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| 17 Nov 2009 11:10:02 pm |
 Community wind project begins generating for Maine islands |
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November 17, 2009 was a big day for the residents of the Fox Islands, offshore Maine. Three General Electric 1.5 megawatt turbines began operating, providing power for the two islands, which previously were paying about 28 cents per kilowatt hour, twice the national average, for power from the mainland. They expect their bills to go down within the year. That will cap an eight year effort by the Fox Islands Electric Cooperative, Inc., which first began looking into wind power back in 2001.
But the happy ending is just one of the many notable elements of this project. The CEO of Fox Islands Wind LLC, the company that oversaw the construction of the wind project, is a Harvard economics professor; he is now looking for similar opportunities in the coastal region. By all accounts, the islands community was solidly behind the project. They followed the construction progress closely this past summer, welcoming the construction crews and pitching in when necessary (including when the axle of a trailer carrying a tower section went off the road, blocking traffic for more than three hours). All summer, the islanders followed progress through emails and on fishermen's radios, and even baked sweets for the visiting crews.
The project's higher-ups shared the upbeat spirit. "It is exciting to see the turbines in operation," said Baker, project CEO and Vice President for Community Wind at the Island Institute. "To see them providing benefits to these islands is the culmination of years of contribution by many people. These island communities are truly leaders in the field of coastal renewable energy," he added.
"This project demonstrates wind energy's reliability and cost-effectiveness," said Victor Abate, Vice President, Renewables for GE Power & Water, which supplied the turbines. "The Fox Islands Wind Project should serve as an example of how safe, clean, renewable wind energy can power America and create jobs. GE is proud to be a part of this project and we're confident that wind power will be a major source of clean, affordable energy for communities large and small."
For this project, the emphasis was on small--the small-town feel was palpable. When the job was done, the construction company that put up the towers placed an prominent notice on the project website that read, "Cianbro would like to thank local citizens for your help during transportation and construction for the Fox Islands Wind Project."
Susan Sloan, manager of strategic partnerships for AWEA and a community wind expert, said, "This community seized the wind and embraced an innovative solution to their electricity needs. While sharing in the effort to make this project happen, they will also share in the benefits of wind – long term stable cost, local jobs and a clean, inexhaustible fuel supply."
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Category : AWEA News
| By : Chris Madison |
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| 16 Nov 2009 10:58:01 pm |
| Study shows wind is being integrated smoothly overseas |
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As we have noted before, the United States can learn from European countries how to integrate increased use of wind energy into the grid without sacrificing reliability.
A recent study from the International Energy Agency provides more evidence of successful integration. The study concludes that increased wind energy can be smoothly integrated into existing power grids in Europe "as system operators get on-line production levels and forecasted production estimates in their control rooms," according to a story in Science Daily.
The story notes that "Adding large amounts of wind power requires reinforcing the existing transmission grid, including the interconnectors between countries and regions. New transmission lines may be needed where the wind resource is situated far from the existing network. Wind power will also increase the use of operational balancing power and thus increase balancing cost in the power systems." The study noted that integration is easier over large areas, and also leads to lower electricity costs.
Of course, the European model also underlines the need to build new transmission infrastructure in the United States and promote interconnection among regions; these are the cornerstones for successful integration of significant amounts of wind energy. Getting the various governmental entities to mobilize on this will not be easy. But it can be done. |
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Category : AWEA News
| By : Chris Madison |
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| 13 Nov 2009 09:37:10 pm |
| More on U.S. wind manufacturing, jobs and non-U.S. companies |
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A few weeks ago, an investigative reporting unit connected to American University in Washington DC posted a report about the fact that some of the economic recovery funds for renewable energy were going to non-US companies that were building wind projects in the United States. This an issue that won't go away as long as the global economy is operating. Below is AWEA's response, written by our own Elizabeth Salerno:
Response from the American Wind Energy Association to “Blown Away”
We all want the same thing, more American manufacturing jobs. The wind industry is ready, willing and able to make them happen. The wind industry went from a few thousand American manufacturing jobs a few years ago to over 20,000 today and we aren’t stopping there - we want to keep these people at work and attract even more American manufacturing jobs, don’t you?
Yet, the ongoing media ‘investigation” still lacks the full truth about the wind industry and manufacturing.
