World Wind Watch | Green Energy News

April 30, 2006 – Vol.11 No.6

WORLD WIND WATCH.

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) says that 3000 megawatts of new wind capacity should go online in 2006, another record year.

By the end of the first quarter 2006 AWEA notes that 400 megawatts of new wind power have been installed in wind farms in California, Colorado and New York. The wind industry plans to spend $4 billion in the US in 2006 up from $3 billion in 2005, also a record year for new capacity at 2500 megawatts.

New, grid-connected wind power plants were the second largest source of new power generation in the US in 2005, behind natural gas. Once approvals are complete, wind farms with the same capacity as a small fossil fuel power plant can be built in less than a year.

The AWEA also says that some new wind installations might be delayed or stopped this year because of actions by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regional offices and the Department of Defense over the possibility of the interference wind turbines may have on radar signals. The AWEA points out that at least two military bases operate wind turbines along side radar stations without problems, and globally wind turbines have been friendly neighbors with radar. Visit the AWEA at http://www.awea.org/

Madrid, Spain-based renewable energy operator Iberdrola has announced plans to purchase Wayne, Pennsylvania-based wind energy marketer and developer Community Energy.

Iberdrola has 3600 megawatts in wind energy capacity in its portfolio and has plans to build over 10,000 megawatts of renewable energy worldwide by the end of 2011.

Community Energy includes 263 megawatts in its wind portfolio and another 157 -177 megawatts planned and pending approvals needed for construction. Visit Iberdrola at http://www.iberdrola.es/ and Community Energy at http://www.newwindenergy.com/

The steady reliable winds blowing across plains of the central US seem the perfect resource for wind energy development. But the vast windy states are far from the major population centers on the coasts so long distance power transmission problems must be solved before the windy plains can power the rest of the country.

Still the cities and towns in the nation’s middle can take advantage of their wind resources, and they do. Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E) offered customers the opportunity to buy wind power but interest was so strong the company had to close the program to new subscribers in October 2005. The program sold out of available wind capacity it was purchasing for resale.

Now so pleased with its wind energy the utility will go ahead and build its own wind farm. With approvals in place OG&E will build a 120-MW wind farm in northwestern Oklahoma. The Centennial Wind Energy Project with 80, 1.5 megawatt turbines is expected complete and online by the end of 2006. Visit OG&E at http://www.oge.com/