Florida Man Installs Wind Turbine on His Property

Amid the recent economic downturn, demand in the U.S. is rising for small wind turbines to power people’s homes. The American Wind Energy Association says sales of such turbines rose 15 percent in 2009. One man in Florida is generating his own power in order to cut his electricity bills.

A wind turbine sits on top of a small hill, and generates electricity for a nearby home.

Jim Dotson says he had the turbine installed last year and it is saving his family money.

“We figured out that we could about cut our electric bill in half, and that’s what we’ve done pretty consistently,” he  said.

Dotson uses his computer to monitor the amount of electricity his turbine is generating.

He says sometimes it generates more power than he needs. He then sells the excess electricity to his local power company.

“Especially in the economic times that we’re in right now, any time you can be more self-sufficient, it’s a good thing,” he noted.

But Dotson lives in Florida, a state with very few wind-power installations compared to other parts of the country.

Frank Leslie, an adjunct professor with the Department of Marine and Environmental Systems at the Florida Institute of Technology, says scientists often view Florida as not windy enough to make turbines viable.

“The winds are very low. The southeast is not really blessed with high winds that one can extract energy from,” Leslie explained.

And the cost of installing a small turbine is high – up to $22,000.

“While the wind is free, the conversion of wind power into electrical power costs money,” he noted.

Leslie says Florida has a breezy coastline, but many parts are usually calm

California, Texas and Iowa have the largest wind power generating capacity in the United States. This wind farm near San Francisco is one of the largest in the world with more than 4,000 turbines.  
The U.S. government says wind only produces about two percent of America’s electricity demand, compared to 25 percent in Denmark and eight percent in Germany and Spain.

Still, Jim Dotson says he is confident he can continue to power his Florida home by harnessing the wind.

And he says he is even raising money to pay for a wind turbine to power a school in the west African nation of Burkina Faso.

 

Source:VOA

Wind Power Creating Jobs From the Auto Industry

Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm joined representatives from Mariah Power and MasTech Manufacturing on April 20 to celebrate the opening of a new wind turbine manufacturing plant in Manistee, near the central eastern shore of Lake Michigan. The plant has hired 30 employees, many of them former auto industry workers, to begin its operations and expects to hire 80 more during the next three years.

Mariah Power, based in Reno, Nevada, partnered with MasTech Manufacturing of Manistee to retrofit a 30,000-square-foot auto parts manufacturing facility into the wind turbine manufacturing plant. The former auto workers, now employed by Mariah Power, already have experience in machining, welding, and building auto assembly lines and auto robotics.

The plant will produce Windspire® vertical axis wind turbines, which consist of a 30-foot central tower around which spins a 20- foot-high by 2-foot-diameter cylindrical-frame-shaped rotor. The turbines are mostly used in residential and small business settings. Mariah Power expects to produce 100 turbines per month initially, and aims to eventually produce 1,000 per month. Local Michigan companies will supply the steel and aluminum to produce the turbines.

“As we continue our efforts to diversify and grow our state’s economy, we are proud to celebrate the opening of the Windspire manufacturing facility and the new energy jobs this will create in northern Michigan,” Governor Granholm said. “This investment puts us at the forefront in the production of renewable energy to end U.S. dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuels.”

For more information, see the Mariah Power April 20 press release, which includes video of more of Granholm’s remarks.

To read more about renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in Michigan, see:

• Michigan news published on the EERE Web site.
• Brief project descriptions from the Michigan Energy Office published in the EERE State Energy Program newsletter, Conservation Update.
• Michigan publications listed in the EERE State Publications Database.

GE Energy, Invenergy Team Up to Deliver One of the First U.S. Wind Projects Expected to be Developed With Federal Stimulus Funds

Milestone Project to Help Move the U.S. Wind Industry Forward

SCHENECTADY, N.Y.-April 2, 2009-Signaling a positive note for the U.S. wind industry, one of the first wind energy projects expected to benefit from President Obama’s stimulus plan is being developed by Invenergy Wind in LaSalle County, Ill. GE Energy will supply 74 of its 1.5-megawatt (MW) wind turbines to begin the expansion of the Grand Ridge Energy Center, which, when completed, will increase the country’s wind power capacity by over 110 megawatts, enough clean energy for 30,000 U.S. households.

