www.windaction.org | Impact on Economy

Bayer chief warns firms may leave Germany over energy costs
August 6, 2011 in Yahoo News

"It is important that we remain competitive in comparison with other countries. If not, a company of global stature like Bayer can think about moving its production to countries where energy costs are lower," he said.

Also filed under [ Energy Policy| Germany]

Debate rages over 'green' jobs; Who and what are counted isn't always clear
August 1, 2011 by Kevin Smith in The Sun

Some, including economist Christopher Thornberg, figure there's some wiggle room in defining exactly what a green job is. "Who the hell knows what they classify as a green job?" Thornberg said. "That's what it boils down to. There are very few jobs you could say are truly green - maybe a solar-panel installer ... but who else?"

Also filed under [ USA| California]

Iberdrola, Gamesa end windfarm accord due to weak economy
July 29, 2011 in Bloomberg News

Iberdrola and Gamesa, Europe's second-largest turbine maker, signed the agreement in 2009 that allowed for joint development and operation of wind parks and included options for Iberdrola to buy projects in Europe from Gamesa starting this month.

MECO to seek 6.7% rate hike to pay for Windfarms
July 25, 2011 in Maui News

The requested increase would help cover the operations and maintenance costs of safely and reliably integrating existing and future renewable energy resources into MECO's three isolated, island electrical grids. Also included are energy storage projects.

Also filed under [ Hawaii]

Power play over utility cos. merger
July 4, 2011 by Greg Turner in Boston Herald

State officials and Cape Wind supporters are keeping the pressure on Nstar, whose $4.6 billion merger with Northeast Utilities will be dissected in a series of make-or-break regulatory hearings starting tomorrow.

Also filed under [ General| Massachusetts]

Green ‘stealth tax to encourage wind farms and nuclear power will hit poor the hardest'
June 28, 2011 by Fiona Macrae in Daily Mail

But the IPPR, a centre-left think-tank, says that householders, many of whom are already struggling to pay their fuel bills, will also suffer. It estimates that 30,000 to 60,000 more households will be pushed into fuel poverty - defined as spending more than 10 per cent of your disposable income on heat and light.

Also filed under [ Tax Breaks & Subsidies| UK]

Delaware's future: Slump limits clean energy; Congress, economy hold back US shift
June 19, 2011 by Aaron Nathans in Delaware Online

Advocates for such renewable, carbon-free sources of electricity are in full defense mode, as recession-battered consumers blanch at the modest added costs required to shift to cleaner power and resurgent Republicans rail against government subsidies or carbon-control programs that might add costs for businesses and "kill jobs."

Also filed under [ Energy Policy| USA| Delaware]

County officials propose creating trust fund...
June 16, 2011 by Kate Hessling in Huron Daily Tribune

County officials on Tuesday pitched a concept of working in concert with wind developers to eliminate uncertainty the Michigan Legislature has created by proposing legislation to eliminate the personal property tax, which is the only tax revenue wind companies pay for wind farms.

Also filed under [ Tax Breaks & Subsidies| Michigan]

UK faces job losses as businesses threaten to flee abroad to escape green energy levies
June 12, 2011 by Robert Mendick, Edward Malnick and Andrew Cave in Sunday Telegraph

"Not every country in the world has the same commitment to climate change [as the UK] and therefore you may feel commercially disadvantaged," Sir Roger says, adding: "That gives you cause for thought as to where you want to invest." ...Dr Constable said last week: "The consumer interest is being sacrificed in efforts to meet arbitrary targets, apparently at any price. This is not a sustainable policy."

Also filed under [ Energy Policy| UK]

Electricity bills forced up by 30pc
June 10, 2011 by Annabel Hepworth and Graham Lloyd in The Australian

The costs of the Renewable Energy Target - which provides generous subsidies for rooftop solar schemes and large-scale projects such as wind farms - will explode by 360 per cent over the three years to June 30, 2013, as power companies try to meet the target of sourcing 20 per cent of their energy from renewable sources by 2020.

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

Michael Townsend doubts viability of offshore wind farms
May 3, 2011 by Steve Orr in Democrat and Chronicle

Townsend said the authority might be "spread too thin" financially to sign an expensive agreement. That's especially true, he said, if the authority finalizes a costly purchase agreement to support construction of a huge transmission line under the Hudson River to carry power to New York City.

