Academy of Sciences states bird deaths caused by wind turbines are less than 0.003% of human caused bird mortality, and in the United States, turbines kill 70,000 birds per year, compared to 57 million killed by cars and 97.5 million killed by collisions with plate glass.

The National Association of Manufacturers believes that a comprehensive approach toward energy leads to the logical conclusion that the United States must diversify its sources of energy. Wind energy should be part of this mix. The new certification requirements of this section of H.R. 2337, however, would bring wind energy development across the United States to a halt, this despite the fact that the National Academy of Sciences has concluded wind turbines cause less than 0.003 percent of human-caused bird mortality. Furthermore, the broad mandate directing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to review every existing and planned wind project is far beyond the agency’s resources and capabilities.
John Engler, President, National Association of Manufacturers

In the UK, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds concluded that "The available evidence suggests that appropriately positioned wind farms do not pose a significant hazard for birds." It notes that climate change poses a much more significant threat to wildlife, and therefore supports wind farms and other forms of renewable energy.

So what can you do to ensure that wind energy can continue to flourish and provide clean sustainable energy for America?

• Take action on the issue at the Legislative Web Page
  
• Contact your House Representative, you can find them here
• Sign the epetition against provision, Subtitle D of HR 2337

This provision will result in restrictions on one of the cleanest forms of energy available, adding red-tape and bureaucracy to an industry which process high standards of wildlife protection and continues to implement steps to address new environmental concerns. These restrictions will have a resulting factor on the uptake of wind power as a renewable energy source and threaten those jobs in the industry in the USA. The impact will negatively affect the economy as a whole.

Just my thoughts please leave yours.

Wind energy requires no mining or drilling for fuel, no fuel transportation, no hazardous waste disposal, and no water use; and wind energy generates electricity without toxic pollutants like mercury, without greenhouse pollution, and of course without the conventional pollutants that cause smog and acid rain. Is this really an energy sector Congress should close down, for environmental reasons?
Gregory Wetstone, AWEA Senior Director of Government and Public Affairs (View Testimony *PDF)

Video: Wind is Free

"Wind is Free" is a simple animation promoting the financial benefit of wind energy being free. With the costs associated with implementation of wind power technology at an all time low, this form of energy is set to double in capacity every three years.

Update: Wind Energy in the UK

The third Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report presented in Bangkok cited that wind energy is one of the key technologies available to avoid climate change. None more so is this true in the United Kingdom which harnesses 40% of the total wind energy of Europe. At the beginning of February, the UK surpassed the 2GW milestone, for the total installed capacity nationwide, this was met with the opening of Braes O'Doune wind farm near Stirling, and worldwide capacity has increased to 75GW, about 1% of total worldwide electricity generation.

Whilst the UK has such potential for wind energy it is falling far behind that of other European countries, such as Germany and Spain which currently have install capacities of 20.6GW and 11.6GW.

"It is sometimes said that wind energy, for example, does not reduce carbon dioxide emissions because the intermittent nature of its output means it needs to be backed up by fossil fuel plant. Wind turbines do not displace fossil generating capacity on a one-for-one basis. But it is unambiguously the case that wind energy can displace fossil fuel-based generation, reducing both fuel use and carbon dioxide emissions"
The Costs and Impacts of Intermittency, UK Energy Research Council, March 2006

Wind power as a renewable energy source, is also a clean energy source. In the production of electricity it generates no emissions. In comparison fossil fuel plants emit carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, mercury, particulates, or any other type of air pollution.

Some argue that wind turbines generate a large amount of emissions through construction, whilst this is true, similarly other types of energy plants would also emit emissions through construction. One study has concluded that the net energy gain (energy return on investment or EROI) to be from 17 to 39 times the energy invested through manufacture, installation, operation and decommissioning for a wind turbine. A similar Danish study suggested the payback ratio could be as high as 80 times, resulting in a wind turbine paying off its energy debt within 3 months. In comparison coal power plants, and nuclear power plants offer energy payback ratios of 11 and 16 times respectively.

"The available evidence suggests that appropriately positioned wind farms do not pose a significant hazard for birds"
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

Not only is the wind turbines safe for birds, and humans, with 50,000 machines installed around the world, no member of the public has ever been harmed by operating wind turbines. There is however a but, or a bat, some near-shore sites may be particularly hazardous to local bat populations and more research is urgently needed.

With little objection to wind farms in general, and most new farms taking advantage of the benefit of being sited off shore, which offers 90% greater energy output. In the past year the number of planning applications for wind farms has exploded. On Wednesday plans were unveiled for the world's largest off shore wind farm off the coast of Devon. If the plans get the go ahead the £3bn Atlantic Array scheme will have 350 turbines and generate enough clean energy to power more than 1,000,000 homes. Reducing carbon emissions by 2.3 million tonnes per year.

Farm Energy is the Devon-based company behind the scheme, originating from the London Array project in the Thames Estuary, currently the world's largest offshore wind scheme, which received offshore consents from the DTI and Defra in December 2006.

"Atlantic Array is a game-changing proposal which will have a major influence on the Government's thinking on the best areas for offshore wind, currently assumed to be shallow water off the East of England coast and in the Irish Sea"
Matthew Spencer, Chief Executive, Regen SW

With the continued investment and the potential of wind energy in the UK, we will continue to see more developments like that of the Alantic Array and London Array as a way of meeting our energy needs for the future and also reducing our overall emissions.

If you want to convert to green energy from your supplier (it might even be free) visit Carbon Free Electricity.

Picture: RePower 5MW Wind Turbine

The 900 tonne RePower 5MW wind turbine, being installed 15 miles off the east coast of Scotland. With an impressive blade diameter of 126m, the blades sweep an area of about 12000 square meters. The turbine operates in wind speeds of 7 to 70mph and is expected to achieve 96% operational level. 38% operational level at full power or about 3300 hours per year. At full capacity it should generate enough electricity to power about 6000 homes. Another five are planned for installation this year.