A new wind turbine blade plant in Wisconsin is expected to put more than 600 new workers on the job. This post on the GreenRightNow.com Web site says the Energy Composites Corp. (ECC) facility in Wisconsin Rapids got some help in the form of $238 million in municipal tax-free bonds from a pool of money created with federal stimulus dollars: …
Bright Lights of Vegas to be Powered by Wind
A Nevada utility will get some of its power from wind energy. This story from Las Vegas Review-Journal says NV Energy has signed a a deal to buy energy from a wind farm near Ely for the next 20 years: Pattern Energy Group of San Francisco will build the 150-megawatt Spring Valley Wind Project, which would be Nevada’s first major, …
Idaho Power to Add More Geothermal Energy
While alternative energy continues to get a boost from the Obama administration, geothermal still doesn’t seem to be garnering much of the spotlight. However, the energy sector is growing and recently the state of Idaho announced that it will increase its percentage of energy output from wind, solar and biomass and is looking to add more geothermal derived energy. Based …
Michigan Grants $1.7 Million for Offshore Wind Study
Two grants totaling $1.7 million have been approved for studying offshore wind technologies in Michigan. The Chicago Tribune reports the grants come from the state’s Public Service Commission: Grand Valley State University’s Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center and the University of Michigan’s Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute are getting $1.3 million for jointly researching offshore wind and ice data on …
Renewable Energy at Iowa Power Farming Show
The mission of Harness Nature (HN) is to design, market, install, and service renewable, sustainable, alternative energy sources in the Midwest, which is why they were exhibiting at the Iowa Power Farming Show this week in Des Moines. “We’re a renewable energy company based out of Des Moines,” says Harness Nature Team member Randy Skeie, pictured here on the left …
Utahns to Get Training for Wind, Solar, Alt Fuels Jobs
About 2,000 Utahns who need good jobs will get some training in fields looking to hire: alternative fuels, renewable energy, wind, solar and geothermal power. The Deseret News reports that a $4.6 million stimulus bucks grant will pay for training for displaced workers, disadvantaged youths and veterans: “We’re still working out some of the details,” department spokesman Curt Stewart said …
Obama to Slash Gov’t GHGs by 28%
For those of you who still have President Obama’s State of the Union speech in your mind, then you may remember his call for the government to slash greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). He has followed through. Less than a week after the pronouncement, Obama has issued an Executive Order 13514 on Federal Sustainability for the federal government to slash GHG …
US Wind Industry Breaks Installation Record in ’09
The U.S. wind industry has broken all records with the announcement that nearly 10,000 megawatts (MW) of new generating capacity was installed in 2009–enough to serve more than 2.4 million homes for one year. This according to the Q4 report released by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). However, not all the news was good as the U.S. still lags …
REpower Supplying Wind Turbines for Minnesota Project
Denver-based REpower Systems AG announced that National Wind LLC has awarded them with a contract to supply 20 MM92 wind turbines for the Lake Country Wind Energy project in Minnesota. The turbines have a rated power of 2.05 megawatts (MW) and a hub height of 100 meters. While this is the first phase of the project, ultimately once all phases …
Virginia Forms Offshore Wind Coalition
A group of developers, manufacturers, utilities, localities, businesses and environmental groups has created a coalition to promote offshore wind energy in Virginia. North American Windpower reports that the Virginia Offshore Wind (VOW) coalition wants to make the Hampton Roads area a hub of manufacturing and supply for future offshore wind farms on the East Coast: “The market opportunity for Virginia …