Press Releases
January 24, 2006
U.S. Wind Industry Ends Most Productive Year
December 22, 2005
American Wind Energy Association Promotes Environmental Stewardship in 2005
December 13, 2005
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Issues Green Light Decision on Wind Energy
November 3, 2005
U.S. Wind Energy to Break Installation Records, Expand by More than 35% in 2005
October 12, 2005
AWEA STATEMENT ON NATURAL GAS CRISIS, EIA WINTER OUTLOOK REPORT
September 19, 2005
STATEMENT BY THE AMERICAN WIND ENERGY ASSOCIATION (AWEA)
ON GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE (GAO) REPORT ON WIND ENERGY AND WILDLIFE
August 3, 2005
QUARTERLY WIND ENERGY MARKET OUTLOOK
July 29, 2005
ENERGY BILL EXTENDS WIND POWER INCENTIVE THROUGH 2007
July 6, 2005
NEW NATIONAL COALITION FORMED TO PROMOTE CLEAN, RENEWABLE, DOMESTIC WIND ENERGY DEVELOPMENT
June 23, 2005
AMERICAN WIND ENERGY ASSOCIATION (AWEA) STATEMENT ON SENS. LAMAR ALEXANDER (R-TENN.) & JOHN WARNER (R-VA.) NOT-IN-MY-BACKYARD ANTI-WIND ENERGY AMENDMENT
May 12, 2005
ANNUAL RANKINGS DEMONSTRATE CONTINUED GROWTH OF WIND ENERGY INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED STATES
April 26, 2005
WIND INDUSTRY EYES RECORD YEAR OF GROWTH, JOB CREATION
January 27, 2005
U.S. WIND INDUSTRY CONTINUES EXPANSION OF CLEAN, DOMESTIC ENERGY SOURCE
December 16, 2004
THE AMERICAN WIND ENERGY ASSOCIATION (AWEA) TODAY ISSUED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT ON THE PROPOSED MORATORIUM ON OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY DEVELOPMENT IN NEW JERSEY
December 3, 2004
AMERICAN WIND ENERGY ASSOCIATION (AWEA) STATEMENT ON CAPE WIND
March 4, 2004
UNUSUAL ALLIANCE HOPES TO KEEP BATS OUT OF WIND TURBINES
http://www.awea.org/news/AWEA_statement_natural_gas_crisis_101206.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 12, 2005Contact: Christine Real de Azua (202) 383-2508
AWEA Statement on Natural Gas Crisis,
EIA Winter Outlook Report
The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) today released the following statement by AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher on the natural gas crisis currently facing the US. The high price of natural gas is the backdrop for the Energy Information Administration (EIA)'s winter outlook report released today:
"Using more wind power can quickly and effectively help alleviate the natural gas crisis and stabilize volatile prices--the more wind power the U.S. installs, the less natural gas and other fuels are needed for electricity generation. Wind farms can be installed quickly--typically within two years, with construction requiring less than six months, faster than new fields can be drilled or liquified natural gas (LNG) terminals built -- and they generate jobs as well as clean, domestic, inexhaustible energy.
This year alone, wind farms already in place (6,740 megawatts (MW)) and those that will be installed by the end of the year (an additional 2,500 MW) could save over half a billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas per day in 2006.
If an additional 6,000 MW of new wind power are installed over the next three years--a conservative estimate if the production tax credit is extended before it expires in 2007-- the U.S. could top 15,000 MW of installed wind power capacity by the end of 2008, which would save nearly 0.9 Bcf/day by the end of this decade and help reduce pressure on natural gas prices.
In the interest of the economy, of consumers, and of the environment, wind power should be a large part of a "silver buckshot" to resolve the current energy crisis."
For more information contact Christine Real de Azua at (202) 383-2508.
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http://www.awea.org/news/GAOreport-091905.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 19, 2005Contact: Christine Real de Azua (202) 383-2508
Statement by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA)
on Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on wind energy and wildlife
Many fewer birds fly into wind turbines than is generally thought, and more research is needed to assess the possible impacts of wind turbines on both birds and bats, according to a new report released today by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on the possible impacts of wind energy development on wildlife. Although several hundred utility-scale wind farms currently operate across the country such problems remain limited to two project areas, according to the report. . “In the context of other sources of avian [mortality], it does not appear that wind power is responsible for a significant number of bird deaths,” the report states in its conclusion (page 43).
The GAO report, requested by Congressmen Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va) and Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.), exhaustively and impartially surveyed data from the Appalachian region and around the country. Its authors also visited several sites and interviewed expert sources. The findings show that wind projects normally do not significantly impact birds. The report also confirms that while the numbers of bats flying into wind turbines at some locations in Appalachia raise concern and remain unexplained, more data is needed and will be coming from the research program that AWEA, individual wind energy companies, Bat Conservation International, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other stakeholder groups launched as soon as the problem was discovered.
“The report confirms what the data has shown for a long time, and that is that many fewer birds fly into wind turbines than into other manmade structures such as buildings, radio towers, and vehicles,” said AWEA executive director Randall Swisher. “The report also shows that we need to learn more about wind-bat interactions, an issue about which the industry remains concerned even if further research eventually shows that the impact on bat populations is not significant. The industry believes that bats and wind turbines can and must coexist, and is working with stakeholder groups and experts to understand the issue and try to find ways to avoid or at least reduce collisions.