Under the terms of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), commonly called the federal stimulus package, there are a number of provisions to encourage the development of wind projects, including a three-year Production Tax Credit (PTC) extension, an option to elect a 30% Investment Tax Credit (ITC) in place of the PTC, a temporary program that includes an option to convert the ITC into a Treasury grant and a new DOE loan guarantee program.

“With a White House and a Congress that support renewable energy and understand the importance of energy independence, Invenergy and GE are poised to make a significant contribution to the growth of wind energy development in the U.S.,” said Michael Polsky, president and CEO of Invenergy. “Renewable energy is good for the country, economically and environmentally. There is an abundance of wind power in the U.S. waiting to be harnessed into electricity that can be used to meet our growing energy demands,” he added.

“The availability of stimulus funds paves the way for a new wave of growth for the American wind industry,” said John Krenicki, president and CEO of GE Energy, the largest U.S. wind turbine supplier. “We encourage others in the wind industry to follow Invenergy’s example and move forward with their plans to develop new wind farms to help meet the nation’s demand for cleaner energy.”

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) calls the U.S. wind industry “an economic and job creation dynamo,” and reports that 85,000 people were employed in the industry at the end of 2008, an increase of 35,000 from the previous year. These jobs span all aspects of the industry including turbine component manufacturing, transportation, construction and installation of new wind turbines, operations and maintenance, and legal and marketing services.

“It is obvious that a strong, vibrant wind industry can be a tremendous growth engine, playing a key role in building a strong future for our national economy,” said Krenicki. “In 2008 alone, the wind industry channeled an investment of $17 billion into the economy while adding more than eight gigawatts of new generating capacity, enough clean energy to serve more than two million U.S. homes. GE played a key role in that development, installing one of every two new wind turbines in the U.S.”

With continuing government encouragement to accelerate its development, wind power will provide a steadily increasing percentage of U.S. electricity. “Wind energy works for our economy, our environment and our energy security,” Krenicki said.

According to Polsky, “President Obama’s vision to double the production of renewable energy in the next three years can be achieved with strong and consistent energy policy. Enacting a national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) is the single most important step that Congress can take to lay the long-term foundation for a “green-collar” workforce and a domestic renewable energy-manufacturing base. With this level of commitment from the government, and with the support of the energy industry and the American public, our country is positioned to tackle and solve our energy and environmental challenges, even in these difficult economic times.”

Since entering the renewable energy industry in 2002, GE has invested more than $850 million in renewable energy technology and production. Today GE’s renewable energy business, including wind and solar, employs more than 5,000 people globally, and has increased “green jobs” throughout the domestic supply chain by over 300%.

About GE Energy

GE Energy (www.ge.com/energy) is one of the world’s leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technologies, with 2008 revenue of $29.3 billion. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, GE Energy works in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; and other alternative fuels. Numerous GE Energy products are certified under ecomagination, GE’s corporate-wide initiative to aggressively bring to market new technologies that will help customers meet pressing environmental challenges.

About GE

GE is a diversified global infrastructure, finance and media company that is built to meet essential world needs. From energy, water, transportation and health to access to money and information, GE serves customers in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at http://www.ge.com/. GE is Imagination at Work.

About Invenergy Wind LLC

Founded in Chicago in 2001, Invenergy Wind LLC and its affiliates are focused on the development, ownership, operation and management of large-scale wind energy and other clean energy generation assets in North America and Europe.

