• AWEA Wind Resource & Project Energy Assessment Workshop
  Oklahoma City, OK
  September 14 – 15, 2010
• AWEA North American Offshore Wind Conference & Exhibition and co-located Supply Chain Workshop
  Atlantic City, NJ
  October 5 - 7, 2010
• AWEA Wind Power Health & Safety Workshop
  Austin, TX
  October 26 - 27, 2010
• Texas Renewables 2010
  San Antonio, TX
  November 7 - 10, 2010
• AWEA Wind Energy Fall Symposium
  Phoenix, AZ
  November 17 - 19, 2010
• AWEA Small and Community Wind Conference & Exhibition
  Portland, OR
  December 7 - 9, 2010

U.S. Poll Shows Wind Works For Americans

Voters overwhelmingly support increasing the use of wind power in the U.S. and adopting a strong Renewable Electricity Standard (RES), according to a national poll released today by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).

"The poll's bottom line is clear: An overwhelming majority of American voters, on a bipartisan basis, want more wind power and support a national RES to increase its use," said Anna Bennett and Neil Newhouse, partners respectively with Bennett, Petts & Normington and Public Opinion Strategies, the firms that conducted the poll.

"Wind works for America and that is why voters want Congress to pass a strong national RES" said AWEA CEO Denise Bode. "Americans understand that an RES will mean new manufacturing jobs, less dependence on imported energy, and more pure, clean, affordable energy for our country."

Poll highlights include:

• An overwhelming, bipartisan majority – 89% – of American voters (including 84% of Republicans, 88% of Independents and 93% of Democrats) – believe increasing the amount of energy the nation gets from wind is a good idea.
• A majority of Americans – 56% – disapprove of the job Congress is doing on renewable energy and 67% believe Congress is not doing enough to increase renewable energy sources such as wind.
• A majority of Americans – 82% – believe the nation’s economy would be stronger (52%) or the same (30%) if we used more renewable energy sources like wind.
• A majority of Americans – 77% – support a national Renewable Electricity Standard. This support extends across party lines and includes 65% of Republicans, 69% of Independents, 92% of Democrats.

The poll was conducted March 27-28 by Neil Newhouse of Public Opinion Strategies and Anna Bennett of Bennett, Petts & Normington. The poll sampled a national survey of 600 likely voters. The margin of error is plus or minus four percentage points.

(Article Courtesy of AWEA)

WIND GROUP CALLS FOR UTILITY SYSTEM REFORMS Changes Needed to Integrate Large Amounts of Renewable Energy, Benefit Consumers

In a filing before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) called for updates to the way the nation’s electric utility system is operated to make it more efficient and better able to accommodate larger amounts of electricity from clean, renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. Implementing the improvements recommended by AWEA would benefit consumers and the electrical system more generally, not just renewable generators.

"While utility system operators have done an outstanding job of managing the system to ensure reliable electricity supply, many of the rules and procedures they are using were developed a generation or more ago, when our energy mix and the structure of the electric industry were very different and computing and communication technology was far less advanced," explained Rob Gramlich, AWEA Senior VP for Public Policy.

"Our filing suggests a number of steps FERC should take to update grid operating procedures, just as they were updated in the past to accommodate new resources, such as nuclear power a generation ago.

"These reforms will make the power system operate more efficiently, even in areas where there is not a large amount of wind energy. Consumers’ electric bills will be lowered and they will get more reliable power. Being able to better integrate large amounts of wind and other renewable sources of energy onto the grid is an added bonus."

The ideas for many of the reforms AWEA is seeking, Gramlich said, have been adopted from experience with integrating large amounts of wind energy in Europe, where wind already provides 10% or more of the electricity supply in countries like Spain, Germany, Ireland, Portugal, and Denmark.

"Wind energy is being reliably integrated onto the power system today, and reliability standards ensure that that will be the case in the future," Gramlich said. "The reforms AWEA is suggesting will ensure that wind energy can be efficiently accommodated on the power system and also guarantee that outdated grid operating procedures will not hold up development of America’s renewable resources and the benefits they provide for our economy, environment, and energy security."

(Article Courtesy of AWEA)

Obama Administration Announces Billions in Lending Authority for Renewable Energy Projects and to Modernize the Grid

Loan Guarantees Will Help Create New Jobs while Fostering Clean Energy Innovation

Washington, DC – U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today that the Department of Energy will provide up to $30 billion in loan guarantees, depending on the applications and market conditions, for renewable energy projects. Another $750 million will support several billion dollars more in loan guarantees for projects that increase the reliability, efficiency and security of the nation’s transmission system. The two new loan guarantee solicitations announced today are being funded partly through the Recovery Act and partly through 2009 appropriations.

"These investments will be used to create jobs, spur the development of innovative clean energy technologies, and help ensure a smart, strong and secure grid that will deliver renewable power more effectively and reliably," said Secretary Chu. "This administration has set a goal of doubling renewable electricity generation over the next three years. To achieve that goal, we need to accelerate renewable project development by ensuring access to capital for advanced technology projects. We also need a grid that can move clean energy from the places it can be produced to the places where it can be used and that can integrate variable sources of power, like wind and solar."

The lending authority includes:

Up to $8.5 billion in lending authority supported by 2009 annual appropriations for renewable energy.

Up to $2 billion in subsidy costs, provided by the Recovery Act, to support billions in loans for renewable energy and electric power transmission projects.

Up to $500 million in subsidy costs to support loans for cutting edge biofuel projects funded by the Recovery Act.

Up to $750 million in subsidy costs, provided by the Recovery Act, to support loans for large transmission infrastructure projects in the U.S. that use commercial technologies and begin construction by September 30, 2011.

