http://www.windaction.org/ facts, analysis, exposure of wind energy's real impacts en-us Windaction hourly 1 http://backend.userland.com/rss http://www.windaction.org/articles/37403 Fri, 15 Feb 2013 00:29:05 GMT As the session progresses, renewable energy advocates are bracing to defend critical policies that have helped Texas become the leading wind-power state. The ascendancy of the Tea Party, an abundance of cheap natural gas and tighter budgets have reduced the sway of the wind industry. Solar power advocates anticipate limited gains at best. http://www.windaction.org/articles/37403 http://www.windaction.org/articles/37171 Sat, 26 Jan 2013 14:05:06 GMT "The PTC [production tax credit] is helping projects that are ready to go, that are shovel-ready, but the thing that is hurting the industry is really low gas prices that make it fairly hard to obtain financing," said Jimmy Horn of Horn Wind Energy. http://www.windaction.org/articles/37171 http://www.windaction.org/articles/36932 Fri, 04 Jan 2013 14:36:30 GMT The wind energy industry is dependent on something even more unpredictable than wind: Congress. Hidden in the turmoil over the "fiscal cliff" compromise was a tax credit for wind energy. http://www.windaction.org/articles/36932 http://www.windaction.org/articles/36917 Wed, 02 Jan 2013 12:37:27 GMT Sweetwater Mayor Greg Wortham, executive director of the Texas Wind Energy Clearinghouse, said he was unimpressed by the one-year extension of the tax credit. He estimated 40,000 wind energy jobs have been lost as companies have halted production, not put up turbines across the state and wait to see what Congress does with the tax credit. http://www.windaction.org/articles/36917 http://www.windaction.org/articles/36170 Sun, 30 Sep 2012 19:14:33 GMT Expiration of the credit would have a significant impact on development of about 80 turbines near Petronila in Nueces County, said Patrick Woodson, chief operating officer for Germany-based E.On Climate & Renewables in North America. The company wants to build in 2013. http://www.windaction.org/articles/36170 http://www.windaction.org/articles/36025 Fri, 14 Sep 2012 11:44:48 GMT Some wind experts think the credit extension will ultimately pass Congress, albeit after the November election ...others do not, and the industry is left to bemoan the difficulty of long-term planning. A one-year extension could mean the wrangling resumes next year. Hornaday said that Texas could benefit more than other states from a one-year extension because there are fewer rules here, making wind farms easier to build. http://www.windaction.org/articles/36025 http://www.windaction.org/articles/35969 Fri, 07 Sep 2012 18:47:21 GMT "Federal incentives for renewable energy, I believe, have distorted the competitive wholesale market" on the Texas grid, Nelson told the Senate Natural Resources Committee. Nelson said she believes those distortions are "one of the primary causes" of the current strains on the grid, and added: "I think we all need to move with extreme caution before adopting any additional incentives or mandates." http://www.windaction.org/articles/35969 http://www.windaction.org/articles/35428 Wed, 11 Jul 2012 10:08:06 GMT Many supporters are optimistic that the credit will be renewed, but doubt it will happen before the November election. And a last-minute deal probably won't prevent mass casualties for the U.S. wind power business. "Most of the damage has already been done," said Matt DaPrato, senior analyst for IHS Emerging Energy Research. "There's going to be a big drop-off in 2013 either way." http://www.windaction.org/articles/35428 http://www.windaction.org/articles/34297 Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:26:20 GMT Texas has a commanding lead over other states in wind power production, as turbines supply 8 percent of the state grid's power. But the looming expiration of a federal tax credit jeopardizes the boom - and Texas' congressional delegation, for the most part, does not appear to be clamoring loudly to save it. http://www.windaction.org/articles/34297 http://www.windaction.org/articles/33929 Wed, 28 Dec 2011 13:52:01 GMT District Superintendent Christina Gutierrez said the school board has opposed tax incentives because economic losses from military cutbacks or closures could outweigh gains from the wind farm. The Kingsville base employed 597 military and 1,224 civilian personnel in 2010. http://www.windaction.org/articles/33929 http://www.windaction.org/articles/33177 Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:48:02 GMT Trent ISD saw values plunge 35.1 percent, while values also slid for the city of Tye, Merkel ISD, the city of Buffalo Gap and Jim Ned Consolidated Independent School District. ...the changes have to do with wind turbines companies showing a tough business year. "The