At the urging of the federal Department of Energy, the regional transmission organizations also looked at what transmission investments would be necessary if the region increased its renewable power goals to 20 percent of electricity generated. They found that 15,000 miles of new extra-high-voltage lines costing $80 billion would be needed by 2024. Generating 20 percent of the electricity for the eastern power grid from renewable sources would require an additional $1.1 trillion in infrastructure investment.

Herman J Schellstede, owner of an oil industry equipment company in New Iberia, is betting the Gulf of Mexico can produce enough wind to power thousands of homes and businesses. He's preparing to establish 62 huge wind turbines in the gulf off the coast of Galveston, Texas, that would produce 150 megawatts of power for electric generation. Some of the turbines will be mounted on abandoned platforms like the oil rigs Schellstede constructed in the gulf for 42 years.

The company sees the effort as a way to bolster its green credentials while allowing ecology-minded ratepayers who can afford to do so the chance to contribute to a burgeoning renewable energy industry. Critics contend the voluntary program is little more than a token measure that does little locally to reduce carbon emissions or fossil fuel use and won't ensure residents are actually getting any of their power from renewable sources. "If you decide to sign up for it, what we would do is buy a credit from a company that creates power from a renewable source," ENO spokesman Morgan Stewart said.

A metal fabricator said to be one of the country's largest manufacturers of wind turbines has unexpectedly shut down in the midst of what was described as a severe cash-flow crunch. Beaird Co. Ltd., Shreveport, La., closed its doors and laid off 427 workers as executives seek new investors as well as possible state assistance to pump in money to keep the company afloat. It was unclear when the company might reopen. ..."The company just came out of a very difficult contract that ate up a lot of cash," Gerald Landry, Beaird's president, told the Shreveport Times. "We need to rapidly reduce costs."

Measures that will affect 2008 tax returns:......... • An income tax credit of up to $12,500 to offset the cost of buying and installing systems that produce electricity from solar or wind energy.