World Wind Watch | Green Energy News

July 27, 2003 – Vol.8 No.18

WORLD WIND WATCH.

In the rush to get out of Washington for its August break, the U.S. Senate passed an energy bill - a bill offered last year by Democrats. While it contains many green energy provisions Democrats wanted, like a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), only one may survive a conference committee when Congress convenes in September - a three-year extension of the Production Tax Credit for wind energy. The House of Representatives energy bill has the same provision so there will be no arguing over the matter. The whole energy bill may not be signed by President Bush until late this year or early next.

We Energies serving electric and natural gas customers in Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has signed 20-year power purchase agreements that will result in the construction of 214 megawatts of new wind capacity. The new construction will increase wind generated energy in Wisconsin by more than 400 percent - 53 megawatts today, 267 megawatts when the projects are complete.

At as yet unspecified locations (because of on-going negotiations at the local level) Navitas Energy will build two 80-megawatt wind farms - Blue Sky Wind Farm and Green Field Wind Farm - in eastern Wisconsin. Midwest Energy will build the 54-megawatt Butler Ridge wind farm somewhere in southeastern Wisconsin, presumably along Butler Ridge.

Projects will be constructed within the next two years. Visit We Energies at http://www.we-energies.com/ , Navitas at http://www.windpower.com/ and Midwest Energy at http://www.mwenergy.com/ , For more information about We Energies green power program visit http://www.we-energyfortomorrow.com/ .

The government of the Republic of Ireland has given the go-ahead to build a 300-megawatt wind farm in county Mayo. The western Ireland wind farm, to be built by state-owned peat supplier Bord na Mona and Hibernian Wind Power (HWP), will have up to 192 turbines when complete by 2010.

Ireland is a relatively small country. The power from this project alone will provide about 7 percent of the country’s electricity requirements - enough power for about 200,000 homes.

Ireland plans to have 1250 megawatts of green power online by 2010. Ireland’s major offshore project - Arklow Bank up to 500 megawatts - is already under construction. Visit Bord na Mona at http://www.bnm.ie/ and Hibernian Wind Power at http://www.hibernianwindpower.ie/ .