Domestic Fuel

President Obama put a face on the wind energy industry during his State of the Union address on Tuesday. It was the face of Bryan Ritterby who “found work at Energetx, a wind turbine manufacturer in Michigan” after being laid off from a job making furniture and is “proud to be working in the industry of the future.”

However, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) warns that layoffs could be in the future without the continuation of tax credits for the industry.

“Wind energy is one of the few sources of agreement in a divided Washington. But with an expiration of wind’s key federal incentive, the Production Tax Credit (PTC), looming at the end of the year, these good manufacturing jobs are in peril,” said AWEA CEO Denise Bode in a statement after word got out that Ritterby would be highlighted in the speech. She noted that “with uncertainty over the PTC, layoffs have already begun and studies have forecast they will increase with each month we near expiration.”

Bipartisan legislation recently introduced by Representatives Dave Reichert (R, WA-08) and Earl Blumenauer (D, OR-03) seeks to grant a four-year extension to the existing Production Tax Credit (PTC) for wind energy. According to AWEA, the legislation recently received the endorsement of a broad, coalition of more than 370 members, including the National Association of Manufacturers, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the Edison Electric Institute, the Western Governors’ Association, the United Steelworkers and many members of the environmental community. A four-year PTC extension also has the support of the bipartisan Governors’ Wind Energy Coalition comprised of 23 Republican and Democratic Governors from across the U.S.

Iowa Governor Terry Branstad is proud of his state’s leadership in the renewable fuels industry.

“The state of Iowa is number one in ethanol, number one in biodiesel, we’re number two in wind energy but that’s number two to Texas and if you look at it per capita, we’re number one in that as well,” Branstad said at the 6th Annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit on Tuesday.

“The renewable fuels industry has been good for Iowa,” he said. “In 2011, the renewable fuels industry supported 82,000 jobs in the Iowa economy and provided $3.7 billion in household income in our state. The industry had over $6 million in revenue.”

Those numbers come from the latest study on the importance of renewable fuels to Iowa by economist John Urbanchuk, technical director of Cardno ENTRIX. (Link to study)

Listen to Branstad’s address to the 6th annual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit here: Iowa Governor Terry Branstad address

Photos from 2012 Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit

In his State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Obama voiced strong support for renewable energy and an end to oil subsidies.

“We have subsidized oil companies for a century. That’s long enough,” the president said. “It’s time to end the taxpayer giveaways to an industry that’s rarely been more profitable, and double-down on a clean energy industry that’s never been more promising. Pass clean energy tax credits and create these jobs.”

Mentioning natural gas, wind and solar specifically, Obama called for using various types of renewable energy solutions to make the country less dependent on oil alone. “This country needs an all-out, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy – a strategy that’s cleaner, cheaper, and full of new jobs,” he said.

Natural Power, an international renewable energy consultancy, says their product, WindManager, a wind farm portfolio information system designed to increase profitability of wind farm operations is now available in the United States.

WindManager is a turbine independent system based on latest international standards such as IEC 61400-25 and RDS-PP. The system is scalable from a single wind farm to large multisite wind farms. It captures real-time data, presenting availability, losses and key performance while supplying tools for analysis, effective work processes and fact based decisions. All processes are in place to increase profitability of wind farm operations.

WindManager provides customers with four modules for effective wind farm operations including:

• -Monitoring – Turbines are connected to a central system, all data is stored and visualized in a map view, trends can be monitored and preconfigured reports summarize performance and energy production against targets

• -Analysis – Wind farm personnel can perform stop analysis, loss analysis and understand all downtime issues as they arise

• -Operations Management – Work scheduling, resourcing, and collaboration across teams can be held daily or weekly

• -Expertise – Access to system API, data management tools, and tools for extracting performance data to MatLab allows further research and analysis to be performed in house.

Scott Mackenzie, asset management director at Natural Power says, “WindManager has been successfully operating in the U.K. and Europe for over a year now, so we are very pleased to be extending these services to the U.S. market. This product helps wind farm owners and operators experience a real time view of their assets, with customers benefiting from a range of additional tools from energy forecasting to independent operational site control.”

Natural Power offers WindManager in conjunction with their existing suite of wind farm management tools including WindCentre™, a 24/7 operations control room which uses Natural Power’s Melogale™ data analysis platform, ForeSite™ for wind farm energy forecasting and SeaPlanner™ for offshore GIS, site and data management.

Biodiesel consulting firm Lee Enterprises of Little Rock, Ark., has announced plans for expansion in 2012 into ethanol, biomass, wind, solar and geothermal, and the addition of consultants and strategic partners.

“We are currently the world’s largest biodiesel consulting group, and most of our consultants and strategic partners are already very involved in the other alternative fuels,” said principal owner Wayne Lee.

