World Wind Watch | Green Energy News

January 20, 2002 – Vol.6 No.43

WORLD WIND WATCH.

News reports indicate that the U.S. Senate has decided NOT to extend the Production Tax Credit (PTC) which works to make the cost of wind energy competitive with conventional sources.

Almost immediately anticipating fewer turbine sales to the U.S., Vestas Wind Systems slowed production by initiating a work-sharing program. For the next 12 weeks up to 1200 employees will work half-time. The program prevents layoffs at the company.

It is possible that the PTC could be reintroduced later as part of another bill and made retroactive to the first of this year. The U.S. House of Representatives already approved the measure last year and presumably would support it again.

Shell WindEnergy, division of Shell Renewables, has purchased and commenced operation of the 80-megawatt Llano Estacado Wind Ranch in White Deer, Texas. Llano Estacado can provide enough power for the equivalent of up to 30,000 average households.

The project was developed by Cielo Wind Power and all power will be sold through a division of Xcel Energy in a 15-year contract. Llano is the second major windpower investment by Shell WindEnergy in the U.S. (Rock River I, 50 megawatts, was the first.) Visit Shell Renewables at http://www.shell.com/renewables/ , Cielo at http://www.cielowind.com/ and Xcel at http://www.xcelenergy.com/ .

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has given the go ahead for the construction of the Waymart Wind Farm in Wayne County. The planned 60-megawatt facility, if built, will have 47 turbines on two separate sites. National Wind Power, the would-be developer and operator of Waymart has also committed $100,000 over seven years to purchase and preserve environmentally sensitive land at and near the wind facility. Orion Energy also assisted in the planning of the project.

The action (or inaction) by the U.S. Senate may have an impact on the construction of this project. Visit National Wind Power at http://www.natwindpower.co.uk/ .