“The wind energy industry welcomes scrutiny of, and comparison with, all of the impacts of all sources of power generation,” added Swisher. “We have nothing to hide. We hope that lawmakers and consumers concerned about impacts of energy use – as well they should be -- will also call for detailed studies on the impacts of other operating or proposed power plants in the region. Wind energy produces no air pollution, no water pollution, no global warming pollution, and no waste, and it requires no mining or drilling for fuel. Despite its modest impacts, the more it is used instead of fossil fuels, the better for the environment and for consumers.”
Online copies of the report are available on the GAO Web site at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d05906.pdf.
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http://www.awea.org/news/quarterly_wind_energy_market_outlook_080305.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 3, 2005Contact: Kathy Belyeu (202) 383-2520 | Christine Real de Azua (202) 383-2508
Quarterly Wind Energy Market Outlook
The American Wind Energy Association's (AWEA) quarterly market outlook for the end of the second quarter of 2005 remains the same as at the end of the first quarter: i.e., that up to 2,500 megawatts (MW) of new wind generating capacity will be installed in the U.S. during 2005. For the full text of the first quarter market outlook release, see www.awea.org/news/news050426qmk.html.
With the extension by Congress last week of the wind energy production tax credit (PTC) through the end of 2007, AWEA’s initial rough estimate is that 2,000 MW or more of new capacity will be installed per year in 2006 and 2007.
NEW WIND PROJECTS LISTING
Among projects expected to be completed by year's end are the following. This is not a complete listing, but a sample of new projects you may wish to cover. A state-by-state listing of projects is available at www.awea.org/projects.
Hopkins Ridge Wind Power Project, Columbia County, Washington
- 149.4 MW
- Developed by RES America & Puget Sound Energy
- Using 83 Vestas 1.8-MW turbines
- Contact: Tim Bader of Puget Sound Energy, e-mail tim.bader@pse.com , phone (425) 462-3744, cell (206) 818-8484
- Web site: www.psehopkinsridge.com
Kumeyaay Wind Power Project, San Diego County, California
- 50-MW
- Largest wind project on Native American land in the U.S.
- Developed by Superior Renewable Energy
- Using 25 Gamesa 2-MW turbines
- Communications contact John Calaway, phone (713) 571-8900
Trimont Area Wind Farm, Martin & Jackson Counties, Minnesota
- 100.5 MW
- Largest project with local farmer ownership in the U.S.
- Under construction, developed by PPM Energy
- Using 67 GE Energy 1.5-MW turbines
- Contact Jan Johnson of PPM Energy, e-mail jan.johnson@ppmenergy.com , phone (503) 796-7000
- Web site: www.ppmenergy.com/rel_05.03.25.html
- PPM Energy has announced 574 MW of new wind projects under construction in 2005
Weatherford Wind Energy Center, near Weatherford, Oklahoma
- 106.5 MW completed, 40.5 MW to be added by the end of the year
- Developed by FPL Energy
- 98 GE Energy 1.5-MW turbines
- Communications contact Steve Stengel, e-mail steven_stengel@fpl.com , phone (561) 694-4340
- Web site: www.fplenergy.com/news/contents/05040.shtml , www.psoklahoma.com/news/releases/viewrelease.asp?releaseID=121
- FPL Energy has announced that it will add 500-750 MW of new wind capacity in 2005.
Texas – 703.1 MW of new wind power capacity to be added in 2005
Contact: Mike Sloan of the Wind Coalition, phone (512) 476-9899, e-mail sloan@vera.com
Projects:
- Sweetwater phase II, near Sweetwater, 128-MW project developed by DKRW, Babcock & Brown, and Catamount Energy Corp., 61 GE Energy 1.5-MW turbines
- Community-owned projects, a total of 30 MW being financed by John Deere, 24 Suzlon 1.25-MW turbines
- Callahan Divide Wind Energy Center in Taylor County, 114-MW project developed by FPL Energy, 76 GE Energy 1.5-MW turbines
- Cottonwood Creek, west of Abilene, 100.5-MW project developed by DKRW, Babcock & Brown, and Catamount Energy Corp., 67 GE Energy 1.5-MW turbines
- Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center in Taylor County, 210-MW project developed by FPL Energy, 140 GE Energy 1.5-MW turbines
- Buffalo Gap, near Abilene 120.6-MW project developed by AES, 67 Vestas 1.8-MW turbines
Maple Ridge wind farm in Lewis County, New York
- 198-MW
- Under construction, developed jointly PPM Energy & Zilkha Renewable Energy
- 120 Vestas 1.65-MW turbines
- Contact: Jan Johnson of PPM Energy, e-mail jan.johnson@ppmenergy.com , phone (503) 796-7000, Michael Skelly of Zilkha Renewable Energy, e-mail mskelly@zilkha.com , phone (713) 265-0243
- Web: www.ppmenergy.com/rel_05.04.05.html
Ainsworth Wind Energy facility near Ainsworth, Nebraska
- 59.4 MW
- Developed by the Nebraska Public Power District and RES America
- 36 Vestas 1.65-MW turbines
- Communications contact: Gary Thompson, director of the Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD), ggthomp@nppd.com , phone (402) 223-5678
San Juan Mesa Wind Power Project, near Elida, New Mexico
- 120 MW
- Developed by Padoma Wind Power
- 120 Mitsubishi 1-MW turbines
- Communications contact: Jan Paulin, e-mail jpaulin@padoma.com, phone (619) 261-2000
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www.awea.org/news/energy_bill_extends_wind_power_072905.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 29, 2005
Contact: Jaime Steve (202) 383-2500 | Jon Chase (202) 383-2500 | Christine Real de Azua (202) 383-2508 | christine@awea.org
ENERGY BILL EXTENDS WIND POWER INCENTIVE THROUGH 2007
First-ever "Seamless" Extension Will Spur Investment, Job Creation, and Clean Energy Production
Washington, D.C.-The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) hailed today the extension of the wind energy Production Tax Credit (PTC) included in the wide-ranging energy bill that Congress just adopted and President Bush is soon expected to sign into law. The PTC, which was scheduled to expire on December 31, 2005, provides a 1.9 cent-per-kilowatt-hour (kWh) tax credit for electricity generated with wind turbines over the first ten years of a project's operations, and is a critical factor in financing new wind farms.
