The National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates (NASUCA), in its letter to President Barack Obama, urges rejection of the request by General Electric, smart grid vendors and other signatories who are seeking to link access to federal programs related to electricity distribution and energy efficiency to smart grid technology access. NASUCA argues smart grid technologies are expensive and evolving and should not be forced on consumers.

Below is National Audubon's recently adopted policy pertaining to wind power generation.

This document by Professor Robert J. Michaels and published in Energy Law Journal provides an economist's perspective on a National Renewable Portfolio Standard as considered by the U.S. Government. The synopsis of the document appears below. The full paper can be downloaded by clicking on one of the links below.

This important document prepared by the Northbridge Group explains how the wind production tax credit has distorted the competitive wholesale energy market thus harming the financial of other, reliable generators on the system. The executive summary of the report is provided below. The full report can be accessed by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.

North American Electric Reliability Corporation released this assessment of the reliability and adequacy of the bulk power system in North America for the next ten years.

This unanimous decision by the Nevada Supreme Court could have impacts across the U.S. The Court lays out a clear and convincing explanation for why a personal wind turbine in a residential subdivision should be prohibited. In the order, Justice Jim Hardesty covers noise, property value impacts and the effect on aesthetics including shadow flicker. Excerpts of the order are provided below. The full order can be accessed at the below links.

While officials in the US DOE spend millions of tax dollars each year to help the wind industry and pay for lobbying on behalf of wind industry projects, President Bush’s statements about wind energy seem to have become more measured. Perhaps White House and Executive Office of the President staff have cautioned him not to believe the claims from DOE and other wind advocates and to recognize the truly tiny role that wind energy will be able to play in supplying US energy requirements – and even that at great cost to taxpayers and electric customers.

However, “Increase our use of wind and solar energy” or something very similar seems to remain as a sort of “throwaway line” in the President’s speeches and messages. Similar lines are often uttered by governors, members of Congress and state legislatures, and regulators who are faced with pressure from constituents to “do something” about high energy costs and the fear of energy supply shortages. In these situations, relying on popular wisdom and referring to “wind and solar energy” may be the best they have to offer.

However, as demonstrated clearly by EIA’s Annual Energy Outlook 2007, neither source offers any possibility of supplying a significant share of US energy requirements – even when looking as far into the future as 2030. Specifically, EIA projects that, by 2030:

• Wind will supply 4/10 of 1% of US energy consumption and 89/100 of 1% of US electric generation.
• Solar energy will supply 9/100 of 1% of US energy consumption and 12/100 of 1% of US electric generation.

An interesting letter from Noble Environmental Power that suggests by implication that there must be some 'downside' to being the neighbor of a wind plant.