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Page 2: Occupy Occupy D.C. wind turbine to memorialize dead birds >> By Liz Enbysk
SGN Managing Editor
We’re hearing a lot about positive strides in wind power - from a new transmission analysis tool that helped the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) break a wind record last week to a project in Denmark that shows it is possible to control the uncontrollable wind in an intelligent power system. We've highlighted these and other recent developments in the wind power space below, But be sure to click to page 2 for a press release that explains why a group that planned to erect a mock turbine in Washington D.C. on Monday thinks wind power is a threat.
Tool helps ERCOT break wind power records
March tends to be a windy month in Texas no matter what, but ERCOT says it hit a new wind record two consecutive days last week – exceeding its previous record by almost 200 MW. ERCOT, state grid operator and manager of the wholesale electric
New report touts surprising wind growth in 2011 Despite continued economic woes, the Clean Energy Trends 2012 report issued today by Clean Edge suggests clean energy markets expanded rapidly in 2011. Combined global revenue for solar PV, wind power, and biofuels rose 31 percent over the prior year, growing from $188.1 billion in 2010 to $246.1 billion last year, according to the report. The report indicates the bulk of the expansion came from double-digit growth rates for both wind and solar deployment globally. Zeroing in on wind power, the report says new installation capital costs totaled a record $71.5 billion in 2011, up 18% from the prior year, and is projected to reach $116.3 billion in 2021. Last year’s global wind power installations equaled 41.6 GW, the largest year for global installations on record. China remained the global leader in new installations for the fourth year in a row, installing more than 40 percent of all global wind capacity, or 18 GW in total. Download the full report for free >>
Demonstration in Denmark reins in the wind
Energinet.dk, which supplies Denmark with electricity and natural gas, says it has completed the world's largest full-scale test of a smart grid, and in doing so has demonstrated that it is possible to control the uncontrollable wind. Last year wind energy accounted for 28% of Denmark's electric consumption and with a goal of total energy consumption from renewables by 2050, wind will play a key role. And Energinet.ck says the cell controller it has spent the past seven years developing will be a key technology behind the smart grid. The controller was part of a trial involving a 1,000 square kilometer area with 28,000 households, businesses and institutions, five CHP units, 47 large wind turbines and 12 substations between the 60 kV and 10 kV grids. During the testing, the cell controller controlled the CHP units, turbines and substations as one integrated, intelligent power system during optimized, normal operations. Learn more >>
New smart grid technology could help reduce power costs for remote islands
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University say remote island communities from the Azores to Nome, Alaska could see drastic reductions in the cost of electricity and CO2 emissions using new smart grid technology they've developed. "We have developed a suite of computer models, decision-making tools and automation for efficient and reliable integration of wind and other sustainable energy sources. Embedding these tools in energy resources, system users and the power grid itself will enable cost-effective utilization of all assets and can help the economic health of islands worldwide," said Marija Ilic, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon and director of the school's Electric Energy Systems Group. Learn more >>
Silicon Valley Power wind purchases push renewable mix to 33%
The city of Santa Clara, California's municipal electric utility entered an agreement last
Canada's Algonquin Power gains foothold in U.S. wind market Ontario –based Algonquin Power and Utilities Corp. is buying a 480 MW portfolio of U.S. wind power facilities from Gamesa, the Spanish wind turbine manufacturer. Reuters reports the $888 million purchase will give the Canadian company a significant foothold in the U.S wind energy market. The facilities Algonquin adds to its portfolio are located in Illinois, Texas, Iowa and Pennsylvania. Learn more >>
Latam wind project will power beer and Coke bottling facilities
Danish wind turbine maker Vestas says it has won a 396 MW order in Mexico to supply turbines for what will be the biggest wind farm project in Latin America. According to Vestas, the power generated by the wind farm will be bought by Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma, an operating company of Dutch brewer Heineken N.V. and subsidiaries of Mexican retail and beverage group FEMSA under 20-year power purchase agreements. Learn more >>
Construction begins on Hawaii's largest wind project to date
U.S. wind energy company First Wind broke ground on the 69 MW Kawailoa Wind project on Oahu's north shore. When complete it will be the largest wind energy facility in Hawaii, the company says. With 30 Siemens wind turbines, the project will have the capacity to generate enough wind energy to power the equivalent of 14,500 home, or roughly 5% of the island's annual electricity demand. Learn more >>
Page 2: Occupy Occupy D.C. wind turbine to memorialize dead birds >>
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