Media is missing the boat, and for that matter the opportunity to get American jobs, by being so wrapped up in the name on someone’s work uniform. German, Danish, Spanish, Asian, Indian and American companies are all part of building an American manufacturing industry for wind. Try this one on for size: almost all wind turbine manufacturers that supplied the U.S. in 2008 have American manufacturing facilities already in the ground or publicly announced--GE, Vestas, Siemens, Suzlon, Gamesa, Clipper, Mitsubishi, Acciona, Fuhrlander, DeWind, and EWT; and even more manufacturers are opening up U.S shops in the near future. These are our household names -- building turbines in America, for America.
We went from domestically producing less than 25% of the value wind turbines here in America a few years ago, to 50% today, and we are just getting started. Since the wind installations also increased dramatically during those same few years, our domestic manufacturing capabilities have actually increased 12-fold since 2004 to keep up and expand our domestic content. We’ve added, announced or expanded over 100 manufacturing facilities since 2007 alone, representing nearly $3 billion invested in American manufacturing infrastructure. Eleven new turbine manufacturers, foreign and U.S.-based, set up shop in the U.S. or announced facilities in the past few years. Some turbine manufacturers even have internal goals for 70%, 80% domestic content or more. This all sounds like a positive trend toward more domestic manufacturing to me.
The truth is that the wind story is amazing. The wind industry built an American manufacturing sector when no one was looking. But it’s here – it’s in Iowa, Michigan, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, Oklahoma, California, and North Dakota. As a matter of fact, there are wind-related manufacturing facilities across more than 40 states. What is better than that? The wind industry is ready to build more American-based manufacturing, with plans for new facilities popping up across the country, and states are aggressively competing for these jobs. Iowa, a leader in wind manufacturing, has attracted thousands of wind-related manufacturing jobs in the past few years, U.S. and foreign companies alike, and they couldn’t be more excited. Acciona and Siemens are household names in Iowa, employing hundreds, alongside American companies like Clipper and TPI.
The story gets better. Wind manufacturing jobs are just one part of our dynamic industry – the wind industry has construction workers, crane operators, highly-skilled wind technicians, mechanical, electrical and civil engineers, meteorologists, truck drivers, manufacturing line managers, environmental specialists, lawyers, bankers, accountants, and project developers. Yes, we have over 20,000 manufacturing jobs directly employed by the wind industry and want more, but we also have another 65,000 jobs across the economy.
With all of this, there is no reason to hide the fact that we do still import some components. After only a few short years of starting to build our manufacturing base, the U.S wind industry already produces about half of a turbine value in the U.S. and the other half is imported. I’ll venture to say many of our manufacturing industries import components; hey, we are a global economy. We also aren’t shy about saying what is needed to get more manufacturing in the U.S.--and what is at risk. But let’s be honest, a manufacturer, American or foreign, cannot justify multi-million dollar investments in the American wind industry when there isn’t a stable or long-term market in place. Those same manufacturers can look across the Atlantic or Pacific oceans and see countries with multiple national policies and renewable commitments in place, beckoning with their certain market and less risky investment opportunities. We have a world-class wind resource in the U.S., and manufacturers want to invest in America; we just need to give them the signal that the U.S. is open for business.
What about the Treasury grant program?
You did the research to see where and by whom each turbine was made for grant-receiving projects, we did it too; the fact that is missing here is regardless of a company’s home country, over 50% of the turbine value of those very specific turbines at the projects receiving the grant was indeed made in America.
The name of the company has almost no bearing on where the parts are made. Towers and blades, making up around 45% of the cost of hardware, are commonly U.S. sourced. Doesn’t matter who you are, transporting large heavy, equipment from abroad just doesn’t make sense when you can make it in America. Also, we just so happen to have a highly skilled American manufacturing workforce perfectly poised to be part of the growing wind industry.
Let’s take your example of Suzlon. The India-based company already set up a 300-person blade manufacturing shop in Pipestone, Minnesota. Their Pipestone facility is one of 13 different blades shops around the U.S. employing over 5,500 jobs and buying millions of dollars of fiberglass and composites from companies like PPG Industries, Owens Corning, and other major U.S. companies.
Gamesa, a Spain-based turbine manufacturer, already has 4 manufacturing facilities in Pennsylvania manufacturing nacelles, blades and other components employing 1,100 people. Of course, they need a local supply chain too--a supply chain that currently numbers 100 companies in 24 states.