"This is the first time that an extension of the production tax credit for wind energy has been approved before the credit expires, and, following the past six years of boom-and-bust cycles caused by successive expirations, that is very good news for the industry," said AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher. "The timely extension of the credit allows companies to plan for growth, create jobs, and provide more clean power to customers nationwide."
Up to 2,500 megawatts of wind energy capacity are scheduled to come on line in the U.S. this year, bringing new power to the equivalent of 700,000 homes and injecting over $3 billion of investment into the power generation sector. With the timely extension of the PTC, the American Wind Energy Association anticipates that strong growth momentum will continue in 2006 and 2007.
"The PTC extension was secured thanks to the leadership of tax committee chairmen Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Representative Bill Thomas (R-CA)," said AWEA Legislative Director Jaime Steve. "AWEA is also very appreciative of the leadership of energy committee chairmen Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM) and Representative Joe Barton (R-TX), and of the Bush Administration's support for an extension of the PTC."
"AWEA also thanks Senators Max Baucus (D-MT), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Larry Craig (R-ID), Tim Johnson (D-SD), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Representatives John Dingell (D-MI) and Ralph Hall (R-TX), all of whom served on the conference committee for their efforts in gaining an extension of the PTC," said AWEA's Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs Jon Chase. "In addition, we commend Representatives Jim McCrery (R-LA), Mark Foley (R-FL), Earl Pomeroy (D-ND), Richard Pombo (R-CA) and Mark Udall (D-CO), and Senators Harry Reid (D-NV), Kent Conrad (D-ND), Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) for their contributions.
Other key players included Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID), Ken Salazar (D-CO), Wayne Allard (R-CO), and Jim Jeffords (I-VT), and Representatives Jim Nussle (R-IA), Greg Walden (R-OR), Dave Camp (R-MI), Bob Beauprez (R-CO), Tom Reynolds (R-NY), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jay Inslee (D-WA), Zach Wamp (R-TN), Dennis Rehberg (R-MT), Ron Kind (D-WI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tom Latham (R-IA), Jerry Weller (R-IL) and others.
By simply changing the PTC expiration date to December 31, 2007, the extension leaves in place the PTC's current 1.9 cent per kilowatt-hour value, the annual inflation adjustment provision, and the 10-year term to generate credits following the installation of a wind turbine. The bill does not contain restrictions on the availability of the PTC or place limits on offshore wind projects, as some anti-wind lawmakers had proposed.
The final energy bill does not include the Senate provision calling for 10% of the nation's electricity to be generated from renewable sources like wind and solar by 2020, also referred to as the Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS). "By failing to include in the energy bill this provision to boost renewable energy development over the longer term, Congress missed a unique opportunity to enact forward-looking energy, economic, security, and environmental policy all at once," said Swisher.
The bill also does not include an incentive for small wind systems for homeowners and small businesses, although it provides a 30% credit capped at $2,000 for residential solar systems and fuel cells. Such incentives are needed to help reduce the up-front cost of purchasing such systems.
"With the timely extension of the PTC, the wind energy industry can move ahead - uninterrupted - to produce thousands of additional high-paying jobs, boost rural economic development, and generate clean energy for consumers," said Steve.
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http://www.awea.org/news/news06Jul05_WEW.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 6, 2005
Contact: Christine Real de Azua (202) 383-2508 | christine@awea.org
NEW NATIONAL COALITION FORMED TO PROMOTE CLEAN, RENEWABLE, DOMESTIC WIND ENERGY DEVELOPMENT
"Wind Energy Works!" Will Draw on Diverse Membership to Engage in the National Wind Energy Conversation, Combat Misinformation
July 6, 2005 - Washington, D.C. - The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) today announced the formation of a broad national coalition of wind energy advocates that is intended to be the largest pro-wind energy development organization of its kind in the United States. Wind Energy Works! will actively and aggressively engage in the public conversation over the merits of wind energy, educate the public about the many benefits of wind energy development, and act as a counterbalance to the misinformation being spread by wind energy opponents in communities across the country.
"Wind energy works because it is one of the cleanest, most environmentally friendly energy sources in the world, helps reduce our country's dependence on foreign sources of energy, creates jobs and supports local economies," said Randall Swisher, Executive Director of the American Wind Energy Association. "But despite all of these benefits, there is an ongoing effort by wind energy opponents to mislead the public and hinder or block further wind energy development across the country. This new coalition will make the positive case for continued wind energy development and engage the public with the facts."