Also filed under [ New York]

Southcentral utilities wrestle with pricey power options
April 21, 2011 by Tim Bradner in Alaska Journal of Commerce

The Alaska Energy Authority estimates that a Watana hydro project could generate power for about 6 cents per kilowatt hour, but that assumes that construction costs would be $5 billion or less, and that the state would pay for half of that. Without the state subsidy, Watana power would cost more than 10 cents per kilowatt hour.

Also filed under [ Alaska]

2 Mass. utilities make very different power deals
March 27, 2011 by Jay Lindsay in Associated Press

"Frankly, as a person who represents business, I find it insulting that they're using some little home owner (for comparison)," he said. "It ain't a $1.50 a month to our members." The 468-megawatt Cape Wind project will cost $2.62 billion to build, according a Massachusetts attorney general's office estimate.

Also filed under [ Massachusetts]

Gov. O'Malley proposes amendments to revive offshore wind energy bill
March 24, 2011 by Associated Press in Washington Post

The governor proposed adding a threshold test in which state regulators would kick out proposals projected to raise an average family's electricity bill by more than $2 a month in the first year. The administration anticipates the financial impact will decrease after the first year if fossil fuel prices continue to rise.

Also filed under [ Tax Breaks & Subsidies| Maryland]

MD Senate Committee conflicted over cost of wind energy
March 22, 2011 by Amanda Gaines in 630 WMAL News

"A large number of us on the committee were very concerned that the governor was willing to place this burden on the back of the Maryland ratepayers," Kittleman told WMAL. "Why don't we wait for five years to see if the prices will come down, and then we can enter into a long-term contract if necessary."

Also filed under [ Energy Policy| Maryland]

Study says green sector costs more jobs than it creates
February 28, 2011 in BBC News

A study by consultants Verso Economics found there was a negative impact from the policy to promote the industry. It said 3.7 jobs were lost for every one created in the UK as a whole and that political leaders needed to engage in "honest debate" about the issue.

Also filed under [ UK]

Offshore wind transmission system raises red flag at state agencies
February 22, 2011 by Tom Johnson in Energy & Environment

In asking to intervene in the case, the two agencies argued that the project, stretching from Virginia to New Jersey, could adversely affect the rates paid by consumers and also place much of the risk on the ratepayer instead of the developers. The Atlantic Wind Connection is a 350-mile underwater transmission line, which aims to connect the spate of offshore wind farms being developed by New Jersey and other states.

Also filed under [ Transmission| USA| New Jersey]

Wind power will cost RI taxpayers $1.5M; Target 12 finds figures Nat. Grid tried to hide
February 18, 2011 by Ted Nesi and Tim White in WPRI News

Deepwater Wind's initial project will raise state and local governments' electric bills by a combined $1.5 million in its first year, according to documents reviewed by the Target 12 Investigators. Municipal electric bills will increase by a total of $1 million while state government's bill will rise by $476,630, according to an estimate commissioned by National Grid from Energy Security Analysis Inc. The cost would rise by 3.5 percent every year for the next two decades.

Also filed under [ Rhode Island]

Goal of many more ‘green' jobs is elusive
February 15, 2011 by Steve Everly in The Kansas City Star

The state's big bet on wind power has attracted a few hundred jobs so far. But even that success shows the huge challenge Kansas faces. ..."We need to temper our expectations on wind energy," said David Swenson, an Iowa State University economist known for deflating the ethanol industry's job claims. Now, he says, the same "environment of hype" is developing around wind power.

Also filed under [ Kansas]

Xcel's work on plants, renewables keeps pushing electricity bills up in Colorado
February 6, 2011 by Mark Jaffe in The Denver Post

Bills for Xcel Energy's 1.4 million electricity customers in Colorado are up about 21 percent in the past six years - almost double the rate of inflation - to an average $68.26 a month. Over the next six years, rates are expected to increase another 20 percent as new power plants, wind farms and transmission lines are added, according to state regulators. The increases have rippled through the bills of Colorado homes and businesses.

Also filed under [ Colorado]