World Wind Watch | Green Energy News

April 25, 2004 – Vol.9 No.5

WORLD WIND WATCH.

The province of Quebec has 100,000 megawatts of wind energy potential within 25 kilometers of existing power lines, according to a new study prepared by wind energy consultants Helimax Energy for the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA).

If just 10 percent of this energy were harnessed 15 percent of Quebec’s energy requirements would be met. Further, if over a 25 year period only 4000 megawatts were developed with an investment of $5.8 billion (CAD) ($4.23 billion US) 62,000 person years of employment would be created, 70 percent of which would remain in Canada.

Quebec already has significant hydroelectric power capacity, some of which is sold to the Northeast U.S. That region could also be a market for developed Canadian wind capacity, if built. Visit the Canadian Wind Energy Association at http://www.canwea.ca/ .

Xcel Energy, serving 1.2 million customers in Colorado, has filed a least-cost resource plan with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission that includes up to 500 megawatts of renewable energy, predominately wind.

Eighty percent of the new capacity in the plan will come from competitive bidding including the 500 MW of wind energy. The bidding process for that capacity will begin with a Request For Proposals (RFP) that will be issued in July 2004. The company is planning that the production tax credit for (PTC) wind energy will be approved in the U.S. Senate for the capacity to be built. The PTC, however, is now stalled.

In a second phase of proposals will be an all-source RFP with additional renewable capacity to be sought. Visit Xcel at http://www.xcelenergy.com/

On the island of Jamaica the 20.7 megawatt Wigton Windfarm has been completed and is now commissioned. The facility with 23 NEG-Micon turbines (now Vestas) was built ahead of schedule.

Power from Wigton will be sold to the Jamaica Public Service Company. The owner of the $25 million facility is the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ). Wigton is in Central Manchester parish. Visit PCJ at http://www.pcj.com/ .