There is great support in this country for wind energy development. A May 2005 Yale University poll found that 87 percent of Americans support expanded wind farms and 86 percent want increased funding for renewable energy research. Despite such widespread support, opponents have mounted a concerted effort to distort the truth about wind energy's benefits and spread misinformation to the public in an attempt to influence their favorable perception of wind energy. The Wind Energy Works! coalition was created to counter myths with facts.
The initial organizations in the coalition include a diverse array of national, regional and local environmental, agricultural, economic development, faith-based and wind and renewable energy advocacy groups. Members include: Earth Policy Institute, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, the Izaak Walton League of America, Union of Concerned Scientists, the American Corn Growers Association, the American Corn Growers Foundation, Prowers County Development, Inc., and The Regeneration Project/Interfaith Power and Light. Wind and renewable energy advocacy organization members include: AWEA, Renewable Energy Long Island, Western Resource Advocates, the Renewable Northwest Project, Wind Power New York, Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future, the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies (CEERT), The Wind Coalition, Green Energy Ohio, Wind on the Wires, the Interwest Energy Alliance, Clean Energy Partnership, Renew Wisconsin, West Wind Wires, Minnesotans for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ME3), and the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. This initial group will be supplemented over time by an even broader set of national, regional, state and local organizations.
Although the establishment of the coalition was spurred by AWEA, the coalition's vision is to become a broad-based alliance of independent voices providing a platform for organizations from the environmental, agricultural, business, health, social justice, faith, and academic communities to promote their combined expertise and perspective on the need for continued wind energy development. This effort will reach every corner of the country and every level of the wind energy conversation - from local town hall meetings to state media coverage to the floor of the U.S. Senate, the coalition's presence will be felt and its perspective will be voiced.
"By combining the resources of its members and creating a unified message and communication infrastructure, the coalition will engage in every aspect of the wind energy conversation across this country and let no myth or falsehood about wind go unanswered without the facts about wind energy's tremendous benefits," said Coalition Steering Committee Member Susan Sloan of The Wind Coalition (Austin, Texas). "The strength and effectiveness of this coalition will be greater than the sum of its parts."
Wind Energy Works! is intended to be a simple, effective, memorable statement of the value and benefit of wind energy development. Wind energy works! because it's effective: it creates jobs, generates local tax revenues and supports local economies. Wind energy works! because it is a reality today: wind energy is a viable energy source creating electric power for more then 1 million Americans. Wind energy works! because it is a clean, renewable, domestic source of energy that can be expanded across the country: wind energy could provide at least six percent of the nation's electricity by 2020.
"Wind energy is an invaluable economic asset to the overall agricultural industry and specifically to the farming sector by diversifying the income of farmers, ranchers and other landowners as well as generating tax revenue for local governments," said Coalition Steering Committee Member Dan McGuire, American Corn Growers Foundation CEO. "Rural communities across the country need to have their voices heard on the need for development of this critical power source and the Wind Energy Works! coalition will allow us to join with wind energy advocates from all over the nation to do just that."
"Wind energy is one of the cleanest energy sources available - protecting air quality and reducing global warming pollution, while also conserving our natural resources," said Coalition Steering Committee Member Alan Nogee, clean energy program director at the Union of Concerned Scientists. "The Wind Energy Works! coalition will help ensure that the public is informed that wind energy is available to provide these benefits today."
About Wind Energy Works!
Wind Energy Works! is a new national alliance that will support wind energy development across the country. The coalition will engage the public debate over wind energy development with facts about its many benefits and counteract the growing spread of misinformation by wind energy opponents. Although initiated by the wind energy industry, its broad-based membership includes organizations and individuals representing many walks of life.
About the American Wind Energy Association
AWEA, formed in 1974, is the national trade association of the U.S. wind energy industry. The association's membership includes turbine manufacturers, wind project developers, utilities, academicians, and interested individuals. More information on wind energy is available on the AWEA web site www.awea.org.
http://www.awea.org/news/statement050623nmb.html
AWEA STATEMENT: June 23, 2005
Contact: Christine Real de Azua (202) 383-2508
AMERICAN WIND ENERGY ASSOCIATION (AWEA) STATEMENT ON SENS. LAMAR ALEXANDER (R-TENN.) & JOHN WARNER (R-VA.) NOT-IN-MY-BACKYARD ANTI-WIND ENERGY AMENDMENT
The defeat last night by the United States Senate of an anti-wind energy amendment introduced by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) "means more jobs and income in hard-pressed rural areas, cleaner air, less acid rain, and more energy security," said American Wind Energy Association Executive Director Randall Swisher.
By making the wind energy Production Tax Credit (PTC) unavailable for projects built within 20 miles of a coastline or hundreds of other specific locations, the Alexander-Warner amendment would have caused thousands of workers to lose their jobs, usurped local land use planning, and severely restricted wind development throughout the U.S., specifically in areas where local residents want wind turbines.
Lamar vs. Lamar
In a June 13 letter, the Mayor of Lamar, Colo. wrote to Sen. Lamar Alexander, "On behalf of the citizens of Lamar, Colorado, I am expressing our disapproval and outrage of your proposed amendment to the energy bill. We have the fifth largest wind farm located just 20 miles south of our city . I doubt that any other energy source can claim to have such a minimal impact on the land as these wind farms ..."
