World Wind Watch | Green Energy News

September 3, 2006 - Vol. 11 No.24

WORLD WIND WATCH.

According to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) Texas is the nation’s leader in installed wind capacity with 2400 megawatts. California is close behind with 2323 megawatts and coming in third with 836 megawatts and nearly 900 turbines installed is Iowa. (lowa is also 10th nationwide in wind energy potential. North Dakota ranks first in that category according to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.)

If all permits are approved Iowa could have another 200 - 300 megawatts of wind capacity by 2008 to add to the national statistics.

Iowa Winds LLC is in the approvals stage of $200 million project that will cover 40,000 acres in Franklin County. The project, which could begin construction in the Spring of 2007 would be built on 460 parcels of land and involve the consent of 193 landowners. Typically landowners are paid for the use of their property to plant wind turbines.

The project would create up to 40 permanent jobs maintaining the turbines. Aside from this project there are another 249 megawatts of wind capacity set for construction in Iowa.

Largest is the key word at FPL Energy. The company is the largest operator of wind energy in the United States. It’s the largest operator of wind energy in the world. And now it has the largest wind farm in the US, and the world, and it’s in second largest state in the US: Texas

When complete in late September the 735-megawatt Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center will have 291 GE 1.5 megawatt turbines and 130 Siemens 2.3 megawatt wind turbines spread over nearly 47,000 acres in Taylor and Nolan Counties.

When Horse Hollow is complete FPL will be operating more the 1600 megawatts in Texas out of its total of 4002 megawatts it operates worldwide directly or through subsidiaries. The company has invested more than $1 billion in wind energy in Texas alone. When fully operational Horse Hollow will continue are add to the Texas economy through lease payments to landowners hosting wind turbines. Visit FPL Energy at http://www.fplenergy.com/