World Wind Watch | Green Energy News

April 6, 2003 – Vol.8 No.2

WORLD WIND WATCH.

Eager to move ahead with what will be the largest land-based wind farm on earth, the governor of Iowa has signed into law a renewable energy tax credit for wind farms built in that state. A credit of one cent per kilowatt hour of electricity produced would be given to the builders and owners of wind facilities that begin operating between July 1, 2004 and July 1, 2009.

Further, a request for rate freeze through 2010 by MidAmerican Energy, owner developer of the planned 310 megawatt wind farm, was granted. The state’s Utilities board must still approve both measures, however. Approval seems likely though, as the farm-belt state wants to attract wind generating capacity as a way to boost the economy. Farmers generally receive substantial payments from wind generating companies for the placement of turbines on their property.

FPL Energy will build a new 21 megawatt wind project near Klum, North Dakota. Power from the project, adjacent to a 40 megawatt project already underway by FPL, will be sold to Otter Tail Power. Visit FPL at http://www.fplenergy.com/

Finland is in the early stages of adding 100 megawatts to its existing 43 megawatts of wind capacity. The Energy Agency of Southwest Finland and the Energy Agency of Satakunta will begin collecting wind data this month at seven locations on the coast and archipelago areas of Western Finland where wind resources seem adequate. Data collection will take a year.

The project to be known as West Wind will add new capacity at a rate of 10 megawatts each year. The sites chosen for each wind farm will be up to 15 by 15 kilometers with turbine towers planted 300 meters apart.

Vestas will go ahead with production by 2004 of its new V-90 3.0 megawatt turbine and GE Wind Energy has announced a new 2.x series of turbines. The new GE turbines, intended for land-based projects, will be available in 2.3, 2.5 and 2.7 megawatt sizes. Production of the new machines is expected to be in the 2004-2005 time frame. GE, by the way, has also received an order for 10, 1.5 megawatt turbines for the Hibikinada Wind Farm located on the coast of Hibikinada, Japan. Visit Vestas at http://www.vestas.com/ GE at http://www.gewindenergy.com/