Wind Projects Already Undergo Numerous Environmental and Siting Reviews
Wind energy projects are currently planned and built in an environmentally responsible way and must comply with numerous local, state and federal environmental and siting reviews. The main project being attacked by Sens. Alexander and Warner (the proposed Cape Wind project, offshore Massachusetts) is currently required to comply with environmental reviews by 17 different local, state and federal agencies.
By the end of this year wind energy projects in over 30 states will supply clean, homegrown electricity equivalent to the needs of over 2.3 million households (or 6 million people).
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http://www.awea.org/news/news050512sta.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 12, 2005
Contact: Kathy Belyeu (202) 383-2520 | Christine Real de Azua (202) 383-2508
ANNUAL RANKINGS DEMONSTRATE CONTINUED GROWTH OF WIND ENERGY INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED STATES
Most Populous States, Recognized Corporate Leaders Continue to Hold Top Rankings in 2004; New Players Emerging
Washington, D.C. - On the eve of WINDPOWER 2005, expected to be the wind industry's largest-ever annual conference and exhibition in North America, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) today released its second annual industry rankings of wind energy development in the United States. The rankings, which include the top states for wind energy development, the top suppliers of wind energy turbines and the top developers and purchasers of wind energy, provide a useful perspective on the size and scope of the American wind industry.
At the end of 2004, wind energy facilities in 30 states totalled 6,740 megawatts of energy capacity from coast to coast, producing enough power for the equivalent of 1.6 million households.
The annual industry rankings tell the rest of the story, providing a standard reference point for the burgeoning growth of the wind industry in the United States. Wind continues to be one of the fastest growing energy sources in the world and in the nation. The entrance into the U.S. market of major new players signals that pace will continue in 2005: in the past eight months, international power plant developer AES, global power generation giant Siemens, and international financial industry leader Goldman Sachs each entered the American wind energy business with purchases of major wind energy companies.
"The American wind industry is an economic, environmental and energy success story," declared AWEA Executive Director Randall Swisher. "Despite ongoing challenges facing the industry such as the imminent expiration of the federal production tax credit, the relevance of wind energy to the nation's energy mix is increasingly being recognized by the nation's economic and energy leaders. This year's industry rankings demonstrate that wind energy remains on a track that would allow it to provide six percent of the nation's electricity by 2020."
The rankings (as of December 31, 2004) include the following:
States with most wind energy installed, by capacity (MW):
- #1 California - 2,096 MW
- #2 Texas - 1,293 MW
- #3 Iowa - 632 MW
- #4 Minnesota - 615 MW
- #5 Wyoming - 285 MW
Largest wind farms operating the U.S. (MW):
- # 1 Stateline, Oregon-Washington - 300 MW
- # 2 King Mountain, Texas - 278 MW
- # 3 New Mexico Wind Energy Center, New Mexico - 204 MW
- # 4 Storm Lake, Iowa - 193 MW
- # 5 Colorado Green, Colorado - 162 MW
- # 6 High Winds, California - 162 MW
Leading owners of wind energy installations in the U.S. (MW):
- #1 FPL Energy - 2,758 MW
- #2 Shell Wind Energy - 315 MW
- #3 AEP - 311 MW
- #4 enXco - 298 MW
- #5 PPM Energy - 225 MW
Manufacturers’ shares of installed capacity for the past five years:
Enter Chart 1
Utilities/power companies that buy the most wholesale wind power (MW purchased):
- #1 Southern California Edison purchases the output from 1,025 MW of wind power
- #2 Xcel Energy purchases the output from 884 MW
- #3 Pacific Gas & Electric Co. purchases the output from 680 MW
- #4 PPM Energy purchases the output from 606 MW (for resale)
- #5 TXU purchases the output from 580 MW
Installed capacity of windpower nationally over the past five years:
Installed Decommissioned Year-end Cumulative Total
Enter Chart 1
As AWEA reported in its first quarter market release in April 2005, the installed capacity number for 2005 could increase by as much as 35% over 2004. The current forecast calls for up to 2,500 megawatts of new wind power capacity installed in the United States this year, which would bring the national total to more than 9,000 megawatts of clean, renewable, wind-derived electricity.
However, the pending expiration of the wind energy production tax credit at the end of 2005 threatens to stall this remarkable growth in 2006 and later years. With ever-increasing demand for energy, and wind’s energy, economic and environmental benefits, the need for clear, consistent policies to encourage wind’s continued development remains urgent.
“The industry has proven over the past several years that it can ramp up quickly to meet demand, as evidenced by the figures in our second annual industry rankings of wind energy development,” explained Swisher. “With stable policy support, investments will flow on an even larger scale into the U.S. wind energy market. We hope that Congress will recognize that approving a long-term extension of the production tax incentive is key to extending this remarkable record of accomplishment.”
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http://www.awea.org/news/news050426qmk.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 26, 2005
Contact: Kathy Belyeu (202) 383-2520 | Christine Real de Azua (202) 383-2508
WIND INDUSTRY EYES RECORD YEAR OF GROWTH, JOB CREATION
Trade Association Raises Forecast: Enough New Generation to Serve Approximately 700,000 Homes
The U.S. wind energy industry appears set this year to shatter the previous record for installation of new projects, generating clean power and creating new jobs from New York to Arizona, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) said today.
