| Cape Wind foes eye federal lawsuit |
Cape Wind critics threw up an eleventh-hour roadblock this week, accusing two U.S. government agencies that approved portions of the proposed offshore wind energy project of violating federal laws.
“We put them on notice,” said Lisa Linowes, executive director of the Industrial Wind Action Group, which tracks the benefits of wind energy projects.
Her group and eight others filed a 60-day notice of violations with U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. The legal formality is the first step in what could become the first federal lawsuit related to the controversial project. Cape Wind’s 130 turbines would be built in federal waters off Nantucket Sound. Read more at www.bostonherald.com |
A wind-energy trade group is blasting a federal regulatory decision that will let Westar Energy impose additional charges on wind producers when the renewable energy is exported to other states. |
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the charges, saying they were just and reasonable to help Westar manage wind power on the electric grid. Read more at www.kansascity.com |
| Bill puts payments at $4,000 per turbine |
Under the bill endorsed Thursday, developers would pay $4,000 per turbine, per year to host communities – in addition to local property taxes – for projects to be built in the future. |
“It’s hard to budget around an unclear requirement,” said Dave Wilby of First Wind, which has built wind farms in Mars Hill and Stetson Mountain, among others. Read more at www.pressherald.com |
| A host of reforms aimed at reining in Oregon’s budget-busting subsidies
for green energy projects were signed into law Thursday by Gov. Ted
Kulongoski — a year after he vetoed a similar bill. |
| The new rules phase out tax incentives for big wind farms, give the
state greater authority to reject applications from suspect companies
and set caps on the amount the state can spend to attract renewable
energy projects and manufacturing plants. Read more at www.oregonlive.com |
A few days ago a friend of mine, Chris Polloni, told me that he’s
been developing a list of New England wind turbines. We thought that
posting the list on this blog would be a good way to make this
information available and to get people to contact us with updates.
You’ll find the list, which is a work in progress, below. |
If you know of any turbines that we’ve missed, if you can provide
additional information on particular turbines, or if you have any
suggestions for how to improve the list please contact Chris at cpolloni@aol.com or post it here. We’re especially interested in including school-based and private turbines. Read more at www.capecodtoday.com |
As covered in the mainstream press, Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) has initiated legislation that, if passed, will adversely affect clean energy — specifically wind. His apparent concern is that stimulus money is leaving the US, and, consequently, he is suggesting a “Buy American” clause that applies to any government project that is awarded funding.
The issue arose over a project in Texas announced last October — a $1.5 billion joint venture between Texas-based Cielo Wind Power, China’s Shenyang Power Group and the U.S. Renewable Energy Group. Read more at www.renewableenergyworld.com |
A complaint filed March 17 in the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts contends that the Town of Barnstable “wrongfully and in bad faith” rejected the low bidder for the wind turbine project at the wastewater facility. |
Larkin Enterprises, Inc. of Lincoln, Maine, claims that the town awarded the contract to a Woburn company to settle litigation and ensure its funding schedule for up to $1.7 million in federal stimulus funds for the project would be met. It is suing for up to triple damages for lost profits and attorney’s fees. Read more at www.barnstablepatriot.com |
China reportedly pledged last fall to drop rules giving preference to Chinese makers of wind-power equipment. But the pledge apparently hasn’t been carried out, according to a report done for the National Foreign Trade Council, an industry group. |
All this while Chinese manufacturers are entering the U.S. wind market under a joint venture led by a Dallas investor to build a $1.5 billion, 600-megawatt wind farm on 36,000 acres in West Texas. Read more at www.mlive.com |
A group of environmental organizations and opponents of wind energy projects say they likely will file suit if the federal government approves the proposed Nantucket Sound wind farm. A 60-day notice of violations of the Endangered Species Act was sent this week to Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin and to the U.S. Interior Department and other federal agencies that have reviewed Cape Wind’s plan to build 130 wind turbines in the sound. Read more at www.capecodonline.com |
Recent Developments
Mar 05, 2010: First Wind Receives DOE Loan Guarantee To Finance Construction Of Kahuku Wind Project
Jan 25, 2010: First Wind Gets Approval For 51MW Oakfield Wind Project In Maine
Jan 25, 2010: Just Energy Enters Into Five Year PPA To Purchase Electricity, Capacity And RECs From First Wind |
Scope
- Provides key company information for business intelligence needs
- The company’s strengths and weaknesses and areas of development or decline are analyzed. Strategic and operational factors are considered.
- The opportunities open to the company are considered and its growth potential assessed. Competitive and/or technological threats are highlighted.
- The report contains critical company information – business structure and operations, the company history, major products and services, key competitors, key employees and executive biographies, different locations and important subsidiaries.Read more at www.companiesandmarkets.com |
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Cape Wind foes eye federal lawsuit