Lee notes that the group’s current appraiser, environmental expert, QA experts, and grant writers have backgrounds and experience in these areas, and that the group’s larger strategic partners – Stoel Rives (legal), Christianson & Associates (accounting), IMA of Kansas (insurance), FCStone Merchant Services (feedstock financing), and Executive Leadership Solutions (staffing) – already have very significant presences in these other alternative fuels sectors. “Our goal over the past several years has been to put together a top notch team of the best biodiesel experts in the world”, says Lee. “I am quite satisfied that we have accomplished that goal and now address almost every need in the biodiesel sector.”

“I am a firm believer in biodiesel as the best alternative to diesel fuels and I strongly believe in its future” says Lee. “But, the overall solution to the world’s oil dependency rests with all the alternative fuels working together”. As a result, Lee wants his consulting group to be able to provide the same depth of assistance for all kinds of alternative fuels as they currently provide for biodiesel.

Major global companies including Motorola Mobility, Deutsche Bank, Bloomberg, Method and BD (Becton, Dickinson and Co.) announced their commitment to use at least 25 percent wind energy and become certified under the new WindMade™ consumer label at a Global Launch event in New York last week.

The label allows participating companies to communicate the share of wind power and other renewable sources as part of the overall power demand of their operations. The objective behind WindMade™ is to drive demand in wind power, thereby boosting investment and growing the renewable energy market.

“These companies are at the forefront of the global sustainability movement,” said Henrik Kuffner, WindMade’s CEO. “We are delighted to have them on board the unique WindMade™ initiative, and are confident that many others will follow suit in the coming weeks and months.”

According to the WindMade™ requirements, companies using the label must source a minimum of 25 percent of the electricity consumed from wind power. The wind energy share can be procured through a company-owned wind power generation facility, a long-term power purchase agreement for wind power, or the purchase of high quality Renewable Energy Certificates approved by WindMade™. The exact percentage of the wind energy share will be stated on the label. Companies can choose to certify global, regional or facility level operations, a distinction that will be clearly communicated on the label itself.

WindMade™, which was introduced to the world at this past year’s World Economic Forum in Davos, is backed by the UN Global Compact, Vestas Wind Systems, World Wildlife Fund, Global Wind Energy Council, Bloomberg (as the official data provider), and the LEGO Group. PwC is the official verification partner.

A separate label for products is in development and will be released during 2012.

The Kingman I wind and solar project located in Kingman, Arizona and owned by Western Wind Energy has begun operations. According to the company, the 10.5 MW combined wind/solar energy farm is the first purpose-built wind and solar project in North America. In other words, the combined wind and solar energy facility was designed and built for the power purchase agreement with Unisource Electric Services.

The project consists of five Gamesa G-90 2 MW wind turbine generators with 500 kW of solar panels located on a single axis tracking system. The farm went online on August 30, 2011 and began revenue service on September 16.

“This is a ground breaking, game changing development in the renewable energy industry where two completely separate types of technology and renewable fuel sources are integrated at the very beginning as a combined facility,” said Jeff Ciachurski, CEO of Western Wind Energy. “Integration of multiple renewable fuel sources allows for the maximization of existing transmission infrastructure by having a greater range of time of day availability. Western Wind Energy is excited to be the first owner/operator of this real-time, solution oriented facility.”

Renewable energy is one of the fastest growing sectors of energy in the U.S. Last year wind energy was only second to natural gas in terms of providing new electric generation. Bill White with David Gardiner & Associates told me during an interview that it won’t be long before wind energy surpasses all other forms of energy for new electric energy installed.

White said that policies are very important to help create jobs, lower electricity costs and increase dependence on domestic sources of energy. Several policies to pay attention to include the federal production tax credit, which is set to expire at the end of 2012. He stressed that it is important for Congress to extend the tax credit.

“Leaving it to the last minute will create a lot of uncertainty in the market and make investors a little less comfortable,” said White. “It would really have a negative effect on the boom in the industry that’s going on despite the recession.”

Listen to my interview with Bill White here: How to Accelerate Wind Energy Development

Another key policy is the investment tax credit that was enacted in 2009 as part of the Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This gives developers the option to take a 30 percent investment tax credit for a new facility in lieu of the tax credit. To be eligible, construction must begin by the end of 2011.

One of the biggest barriers to developing wind energy, says White is the ability to move the power from where it is most cost effective to produce to where people use a lot of electricity. FERC recently issued a series of orders that takes important steps in the way companies share and plan new transmission projects.

White concluded that the wind industry has been very successful and he believes it will be more successful in the future. “If we’re really able to build the infrastructure under this new FERC order, than we’ll really see this industry take off.”

You can learn more about the wind industry at the upcoming Wind & Transmission Leadership Summit in Blue Sky, Montana September 26-28.