In its quarterly market outlook estimate, the trade group nudged its 2005 forecast for the expanding industry from "over 2,000 megawatts (MW)" of new capacity upward to "up to 2,500 MW," based on a private survey of wind turbine manufacturer plans. A megawatt of wind capacity generates about as much electricity as is used by 250-300 households, so the new forecast translates to the equivalent of approximately 700,000 homes.
AWEA executive director Randall Swisher called the forecast "excellent news," adding, "We are seeing a series of positive trends, from new major players entering the industry to strong economic activity in hard-hit rural areas, and we continue to press for a timely long-term extension of the federal wind energy production tax credit (PTC) so that this latest boom can continue." The PTC expires at the end of this year, and Congress has previously allowed it to expire three times before renewal, each time creating uncertainty about the industry's future, Swisher said.
AWEA views wind energy as one of the most promising new sources of manufacturing jobs for the 21st century, and notes that evidence of that aspect of its growth is widespread:
- Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell (D) announced in January that Spanish wind turbine maker Gamesa will build a turbine blade manufacturing plant in his state. The firm also plans to locate its U.S. headquarters and East Coast development offices in Philadelphia, and with construction, operation and maintenance, its activities are expected to lead to 1,000 new jobs in the Keystone State over the next five years.
- Blade manufacturer LM Glasfiber, which has added 100 new jobs at its Fargo, N.D., plant since the PTC was extended in October 2004, said recently that it hopes to hire 40-50 more workers by June.
- Turbine manufacturer Vestas-American Wind Technology is also currently advertising for 100 new positions.
- A report issued in March by the New York State Comptroller's office said that state's new requirement that electric utilities boost the amount of power they obtain from wind and other renewable energy sources from 20% today to 25% by 2013 could create 43,000 new jobs in manufacturing and energy industries and through related increased economic activity. Gov. George Pataki (R) originally proposed the requirement in 2003.
- Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D), calling in his February State of the State message for 3,000 MW of new wind farms to be built in Illinois by 2012, said the move "could mean 1,000 new jobs over the next two years."
- Wind projects now under construction, and jobs resulting from them, include: Maple Ridge Wind Farm (N.Y.), 300 jobs; Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center (Tex.), 130 jobs; Velva (N.D.), 50 jobs; two plants in Iowa for MidAmerican Energy, 250 jobs; and many more.
"More states are looking seriously at wind energy these days as an engine of economic development," Swisher commented, "and what they are seeing confirms a major study released last fall by the Renewable Energy Policy Project (REPP). It reported that boosting wind energy from 6,000 MW to 50,000 MW nationwide would create 150,000 manufacturing jobs.
"With its energy, economic, and environmental benefits, wind is the technology that is ready today to power America's future."
The new market forecast, AWEA said, means the U.S. wind industry is within striking distance of exceeding its previous record year (2001, with 1,696 MW) by 50%. 2,544 MW of new capacity would be needed to reach that mark.
A state-by-state listing of existing and proposed wind energy projects is available on AWEA's Web site at http://www.awea.org/projects/index.html.
A table showing manufacturing jobs that could be created in the U.S. by an eight-fold expansion of wind energy installations (a capital investment of $50 billion), according to the Renewable Energy Policy Project (REPP) study, is included below.
Top 20 States Benefiting from Boost in Wind Investment
INSERT CHART
Source: Renewable Energy Policy Project, “Wind Turbine Development: Location of Manufacturing Activity,” 2004. The full report is available on the REPP Web site at http://www.repp.org/articles/static/1/binaries/WindLocator.pdf.
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http://www.awea.org/news/news050127mkt.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 27, 2005
Contact: Kathy Belyeu (202) 413-2607 (cell) | Ryan Wagner (202) 828-97268
U.S. WIND INDUSTRY CONTINUES EXPANSION OF CLEAN, DOMESTIC ENERGY SOURCE
Over 20 New Projects Added in 2004 Despite Incentive Uncertainty
The U.S. wind energy industry turned in a solid performance in 2004, adding 389 megawatts (MW) of new generating equipment to the nationwide fleet, or enough to serve more than 100,000 average homes, according to the Washington, D.C.-based American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).
Total new additions were down sharply from the highs in the boom years of 2001 (1,696 MW) and 2003 (1,687 MW). At year's end, the trade group said, utility-scale wind installations in 30 states across the country totalled 6,740 MW, enough to serve more than 1.6 million households.
The small but burgeoning industry is hard at work planning projects that should make 2005 a record year in terms of new wind generating capability in the U.S. According to AWEA, over 2,000 MW of new wind power capacity is likely to be added during the coming year, or enough to power more than 540,000 homes. The most recent extension of the federal wind energy production tax credit (PTC) by Congress in October, 2004, teed up 2005 for an impressive growth spurt, which will bring economic development activity in rural areas, more diversity to the nation's generating mix to reduce fuel price volatility, and clear environmental benefits to a nation that continues to demand new electricity sources.
AWEA executive director Randall Swisher said the association will continue to push for a multi-year extension of the existing PTC. Under current law, the credit will expire at the end of 2005, which could becalm the industry yet again. “The short-term duration of the federal production tax credit (PTC) and its repeated expirations – three in the past six years – are keeping this industry from reaching its potential to supply the nation with clean, domestic electricity,“ he said.
