World Wind Watch | Green Energy News

September 17, 2006 – Vol.11 No.26

WORLD WIND WATCH.

The same message has been repeated in various forms in this column. Renewable energy is all about building capacity, and wind energy is the fastest growing renewable power source on the planet.

Together the following wind energy projects will yield 717 megawatts of power, about the same capacity as an average-sized coal-fired power plant.

--- PPM Energy and Horizon Wind Energy will be dedicating the first phase of the Maple Ridge Wind Farm in Lowville, New York on September 26. When phase two is complete the facility will have nameplate output of 320 megawatts using 195, 1.65 megawatt turbines from Vestas Wind Systems.

Maple Ridge will increase wind capacity in the state by a factor of six. The project was built to help meet New York’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS) which mandates 25-percent renewables by 2013.

The project will bring $8 million per year in tax revenues to Lewis County and $2 million each year to be divided between 75 landowners in land lease payments; an average of about $27,000 each. Visit PPM at http://www.ppmenergy.com/ and Horizon Wind at http://www.horizonwind.com/

--- PPM has also broken ground on its next wind project: the 150-megawatt MinnDakota Wind Power Project that spreads across the South Dakota and Minnesota border in Brookings County and Lincoln County respectively.

MinnDakota will have 100, 1.5-megawatt turbines from General Electric. The project spans 15,000 acres with only 300 acres actually used by the turbines and support roads. All of the power will be sold through Xcel Energy , the nations largest provider of retail wind energy . Visit Xcel at http://www.xcelenergy.com/

--- John Deere Wind Energy has announced it has secured a supply order with Suzlon Wind Energy of India for 247 megawatts of wind turbine nameplate capacity. The order is for 30, 1.25 megawatt turbines and 100, 2.1-megawatt machines. The turbines will be delivered throughout 2007.

John Deere is mum on where the turbines will be installed but says that the turbines will be used in numerous projects throughout the US. The company has been focusing on small community-based projects. Visit Suzlon at http://www.suzlon.com/ , John Deere Wind Energy at http://www.deere.com/en_US/jdc/index.html