I felt like an academic when I read this week’s book, “The Powers That Be Global Energy For The Twenty-First Century And Beyond,” although author Scott L. Montgomery wanted the book to be “fun.” I sported my black geek glasses and curled up in a chair at a local coffee shop and attempted to give off the personae that I’m smart. Although I’m not sure anyone was fooled, I’m definitely smarter about our country’s energy options now than I was before I read the book.

This is an extremely in-depth look at what our energy landscape looks like today. It also reviews where we stand, as a world, with regard to resources and options as well as politics and policies that are driving the future. In addition, it looks at where we are headed.  As I look at our country, I’ve felt for a long-time that we are “energy illiterate” and need to become better students of energy education. While Montgomery agrees to some degree, he feels the problem lies more in lack of curriculum and the inability for people to learn about energy in a nonpartisan setting.

Montgomery writes, “Energy matters are critical to understand because they are fundamental to our way of life and because they are the subject of endless misconception, misrepresentation, and, as already noted, myth.”

Throughout the book, Montgomery takes an approach that many other authors have not and that’s the view that he doesn’t categorize energy as “dirty or clean” or necessarily “evil versus good.”  He explains that fossil fuels help build and transport renewable sources and also reminds us that every type of energy has an impact on the environment. Yes everyone, there is no “renewable” energy source that is developed, produced or transported without a fossil fuel.
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The Two Dot community wind farm located about 90 miles Northwest of Billings, Montana has taken another step forward in the development of its wind energy project. NorthWestern Energy and OwnEnergy, a developer of community wind projects, announced the signing of a 25-year Qualifying Facility Agreement for the 9.7 megawatt Two Dot Wind Farm.

OwnEnergy will sell the wind energy to NorthWestern Energy and the two organizations negotiated a long-term rate well below the current rate of $69.21. As a result, OwnEnergy obtained curtailment provisions that are more favorable than ones traditionally found in a Qualifying Facility Agreement.

“Thanks to this agreement, our customers will benefit from the addition of a renewable energy source at a rate more beneficial to ratepayers,” said John Hines, Vice President – Supply for OwnEnergy. “With our other recent wind QF purchases, we are nearing the limit of installed wind capacity that we are allowed to purchase through this tariff.”

The Montana Public Service Commission set a rate for NorthWestern Energy to purchase up to 50MW of wind generation. When the company reaches the cap, the MPSC will reexamine the wind QF tariff and related policies.

The Two Dot Wind project is owned by Dave Healow and Dana Dogetrom and exemplifies community wind projects. The wind farm will not only create renewable electricity, but also provide jobs for members of the community.  It is expected to be completed and in production by the spring of 2012.

Jacob Susman, founder and CEO of OwnEnergy, added, “This is an exciting milestone for OwnEnergy, Two Dot Wind, LLC and the local Montana community. NorthWestern has once again shown true leadership, demonstrating that power generation can be environmentally friendly at the same time as being cost-effective.”

Several companies have signed agreements to work together to co-develop three Irish wind farms valued at euro 18 million. Gaelectric, and XEMC VWEC will first deploy the XV90 turbines at three Gaelectric on-shore sites: Roosky in Co. Roscommon; Leabeg in Co. Offaly; and Crowinstown in Westmeath. Total combined energy produced is expected to be at least 13.6 MW.

During an event highlighting the signing of the contract in Dublin, Ireland, Zhou Jianxiong, XEMC’s Group Chairman said, “Gaelectric’s pipeline of wind farm projects in key locations, combined with our shared focus on innovation in renewable energy technologies, makes us ideal allies in co-developing Gaelectric’s portfolio of renewable power projects.”

“We are particularly pleased that the sites that we intend to co-develop with Gaelectric are very suited to establishing our Direct Drive Permanent Magnet Generator (PMG) turbine technology as the leading global wind generation technology delivering low service and maintenance costs, competitive pricing, and high availability and annual yield,” he added.

XEMC has 820 of its XE-series turbines installed in China. Its XE-series are the largest turbines in mass production in China.

“Our alliance with XEMC is a significant strategic step for Gaelectric. With the backing of XEMC’s industrial strength and technological capacity, and their track record and commitment to long term relationships, we are confident that Gaelectric’s portfolio of wind farm sites will be realised to the highest commercial and technical standards,” said Gaelectric CEO, Brendan McGrath. “Our visit to China in March of this year confirmed to us XEMC’s commitment to research and development which combines Dutch engineering design and pedigree, with Chinese industrial power. We also share a vision for the significant opportunities from off-shore wind energy generation on which we are already working closely together.”

It’s good to see that the U.S. has not lost all of its renewable energy manufacturing jobs overseas. Today, Ventower Industries has cut the ribbon on its new 115,000 square foot wind turbine manufacturing facility located in the Port of Monroe, Michigan. A ceremony earlier this week marked the occasion and acknowledged the four-years of work between Ventower management, local, state and government entities and various funding agencies.

