By Liz Enbysk

SGN Managing Editor

So I had it in mind to write about some scary things people are saying about smart meters with Halloween in the air. But then announcements kept blowing in about some pretty interesting wind projects and that sounded like a better treat. (But if you want a great take on the scary stuff, check out the Bounce Energy blog.)  

For some perspective, the U.S. wind industry installed 1,204 MW during the third quarter of 2011, bringing total installations in 2011 to 3,360 MW, according to the American Wind Energy Association's latest report. The U.S. wind industry now totals 43,461 MW through the end of September 2011.

Combining wind generation and energy storage at AES Laurel Mountain

AES Wind Generation and AES Energy Storage just announced the commercial operation of AES Laurel Mountain, a wind generation plant comprised of 98 MW of wind generation and 32 MW of integrated battery-based energy storage – the latter AES says is the largest of its kind in the world.

The West Virginia project is supplying emissions-free renewable energy and clean, flexible, operating reserve capacity to the PJM Interconnection, the largest power market in the world. That's pretty impressive.

Or as Terry Boston, PJM president and CEO put it: “Energy storage technology is the silver bullet that helps resolve the variability in power demand. Combining wind and solar with storage provides the greatest benefit to grid operations and has the potential to achieve the greatest economic value.”

Read more about the AES Laurel Mountain project >>

$170 million wind project begins in Washington State

After four years of preparation and permitting, construction has begun on the $170 million Palouse Wind Project located in Whitman County in the southeast corner of Washington State. The facility is being developed by Boston-based First Wind and will provide Avista Utilities with approximately 40 average MW of renewable energy, or as much as 100 MW of nameplate wind capacity. Deliveries are expected to begin sometime next year. All of the energy from Palouse Wind will power local homes and businesses through a 30-year power purchase agreement.

Washington's Inland Northwest Economic Alliance anticipates at the peak of construction next spring the project will employ about 200 workers.

Read more about the Palouse Wind Project >>

Counting up the benefits of Vermont's Sheffield Wind Project

First Wind's Sheffield Wind Project in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom may well be a poster child for the varied benefits of such projects. For starters, the 16 Clipper Liberty 2.5 MW turbines will generate enough power for about 45 percent of the homes in the Northeast Kingdom, diversify the portfolio of electricity generation in Vermont and backers say, will be integrated into the grid in a manner that increases reliability and helps reduce costs for consumers.

The renewable power generated by the project has been sold to three Vermont utilities including the Burlington Electric Department, the Vermont Electric Cooperative and the Washington Electric Cooperative.  "The clean energy produced from this wind project also provides long-term cost certainty, a valuable hedge to more volatile fuels, which is a direct benefit to our residential and business members throughout Central Vermont and the Northeast Kingdom," noted Avram Patt, General Manager of Washington Electric Cooperative.

And more about those benefits: Now that the project has achieved commercial operations, the Town of Sheffield will begin to receive more than $520,000 annually in tax revenues, which can be used toward local services including roads, schools, police, firefighters and more.  In total, including payments and services for land, property and state taxes, and local maintenance contracts, about $1 million a year will be paid into Vermont for the life of the project.

Read more about the Sheffield Wind Project >>