Cleantech Update

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) filed an objection with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to a proposal by the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator that would dramatically increase the cost of wind farms grid connections, according to a report by James Murray in Business Green Under the new proposal, energy generators (including wind farms) in 13 midwest states would be required to pay 90% of the cost of any new transmission lines. Previously, the cost was split 50-50 between energy generators and transmission line owners. “At a time when the wind industry is one of the few bright spots of the US economy, having created 35,000 new jobs last year, this policy is saying the Midwest is becoming less friendly for the wind business, and that will clearly have an impact on not only wind development but manufacturing and supply chanin jobs throughout the region, ” said AWEA CEO Denise Bode, quoted in Business Green. The Rest @  Business Green

From Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, June 2009 Business isn't so sunny these days for SolarCity, the country's largest installer of residential solar-power systems. But Lyndon Rive, chief executive of the Foster City, Cal., firm, says it's an absence of financing, rather than a lack of demand, that has caused the slowdown. "Once you address that bottleneck," he says, "solar power will boom." So, too, will the entire spectrum of renewable-energy stocks, which lately have generated as much sizzle as a solar panel in an eclipse. A year ago, alternative energy shone brightly. Then came the financial crisis, which starved the industry of its lifeblood: capital. Lack of it caused demand to tumble and inventories to grow. Says Gregory Wetstone, of the American Wind Energy Association : "Our astronomical growth came to a screeching halt in late 2008." As a result, alternative-energy stocks crumbled. The WilderHill Clean Energy Index, which ...

The US wind energy industry installed 1,210MW of new power generating capacity in the second quarter of this year, bringing the total added this year to just over 4,000MW, an increase from the 2,900MW added in the first six months of 2008, the American Wind Energy Association said in its second quarter market report. While the number of completed wind farm installations was solid, AWEA said it is seeing a reduced number of orders and lower level of activity in manufacturing of wind turbines and their components, a development it termed troubling in view of the fact that the US industry was previously on track for much larger growth and the global wind power industry is continuing to expand. ‘The numbers are in, and while they show the industry has been swimming upstream, adding some 4,000MW over the past six months, the fact is that we could be delivering so much more,’ said AWEA CEO Denise Bode. ‘Our challenge now is to seize the historic opportunity before us to unleash this entrepr...

WIND ENERGY GROWS BY RECORD 8,300 MW IN 2008 Smart policies, stimulus bill needed to maintain momentum in 2009 The U.S. wind energy industry shattered all previous records in 2008 by installing 8,358 megawatts (MW) of new generating capacity (enough to serve over 2 million homes), the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) said today, even as it warned of an uncertain outlook for 2009 due to the continuing financial crisis. The massive growth in 2008 swelled the nation’s total wind power generating capacity by 50% and channeled an investment of some $17 billion into the economy, positioning wind power as one of the leading sources of new power generation in the country today along with natural gas, AWEA added. At year’s end, however, financing for new projects and orders for turbine components slowed to a trickle and layoffs began to hit the wind turbine manufacturing sector. “Our numbers are both exciting and sobering,” said AWEA CEO Denise Bode. “The U.S. wind energy industry’...

AWEA is a national trade association representing wind power project developers, equipment suppliers, services providers, parts manufacturers, utilities, researchers, and others involved in the wind industry - one of the world's fastest growing energy industries. In addition, AWEA represents hundreds of wind energy advocates from around the world. The Association provides up-to-date information on: Wind energy projects operating; New projects in various stages of development; Companies working in the wind energy field; Technology development and policy developments related to wind and other renewable energy development. Wind Energy Siting handbook Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Wind Energy Basics Chapter 3: Critical Environmental Issues Analysis Chapter 4: Regulatory Framework Chapter 5: Impact Analysis and Mitigation Chapter 6: ASTM Environmental Site Assessment Chapter 7: Public Outreach Chapter 8: Glossary of Key Terms Chapter 9: Resources Chapter 10: Refe...