www.windaction.org | Impact on Economy

Vermont leaders back away from renewable energy goals
February 22, 2012 by Dave Gram in The Associated Press

Klein and Cheney said they had been hearing a groundswell of concern voiced by business lobbyists that getting more power from renewable sources, which are usually more expensive than electricity generated with nuclear or fossil-fuel-fired power, would drive up electric rates and make Vermont less competitive economically.

Also filed under [ Energy Policy| Vermont]

Trump wants windfarm public inquiry
January 26, 2012 in The Scotsman

Work on the development in Menie, Aberdeenshire, has been put on hold until a decision is made on an offshore wind farm proposal near the site. The postponement was announced last week and the Trump Organisation said any future work, including the building of a hotel, would now depend on the decision made by the Scottish Government regarding the application for the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC).

Also filed under [ Impact on Views| UK]

LePage: Renewable energy initiative a 'job killer'
January 26, 2012 by Tux Turkel in Portland Press Herald

If the measure gets on the ballot this November and wins voter approval, he said, it will force people and businesses to leave for places with lower energy costs. "This will destroy the state of Maine," he said, appealing to the crowd to fight the initiative.

Also filed under [ Maine]

Behind Iberdrola's Portland layoffs: expiring wind-energy tax credits, declining demand, overloaded grid, cheap natural gas
January 25, 2012 by Richard Read in The Oregonian

"Iberdrola Renewables is focusing on operations in 2012 rather than new building due to low energy prices, a poor economy and regulatory uncertainty," Johnson said, adding that the company has a "solid balance sheet, positive cash flow and no real debt."

Also filed under [ Energy Policy| USA| Oregon]

Concern as developers fail to consult tourism bosses over wind farm plan
January 17, 2012 by Melanie Vass in Daily Echo

Wind farm developer Eneco has been criticised for failing to consult tourism bosses over plans to site turbines in Poole Bay. The proposed Navitus Bay wind park, which would see turbines of around 311 feet tall situated between 10 and 17 miles out to sea, would have a major impact on Bournemouth and Poole's tourism industry.

Also filed under [ Tourism| UK]

4 U.S. makers of towers for wind turbines file complaint over China's steel subsidies
December 30, 2011 by Matthew L. Wald and Keith Bradsher in New York Times

At Katana Summit, Kevin L. Strudthoff, the president and chief executive, said that his industry's problem was probably similar to the situation of the domestic solar panel industry. In fact, the American wind industry is also subsidized, mostly through a production tax credit, but by all accounts the scale of Chinese subsidies is far larger.

Also filed under [ Tax Breaks & Subsidies| USA| Asia]

Vestas short-selling increases to record on 2011 orders goal
December 29, 2011 by Alex Morales in Bloomberg Businessweek

The company, based in Aarhus, Denmark, on Oct. 30 cut its forecasts for margins and revenue, while retaining guidance that orders this year will reach 7,000 to 8,000 megawatts. UBS AG, Switzerland's largest bank, said in a Dec. 19 note that there's a "high risk" Vestas won't meet its orders target.

Comptroller's office recommends school district not approve tax incentives for Petronila wind farm project
December 28, 2011 by Mark Collette in Corpus Christi Caller Times

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.

Also filed under [ Tax Breaks & Subsidies| Texas]

Turn on, tune in, pay up or switch off
December 21, 2011 by Miles Kemp in The Advertiser

But the cost of green power will continue to burden those not getting the benefits of rebates. The high cost of creating uncompetitive renewable energy generators such as wind and solar is also part of the $185 portion of the bill increase tied up in generation costs. But the renewable-energy drive is leading to other cost pressures.

Also filed under [ Energy Policy| Australia / New Zealand]

Utilities back out of N.C. wind project over high prices
December 15, 2011 by Jeff Hampton in The Virginian-Pilot

At least two utility companies have declined deals to buy power from Iberdrola Renewables' proposed large-scale wind farm here, potentially derailing the $600 million project. Both companies - Dominion Power and Progress Energy - say the price of the power was simply too high.