Invenergy, one of the top five independent wind energy developers in North America, has 2,000 MW of wind projects and 2,800 MW of natural-gas fired generating projects in operation or construction. For more information, visit http://www.invenergyllc.com/

LIPA and Con Edison to Move Forward with Plans for Major Offshore Wind Initiative

Governor Paterson Commends LIPA and Con Edison for Leadership on Renewable Energy Initiative May be the Country’s Largest Offshore Wind Project

Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) President and CEO Kevin S. Law and Consolidated Edison (Con Edison) Chairman and CEO Kevin Burke have announced that their public-private partnership is moving forward with plans for a new phase of study on a major offshore wind farm.

A joint feasibility study released today by the two utilities concluded that an interconnection of up to 700 MW of wind power, located at least 13 miles off the Rockaway Peninsula in the Atlantic Ocean, would be feasible with upgrades to their respective transmission systems.

The proposed “LIPA/Con Edison Offshore Wind Farm” would likely be designed for 350 MW of generation, with the ability to expand it to 700 MW, giving it the potential to be the largest offshore wind proposal in the country. The concept for the offshore wind project emanates from New York State Governor David A. Paterson’s Renewable Energy Task Force and is consistent with the Governor’s “45 by 15″ program, which establishes the goal for the State to meet 45 percent of its electricity needs through improved energy efficiency and renewable sources by the year 2015. LIPA and Con Edison have also filed an application to interconnect the offshore wind project with the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) for up to 1400 MW by 2020, which would permit a future expansion beyond the 700 MW.

“As a state and as a nation, we must find alternative solutions to traditional fossil fuel sources. By taking advantage of the natural resources that New York has to offer, we will position ourselves to be the national leader in renewable and alternative energy as our economy emerges from the current crisis,” said Governor David A. Paterson. “LIPA and Con Edison have partnered to take a lead role in wind power, successfully completing the first phase of this joint partnership with their study of the technical aspects of connecting off-shore wind energy to the state’s electricity system.”

“I am strongly encouraged by the preliminary analysis which demonstrates a large offshore wind project can work in our service territory,” said LIPA President and CEO Kevin S. Law. “As a member of Governor Paterson’s Renewable Energy Task Force, I remain committed to not only continue with the next phase of the process, but also to bring this wind project to fruition if we can make it cost effective for our customers.”

“We are committed to helping the state meet its renewable energy goals, while continuing to support efforts that provide a clean environment for our customers,” said Con Edison Chairman and CEO Kevin Burke. “An offshore wind farm would be an exciting project for New York, and we will work closely with federal, state and municipal leaders to move this process along in a responsible way.”

The formation of the Con Edison and LIPA interdisciplinary working group was announced by the Governor last fall with a goal of studying, among other things, suitable locations for an offshore wind project, transmission and interconnection capabilities, and the availability of wind as an energy source. The information gathered was used to provide a better understanding of the opportunities for such a project and, if feasible, the development of jointly issued request for proposals whereby both utilities could share the cost of the project, as well as the power it generates.

As the second phase begins for the wind project, LIPA and Con Edison will work with the state, the New York Power Authority, New York City, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and the Port Authority to issue a request for expressions of interest (RFEI) for off-shore wind development. The RFEI serves as a precursor to a Request for Proposals (RFP) to be issued later this year. It is anticipated that other interested state and city agencies will be invited to participate in the project’s next phase and/or the RFP process.
Additional next steps include:

• creation of a joint LIPA/Con Edison Web site to keep the wind industry, communities and stakeholders informed of the project’s progress; and
• working with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to develop a Meteorological Tower to assess wind strength in the proposed project location.

In addition, both utilities will begin another round of due diligence that will concentrate on the economics and feasibility of the actual offshore wind farm, including: determining if there is sufficient wind resources to meet the scope of the project; an avian (bird impacts) study, further environmental impacts, economic costs, community impact and the potential number of jobs the project could create.

The offshore wind-power working group marks the first regional partnership project between LIPA and Con Edison.

A copy of the interconnect study may be obtained by following either of the following links:

http://www.lipower.org/newscenter/pr/2009/032009-windstudy.pdf

http://www.coned.com/messages/WindProjectStudy.pdf