Highlights of the current wind energy market outlook, according to AWEA, include:
- Wind farms already in place and those that will be installed by the end of 2005 could save over half a billion cubic feet (Bcf) of natural gas per day in 2006. Using conservative growth estimates of 3,000 MW installed every two years for the next four years, the U.S. could top 15,000 MW of installed wind power capacity by the end of 2009, which would save nearly 0.9 Bcf/day by the end of this decade. Natural gas shortages and price volatility have become an increasingly familiar part of the national energy scene over the past few years.
- In 2004, seven states plus the District of Columbia passed renewable portfolio standard (RPS) legislation requiring utilities to provide a certain minimum amount of power from renewable sources such as wind and solar, bringing the total to eighteen states and the District. The citizens of Colorado made it the first state to pass an RPS by popular referendum, endorsing a measure under which Colorado’s top utilities must obtain 10% of the state’s power needs from renewables by 2015.
- Wind power continues to attract global power companies. In September, international power plant developer AES Corp. announced its first step into the U.S. wind market, an equity investment in US Wind Force. AES also announced on January 11 that it plans to follow that investment up with the purchase of SeaWest Holdings, a large West-coast wind project developer. The main reason cited for the SeaWest deal was that the company sees strong potential in wind as a new and expanding source of electricity. Global power generation giant Siemens announced in October that it would purchase wind turbine manufacturer Bonus Energy A/S. The company said it decided to become a wind turbine manufacturer to merge Bonus’s well-regarded technology with Siemens’ experience with large-scale utility projects.
- More than 500 utilities in 34 states now offer green pricing programs, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and over 1,500 MW of wind power are currently serving the green power market (generating electricity equivalent to the needs of 400,000 homes).
- Project announcements for 2005 are rolling in. Four of the top five largest projects announced for construction this year are 200 MW or larger, including the 240-MW Flat Rock Phase I project in New York, the 220-MW Wild Horse project in Washington, the 200-MW Forward Wind Power project in Wisconsin, and the 200-MW Fenton project in Minnesota.
A state-by-state listing of existing and proposed wind energy projects is available on AWEA's Web site at http://www.awea.org/projects/index.html
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http://www.awea.org/news/statement041216nj.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 16, 2004
Contact: Christine Real de Azua (202) 383-2508
THE AMERICAN WIND ENERGY ASSOCIATION (AWEA) TODAY ISSUED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT ON THE PROPOSED MORATORIUM ON OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY DEVELOPMENT IN NEW JERSEY
Let the process move forward.
New Jersey Governor Richard Codey (D) and others have recently stated that they intend to impose a moratorium on clean, renewable offshore wind energy development while the state "comes up with a policy on them." In fact, an extensive regulatory framework already exists at both the state and federal level that requires a rigorous environmental
review based on a clearly defined public review process.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has considered coastal development applications over the past 31 years under the Coastal Area Facility Review Act. At the federal level, the National Environmental Policy Act, also dating back to the early 1970s, has similar requirements and both acts mandate a cooperative state and federal review process.
"The concern that clean, renewable offshore wind development could proceed unchecked under current policy is simply incorrect," said Randall Swisher, Executive Director of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). "AWEA encourages New Jersey to let the process move forward and allow submissions and review of offshore wind energy development."
The suggestion that a year or more is required to "come up with a policy on them" or to determine "whether regulations on such projects are strict enough" is unnecessary. Existing regulation is designed to address development generically and to evaluate it on a case-by-case basis according the merits of an individual proposal. Only by allowing this process to go on can -- and will -- real and specific development proposals be examined for site-specific environmental impact and considered by the public. It is not possible to anticipate the outcome of such review in advance of the necessary study and public debate. A moratorium would serve only to postpone this study and debate, without
reason to suggest it would improve the quality of any eventual decision.
Wind energy is one of the cleanest, most environmentally friendly energy sources in the world. Wind energy development protects air quality, reduces the effects of global climate change, and displaces mining and drilling for natural gas, coal, and other fuels.
A recent comprehensive study of a proposed U.S. offshore wind project found little or no environmental impact from the project. Numerous state environmental groups such as the New Jersey Audubon Society, the New Jersey Public Interest Research Group, the New Jersey Chapter of the Sierra Club, and the New Jersey Environmental Federation oppose a blanket moratorium on offshore wind energy development.
New Jersey has established itself as a leader in the promotion of clean, renewable domestic energy with its progressive programs and policies. AWEA is confident and hopeful that this policy will continue.
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http://www.awea.org/news/statement041203cw.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 3, 2004
Contact: Christine Real de Azua (202) 383-2508 | Laurie Jodziewicz (202) 383-2516
AMERICAN WIND ENERGY ASSOCIATION (AWEA) STATEMENT ON CAPE WIND
Offshore wind energy may soon provide an important source of clean electricity for the U.S., as it has in Europe for years. The release of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/Environmental Impact Report (EIR) clearly demonstrates the potential economic and environmental benefits of an offshore wind project in the U.S., the Cape Wind Energy Project to be located off of Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
AWEA calls attention to the positive findings of the draft EIS, and strongly supports the Cape Wind Energy Project moving forward. Using a standard process developed by the Corps to review a wide range of proposed projects, the Corps found that the Cape Wind Energy Project would:
- create hundreds of jobs during the construction and operations phases;
- reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 1 million tons each year; and
- reduce reliance on other fuels such as natural gas, saving ratepayers over $25 million per year.