information that was brought to us by the wind turbine companies showed their income was down." http://www.windaction.org/articles/33177 http://www.windaction.org/articles/32716 Wed, 10 Aug 2011 11:18:11 GMT Keith Ellis, senior industrial and personal property appraiser, said there are several reasons wind farms and wind turbines have dropped in value. The price of electricity was low at the beginning of the year when values were set, he said, which means wind farms were not as profitable. http://www.windaction.org/articles/32716 http://www.windaction.org/articles/30706 Mon, 10 Jan 2011 14:39:47 GMT A wind farm of 160 megawatts only requires around seven maintenance workers after the horde of construction laborers leave. The comptroller's office criticizes the expense of those jobs, saying direct wind jobs are like "unicorns" and "mythical." "They bring in less jobs with the same capital investment as manufacturing," said Robert Wood, director of local government assistance and economic development at the Comptroller agency. http://www.windaction.org/articles/30706 http://www.windaction.org/articles/30643 Wed, 05 Jan 2011 07:24:26 GMT Abilene Superintendent Heath Burns said few school districts are negotiating property tax deals with industry these days because such plans cause the state's funding formula not to work well for the local school districts. http://www.windaction.org/articles/30643 http://www.windaction.org/articles/30616 Tue, 04 Jan 2011 06:36:52 GMT The Texas comptroller, not local school districts, should be in charge of negotiating school property tax breaks to businesses to attract large-scale investments such as manufacturing plants or wind farms, a new report by the Legislative Budget Board recommends. http://www.windaction.org/articles/30616 http://www.windaction.org/articles/30459 Mon, 20 Dec 2010 11:29:42 GMT According to a study from the Texas Comptrollers office, Texas spends too much to bring in windfarm contracts with little benefits. The Clay County Judge and Horn Wind -- the company in talks to construct the wind farm -- feel the study may be valid for the state but not for the county. In fact, the Vice President of the clean energy company says the wind farm will attract business to the county and will benefit every resident. http://www.windaction.org/articles/30459 http://www.windaction.org/articles/30440 Sun, 19 Dec 2010 18:17:36 GMT Texas is overpaying to lure major economic development projects, particularly wind farms, under a state law that allows school districts to grant tax breaks to recruit capital-intensive industries, a new study by Texas Comptroller Susan Combs concludes. Granting school property tax breaks has helped Texas attract manufacturing plants ...but the program "has increasingly been used to over-incentivize projects that create few or no jobs." http://www.windaction.org/articles/30440 http://www.windaction.org/articles/23976 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:32:32 GMT The Obama administration should bar a $1.5 billion wind-farm project in Texas from receiving U.S. government stimulus funds because most of the power turbines would be made in China, Senator Charles Schumer said. "The idea that stimulus funds would be used to create jobs overseas is quite troubling," Schumer, a New York Democrat, wrote in a draft of a letter he said yesterday he would send to U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu. ...Schumer said he would pursue legislation if necessary to prevent stimulus funds from being used for the Texas project. http://www.windaction.org/articles/23976 http://www.windaction.org/articles/23929 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:29:46 GMT A Democratic senator is calling on the Obama administration to reject an expected request for federal economic stimulus money as part of a $1.5 billion West Texas wind energy project because he says it will generate Chinese, not American, jobs. The U.S.-China venture, announced last week, would erect 240 huge Chinese-manufactured wind turbines on 36,000 acres in West Texas, with the Export-Import Bank of China committed to handle most of the financing. http://www.windaction.org/articles/23929 http://www.windaction.org/articles/23945 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:36:26 GMT News that $450 million in federal stimulus money might go toward installing Chinese-made wind turbines in Texas prompted criticism on Thursday, with Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, calling on the Obama administration to deny federal financing. According to partners in the deal, the proposed 600-megawatt wind farm, announced late last week, would be built on 36,000 acres in West Texas using 240 wind turbines manufactured by A-Power Energy Generation Systems of Shenyang, China. http://www.windaction.org/articles/23945