Also filed under [ Energy Policy| North Carolina]

Liberals' green energy strategy blasted by auditor
December 6, 2011 by Robert Benzie and Rob Ferguson in Toronto Star

Ontario Auditor General Jim McCarter found billions of dollars in solar and wind projects were approved without appropriate oversight, including and regulatory and planning procedures. ...The controversial Samsung deal, which will pay $110 million over 20 years over and above the already hefty FIT premium in exchange for $7 billion in investment, was done with "no formal economic analysis ... to determine whether the deal was prudent."

Also filed under [ Energy Policy| Canada]

Devens clean energy company cuts more jobs
November 29, 2011 in Boston Herald

AMSC, the Devens-based maker of electrical systems for wind turbines, said it has slashed its staff by 20 percent, or about 100 jobs, as it tries to return to profitability after a string of setbacks."

Also filed under [ Massachusetts]

Calif. renewable energy goals come at a price
November 24, 2011 by David R. Baker in San Francisco Chronicle

California's increasing use of renewable power will come at a price, pushing up electricity bills across the state. And while it's impossible to tell how big the cost to consumers will be, some experts fear the total cost of renewable energy in California will be in the billions of dollars.

Also filed under [ Energy Policy| California]

Manufacturers feel squeezed: Energy prices, lack of skilled workers a problem
November 23, 2011 by Dennis Darrow in The Pueblo Chieftain

Pueblo's rising energy costs are among their chief worries, they say. ...Tony Knopp, manager of the wind turbine maker Vestas' tower plant, said he understands many industries' concerns about rising energy bills. Still, Knopp said, he's convinced the greater use of renewable energy will pay off

Also filed under [ Energy Policy| Colorado]

Wind farms are useless, says Duke
November 20, 2011 by Jonathan Wynne-Jones in The Telegraph

The Duke of Edinburgh has made a fierce attack on wind farms, describing them as "absolutely useless". The Duke's views are politically charged, as they put him at odds with the Government's policy

Also filed under [ Energy Policy| UK]

Wind offers 'good jobs,' but growth slowing
November 18, 2011 by Jim Offner in Sioux City Journal

However, total employment in wind energy dipped from 3,107 to 2,831 between 2009 and 2010. And, while it jumped back up this year, it is not expected to grow dramatically in the near future, according to Kerry Koonce, IWD spokeswoman. "Projections say that growth will probably be flat for awhile as the state is pretty saturated," Koonce said. "This could change if other types of alternative energy outputs falter."

Also filed under [ Iowa]

Clean energy: Costs rising for California consumers
November 13, 2011 by Garance Burke and Jason Dearen in Christian Science Monitor

Dozens of renewable energy plants being built to meet California's tough global warming laws, including a major Spanish-owned solar plant in the Mojave Desert, are so overpriced they will increase consumers' energy bills for decades, according to the independent watchdog arm of the state's s utility regulator.

Also filed under [ Tax Breaks & Subsidies| USA| California]

Martha Coakley: ‘Green' act costs $4B
November 10, 2011 by Greg Turner in Boston Herald

"We believe that more effort should be made to expose the true costs of energy, including costs that are often hidden as subsidies," Attorney General Martha Coakley said at the start of a broad legislative inquiry into the Green Communities Act of 2008.

Also filed under [ Massachusetts]

Vestas drops 2015 targets, pledges cost cuts
November 9, 2011 by John Acher in Reuters

The company on Wednesday confirmed a third-quarter operating loss of 92 million euros against a profit of 271 million in the same quarter last year. Vestas said 2013 could prove to be a "very challenging year" owing to the expiry of the production tax credit scheme in the United States.

The high cost of renewable power; PUDs on track to meet state energy targets, but at what cost?
November 5, 2011 by Christine Pratt in Wenatchee World

Snohomish County PUD officials estimate that acquiring renewables ahead of need - just to comply with the law - could cost its ratepayers between $20 million to $30 million by 2020 if additional growth doesn't come to justify the investment. That traditional hydropower doesn't count toward the state targets remains a sore spot for many in hydropower-rich North Central Washington.

Also filed under [ Energy Policy| Washington]

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