The two solicitations issued today mark the sixth and seventh rounds of solicitations by the Department’s Loan Guarantee Program, which encourages the commercial use of new or improved energy technologies to help foster clean energy projects. Applications will be accepted over the next 45 days. The Department has streamlined its processes to accelerate these new loan solicitations. By investing in both renewable energy technology for generating electricity and technologies to modernize the country's transmission system, the Recovery Act targets the full integration of renewable energy sources onto the electric grid.

(Article Courtesy of Energy.Gov)

Gov. Rick Perry:
Wind Energy Keeps Texas’ Air Clean and Our Future Bright

Remarks to the American Wind Energy Association Conference

Thank you, Paul [Sadler, Executive Director, Wind Coalition] and congratulations for your record in developing our state's greatest asset- our schoolchildren. I look forward to working with you to continue building a robust renewable energy market in Texas. Randy [Swisher, Exec Dir, American Wind Energy Association], it is my honor to welcome you and the Wind Energy Association to Texas. Your presence today in the Lone Star State is no accident—you are in what we would call friendly territory.

Texas doesn't just believe in the potential of wind energy, we are reaping its benefits already. People who talk about wind energy as a technology of the future clearly haven't been to West Texas lately: the future of wind energy in Texas is now. I probably don't need to spend too much time talking about the benefits of wind energy to a bunch of people who specialize in this remarkable technology, but a few things really stand out for me. I am proud that our state's installed wind generation capacity leads the nation, a place we did not reach by accident.

For starters, there is no shortage of wind in Texas. Growing up in West Texas, there were times I wondered if it would ever stop blowing, especially when my parents had me raking leaves. Having seen the positive impact of wind power, I'm glad that God did not grant that particular prayer. Second, our state has a history of innovative entrepreneurs who are more than willing to invest their own financial and intellectual capital into promising energy projects. Students of Texas culture are no stranger to images of oil-soaked wildcatters, rejoicing that a gusher had come in. I don’t know if they’ll ever make the wind equivalent of the movie "There Will Be Blood." Perhaps they could call it "There Will Be Windburn." Whether or not Hollywood ever makes that movie, the story is being told of our state's success in the area of wind energy.

A key part of that story is an essential step we took in 2005 when I signed Senate Bill 20. This key piece of legislation established a renewable energy goal for our state, targeting 5,880 megawatts of production capacity by 2015. In true Texas style, we are already on the verge of surpassing that goal, more than six years ahead of schedule. Not surprising since we're building out our capacity faster than any other U.S. state.

Just last year, nearly $3 billion worth of wind-powered electric generators were installed, twice as much as any other state. This addition of more than 1,600 megawatts of capacity bumped up our total wind capacity by 59 percent. And the hits keep on coming. For example, this afternoon, one of the world's largest manufacturers of alternative energy equipment is announcing a new research facility here in Houston. And I recently got word that Hill Country Wind Power has acquired the Wind Turbine Company and is moving their manufacturing operations from Bellevue, Washington to the Lone Star state. With progress like this, I am confident we'll hit the next milestone, 10,000 megawatts, or 10% of our current capacity, well before the deadline in 2025.

ERCOT has said Texas will reach 9,000 megawatts by the end of this year, so I’d say we're on track to hit that target. We better hit it, because our state needs all the energy we can get. Nationwide, per capita energy usage continues to climb as people add new power-draining gadgets to their homes every day. Statewide, our population is growing at a rate of roughly 1,000 people per day and companies are relocating here with increasing frequency. In fact, we just vaulted over New York into first place as the state hosting the most Fortune 500 company headquarters. And our robust economy has created 1.2 million net new jobs since 2003. Not to brag, but more than half of the jobs created in the U.S. in the past year were in Texas.

Those jobs mean more office buildings, manufacturing facilities and communities to support them. And they all need energy. This growth has occurred in the context of a looming worldwide energy crisis, where much of our energy is derived from oil produced in nations that aren't always on speaking terms with ours. So the need to diversify our energy portfolio is stronger than ever. Thankfully, we are on the track with wind, nuclear, solar and biofuels.

Together, I believe these alternative energies can make up a significant portion of our future needs. But three key obstacles lie between us and the increased availability of wind energy. The first is the need to economically fund another key part of SB 20, competitive renewable energy zones. By aggregating our wind farms and building the transmission necessary to economically bring wind power to the grid, we will maximize the potential of this essential energy source. The second is the looming expiration of federal wind energy tax credits. These sensible limits have lowered the barriers to the success of this essential technology and freed capital to be used in accelerating its adoption. I believe the federal wind energy tax credits should definitely be renewed for at least another cycle, so be sure to let Washington know how you feel. The third challenge is one for the technology experts: how to store wind energy to dampen the effects of weather fluctuations. I am confident that the combined intellectual, financial and creative horsepower here at this week’s conference will have that problem solved in no time.

All in all, the prospects for wind are on the upswing all across Texas. More wind power is coming onto the grid every day and certain areas of our state are being revitalized with the influx of new developments. I'm especially encouraged by the fact that many families in rural Texas, whose grip on their land was slipping because of the rising cost of farming and ranching, can now keep their land because of revenues from hosting wind turbine towers. Ultimately, I believe wind will make our energy supply more affordable.

I encourage you, as leaders in this essential sector, to continue your good work. You have innovations to draw upon, but do not stop seeking new ways to refine the technology, new investment to build capacity, and new approaches to increase the power available to our state. Thank you for all you do to make our energy cheaper, our air cleaner and our future brighter.

God bless you and may He continue to bless the great state of Texas.

(Speech Courtesy of the Office of the Governor Rick Perry)