Wind Gusts: News Bytes on Wind Energy

December 31, 2006 – Vol. 11 No. 41

WIND GUSTS: NEWS BYTES ON WIND ENERGY.

--- Honda is considering wind energy to help power two of its manufacturing plants in Ohio, as well as facilities in the UK.

In Ohio two meteorological towers have already been installed near the plants to measure wind resources during the next 12 months. Iten Industries is doing the measurements there using an anemometer from Green Energy Ohio (GEO)-managed Ohio Anemometer Loan Program.

--- BP Alternative Energy has purchased wind developer Orion Energy. Orion has 30 wind development projects underway in 16 states that, if built, would generate more than 6000 megawatts of power.

Since 1998 Orion has developed 1300 megawatts of wind capacity. The purchase of the developer, along with its other acquisitions, gives BP the opportunity to develop more than 15,000 megawatts of wind capacity in nearly 100 projects. Visit BP at http://www.bp.com/

--- The 229-megawatt Wild Horse Wind Project in Kittitas County, Washington state has been up and running since the last days of 2006.

The project owned by Puget Sound Energy (PSE) is the largest in the state. Wild Horse sports 127 turbines planted atop Whisky Dick Mountain, east of Ellensburg. On average the project will provide enough power for 76,000 Washington homes. Puget Sound Energy is also considering a 500-kilowatt solar project to be built at the Wild Horse site.

PSE also own the 83-turbine Hopkins Ridge wind farm making the company the largest producer of renewable energy in the Pacific Northwest. Visit PSE at http://www.pse.com/

--- Up and running too is MidAmerican Energy’s 66-turbine, 99-megawatt Victory Wind Project in west central Iowa. With Victory the company now has nearly 460 megawatts in wind capacity in the state. MidAmerican will complete an additional 123-megawatt wind project there in 2007. (FYI the state’s governor, Tom Vilsak, is seeking the US Presidency in 2008 and is a big wind energy supporter.) Visit MidAmerican (wind) at http://www.midamericanenergy.com/wind

--- With $385 million available to write checks enXco will continue building its Fenton Wind Energy Project now under construction in Murray and Nobles Counties, Minnesota. The project, to be completed in the second half of 2007, will be Minnesota’s largest with 137 1.5 megawatt GE turbines.

Financing came from Union Bank of California and GE Energy Financial Services. With Fenton, GE Energy Financial Services now has 16 wind energy equity investment commitments for a total capacity worldwide of 750 megawatts. Visit enXco at http://www.enXco.com/ ,GE Energy Financial Services at http://www.geenergyfinancialservices.com/ , Union Bank at http://www.unionbank.com/

--- Vestas will supply 56, 1.8-MW wind turbines for third quarter delivery to Enel North America for the Smoky Hills wind project in Kansas. Visit Vestas at http://www.vestas.com/

--- Siemens Power Generation will supply 26, 2.3-MW turbines for RES-Americas’ Whirlwind Energy Center in Floyd County, Texas. Visit Siemens at http://www.siemens.com/powergeneration