You are correct in pointing out that the grant is received after the project is already completed. Why? Well, it’s the law. The Recovery Act stated that grant money will only be distributed after a project is online in the U.S., producing power and certified by an engineer. Not one penny of grant money leaves our coffers until a wind project is putting kilowatt-hours into our power grid and powering our homes. It’s not a bad way to make certain that only projects that make it to the finish line receive Recovery Act dollars. Sending grant dollars to a project after it is compete might sound counterintuitive. But the mere certainty of the added capital from the grant program down the road has allowed project developers, against all the odds of the financial crisis, to leverage debt and other capital in the market place, complete financing on a project, and move forward with construction. Those dollars from the grant program have already leveraged billions in private capital, now invested in the U.S. market. Together, the grant program and private capital are fueling an industry forward, keeping our 85,000 Americans at work, activating shovel-ready projects, speeding up construction and generally boosting our economy.
The real story here is that companies hailing from the automobile, trucking and railcar, marine, defense and appliance manufacturing sectors are flocking to the American wind industry to find new business and growth opportunities. German-based Siemens turned a Wabash trucking facility into a nacelle facility in Fort Madison, Iowa. Trinity Industries turned a railcar facility into a tower manufacturing shop in Clinton, Illinois. Vestas committed $1 billion in 4 manufacturing facilities in Colorado. TPI turned an old Maytag shop into a blade facility in Newton, Iowa. Nordic, a new turbine entrant, turned a WWII ship gun facility into a wind manufacturing shop in Pocatello, Idaho. Not all of these companies may be American, but they are sure investing in America in a big way. I hope we don’t turn investment away because their names are unknown.
The U.S. has the historic opportunity here to get American manufacturing jobs--let’s act on it! In a letter to Congress sent 6 months ago, the wind manufacturing industry laid out exactly what it will take to get more wind manufacturing here in America and what is at risk if we don’t act. The story hasn’t changed. We’ve been clear that we want more manufacturing in the U.S. and we are offering the pathway. Build a long-term market, and they will come. Heck, the industry has been saying this since before the Recovery Act, and before the financial crisis. The ball is out of our court now. It’s time for Congress to pass comprehensive legislation with a strong renewable commitment, the Renewable Electricity Standard.
Elizabeth Salerno
American Wind Energy Association |
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Category : AWEA News
| By : Chris Madison |
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| 13 Nov 2009 06:57:56 pm |
| Visiting tower manufacturer DMI in West Fargo |
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I just returned from seeing the future of our economy.
I was in West Fargo, North Dakota, where one of our members, DMI Industries, is manufacturing wind turbine towers, and providing good jobs for American workers.
DMI’s sister company, Otter Tail Power (both are Otter Tail Corp. subsidiaries), is ranked number three among U.S. utilities for the percentage of electricity it generates from wind, with 14 percent. Michael Olson, an Otter Tail spokesman, said they hope to increase that to 18 percent in 2010, he said.
And North Dakota has more wind potential wind resources than any other state, so the future for renewable energy is limitless in the state.
But there is much more to do if we are to regain control of our energy future. While I was in West Fargo, I stressed the importance of getting more companies to invest in wind-related manufacturing in the United States. Someday I want the United States to lead the world in wind turbine manufacturing.
We are making a good start with the economic recovery package proposed by the Obama Administration and passed by Congress. Otter Tail has applied for and received recovery funding for its recently completed 49.5 MW Luverne wind farm project.
Overall, since July, our industry has seen over 1,600 MW of completed projects (enough to serve the equivalent of 480,000 average households), and over 1,700 MW of construction starts—a clear testament to the success of the recovery program in spurring U.S. wind power development.
We also need the right policies. We need Congress to pass comprehensive legislation that includes a strong Renewable Electricity Standard, which will increase demand for wind energy and encourage investment in wind manufacturing.
I saw this happening already in Fargo. We need to see it everywhere in America. |
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Category : AWEA News
| By : Denise Bode |
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| 12 Nov 2009 10:21:31 pm |
| The REAL story about the Spanish wind industry |
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| Here's a story from Spain about exactly what happens when the Spanish wind industry produces a record amount of energy--more than half of normal demand. It illustrates how Spain integrates wind into its electricity generating mix. And it is free of the distracting political polemics that drove the debate here about whether Spain's wind industry was real. |
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Category : AWEA News
| By : Chris Madison |
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