Careful analysis by the Corps also indicates that many of the earlier concerns raised about potential impacts - on fishing, on navigation, on bird populations – will not be significant. “Americans are now faced with real choices about energy – the question is not wind energy or nothing,” says Randall Swisher, Executive Director of the American Wind Energy Association. “With such important benefits and such minimal impacts, the Cape Wind Energy Project should move forward. Tapping into the offshore wind resource is an important piece of continued clean energy growth.”
The Corps explored many reservations voiced about the Cape Wind Energy Project, and found the project impacts to be minimal. For example, the Corps found little to no interference with fishing activity due to the wide spacing between the proposed turbines. The sizeable benefits reported include:
- $21.8 million more in economic output from Barnstable County, Massachusetts;
- a significant boost to Massachusetts’ efforts to reduce ozone;
- improved air quality downwind at places like Acadia National Park in Maine;
- cumulative benefits to human health on the order of $53 million in annual savings; and,
- lower regional electricity prices saving $25 million annually.
The Cape Wind project, as well Long Island Power Authority’s proposed offshore project, provide the first opportunities to champion offshore wind energy development in the U.S. Clearly, notwithstanding opponents' persistent efforts to create controversy and cloud the issue, the Cape Wind Energy Project has come through one of the most stringent examinations of any energy project with flying colors. It is time for debate to end and for the people of Massachusetts to experience the clean, renewable benefits of wind energy.
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http://www.awea.org/news/news040303bat.html
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 4, 2004
Bat Conservation International: Dr. Merlin D. Tuttle | Founder & President | 512 327-9721
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Alex Hoar | Wildlife Biologist | 413-253-8631
American Wind Energy Assoc.: Tom Gray, Deputy Executive | Director | 802-649-2112
UNUSUAL ALLIANCE HOPES TO KEEP BATS OUT OF WIND TURBINES
Conservationists, industry officials and federal agencies are joining forces to address an unexpected side effect of renewable wind energy. Bats in some parts of the country show an unexplained tendency to collide with the blades of wind turbines.
Bat Conservation International (BCI), the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are forming an unusual alliance to learn why these collisions occur and how they can be prevented.
“I’m delighted to have this broad collaboration in solving an unexpected problem that deeply concerns us,” said Dr. Merlin Tuttle, Founder and President of BCI. “Our purpose is to work together to identify causes and solutions as quickly as possible.”
Wildlife Biologist Alex Hoar of the USFWS Northeast Regional Office said migrating bats were killed in collisions with wind-power turbines late last summer in West Virginia and Tennessee. Fatal encounters were also reported in other states, including Minnesota and Wyoming.
“Nine of the 46 U.S. bat species account for almost 90 percent of the bat deaths at wind projects and several of those species are in decline,” Hoar said. He added that no endangered bats have been reported killed, but the risk of that will increase as the renewable energy source expands.
Bats, though often ignored and falsely besmirched, are vital to the health of the environment and to many human economies. They are primary predators of night-flying insects, including many major agricultural pests, while some are important pollinators and seed dispersers. It is not at all clear why some bat species seem susceptible to collisions with the turbines, and that information likely will be critical in developing effective preventive strategies.
The cooperative effort was finalized February 19-20 at a two-day workshop in Juno Beach, Florida. Several of the world’s leading bat scientists and experts from other relevant fields met with representatives of BCI, the wind industry, and federal and state agencies to share information and discuss what is needed to understand and resolve issues involving bat mortality at wind turbines. BCI and the US Fish and Wildlife Service organized the two-day workshop, which was funded by NREL and AWEA and hosted by FPL Energy.
“The information exchanged in the technical workshop serves as the beginning of important dialogue,” said Bob Fritz, Vice President of Wind Operations for FPL Energy. “We look forward to continuing the exchange of ideas as this project moves forward.”
Several wind-energy companies (FPL Energy, G.E. Wind Energy, NEG Micon, Clipper Windpower, Atlantic Renewable Energy Corporation, U.S. Wind Force, Vestas-American Wind Technology, and Zilkha Renewable Energy) and government agencies are providing matching funds for the cooperative effort. BCI is using some of that money to hire a full-time biologist who will spend three years coordinating work related to bat interactions with wind turbines and ensuring that planned studies are formally peer-reviewed.
In addition to attempting to prevent collisions, the group will suggest methods to help site wind projects in locations that may be safer for bats. Short-term efforts may also include testing potential bat deterrents and developing tools to help document bat interactions with the turbines.
“Wind energy is green energy, requiring no mining for fuel and producing no air or water pollutants, and we want to keep it as green as possible by proactively dealing with wildlife issues in a comprehensive manner as they emerge,” said AWEA Deputy Executive Director Tom Gray. “We are very pleased to be able to join this cooperative effort to bring the best science to bear on this issue."
Participants are hopeful that collaboration will yield solutions that support the continued growth of wind power production in concert with wildlife conservation.
The attached photos are available to media outlets in high-resolution, digital versions for one-time use. Contact Kristin Hay, Bat Conservation International khay@batcon.org
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