“I am grateful for the commitment and the efforts of our shareholders, employees, contractors and the unwavering support of our economic development and training partners who contributed to building this state of the art facility,” said Gregory Adanin, Ventower president & CEO. “Ventower is well positioned to supply towers to our Great Lakes region where we continue to see increased wind project development opportunities. It is and always has been our goal to become an integral part of the industry supply chain and be part of advanced wind energy component manufacturing, education and innovation.”

Production at the facility will begin later this month to meet orders for towers this year and into 2012. The company will provide wind towers for both onshore and offshore applications and is focused on customers throughout the Great Lakes and Atlantic Regions.

“Our commitment to domestic manufacturing, job creation and renewable energy have all been important drivers during our initial efforts here in Michigan. Moving forward, Ventower will embrace the new, green economy while utilizing advanced fabrication techniques and processes at our state of the art facility,” added Board Chairman James Viciana.

General Electric Co. (GE) has secured an order for 228 wind turbines to be used for two different wind projects. The order came from Wind Capital Group and along with supplying the turbines, GE will also aid in operations and maintenance for the projects in Oklahoma and Kansas. As part of the agreement, GE will supply 94 of its 1.6-100 wind turbines for the Oklahoma project and 134 of its 1.5-82.5 wind turbines for the Kansas project.

The wind turbines are scheduled to be delivered in the first half of 2012 and when the projects are complete, will provide more than 350 megawatts of power. This will boost Wind Capital’s U.S. wind power footprint to more than half a gigawatt. According to GE, the 1.6-100 wind turbine to be used in the Oklahoma project is one of its most advanced. It features a 100-meter rotor diameter and offers a 47 percent increase in swept area, resulting in an 18 percent increase in annual energy production compared with previous models.

The first WindTamer wind turbine has been installed in Europe by UAB WindTamer Europe which has the exclusive rights to sell the wind turbine in Lithuania, Latvia, Denmark, Sweden and The Netherlands. The new age turbine is manufactured by Artista Power. The 8GT WindTamer was installed in Kunkiai, Lithuania, a community located about 25 km north of Klaipeda. The town, situated on the edge of the Baltic Sea, is UAB WindTamer’s headquarters.

“The turbine is located about 1 mile from the Baltic Sea so the wind resources are quite good,” said Glenn Steed, installation coordinator for Arista Power. Our shrouded WindTamer turbine has received a great deal of attention from the local residents, as it looks so different from any other turbine they have seen. Additionally, a neighbor had recently taken down an open blade turbine because it was making too much noise, so the fact that WindTamer operates virtually silently is a major attribute to this community. We’ve had a number of other residents asking about purchasing turbines and we’ve also had a number of interested parties from other European countries asking about distribution opportunities.”

Mindaugas Mazonas, director of sales of UAB WindTamer Europe, added, “WindTamer Europe is very excited to have this first installation completed. We look forward to using this as a great example of the Arista Power sustainable energy solutions we plan to bring to the rest of our territory. One of our first priorities will be to utilize Arista Power energy generation and storage products and technologies to implement an off-grid, battery-tied package to suit our customers who are challenged with grid availability and reliability.”

It seems like I just don’t have enough time to watch TV, unless of course I’m holed up in a hotel room as I am tonight. I just happen to be flipping channels when I stopped on a rerun of the Simpson’s, “The Squirt and the Whale.” This episode was created in honor of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day (2010) and I’ve been so out of touch apparently, I never saw it until tonight. I have to say that while the episode was not entirely supportive of renewable energy, the Simpson’s go off the grid with their own personal wind turbine and it was pretty funny.

The move to renewable energy is spurred by a high electric bill and sends the family to the Alternative Energy Expo. As the family piles into the car, to avert thieves in their absence, they leave on all the lights, including their Christmas lights. Once they get to the expo, several things catch their eye including solar panels and biofuels where boothmates “switchgrass” and “corn ethanol” get in a fight over who is better.

But what really catches Homer’s eye is the promise of the wind turbine, which he installs in his backyard.

Lisa: Dad, you are leading the way in clean energy.

Homer: Yep. I Al Gore’d it pretty good.

Lisa: The Simpsons are off the grid and so far it’s going great.

Until…

Homer: Who turned off the wind?

Lisa: Dad, if we’re really off the grid than we won’t get power when the wind is still.

Homer: Well, I’m not crawling back to Big Electricity. From now on the Simpson’s are living intermittently.

Ok, so while the message wasn’t perfect you know when a technology has captured the minds of the general public when it shows up in pop culture. Now let’s hope that renewable energy does a better job of capturing the minds of our politicians so it can continue to “show up” in our backyards.