Darrel and Jean Gogel's Trochu acreage is a piece of calm in a hectic world--where Darrel can retreat after working days away as a truck driver, and Jean can unwind from her job as a hospital housekeeper. That could change, the couple says, if a plan for a 54-turbine wind farm near their house goes ahead.

While the mention of energy sparks visions of the Alberta oil fields and massive hydro projects at Niagara Falls and James Bay, a new energy powerhouse is emerging closer to home. Ramped-up production at the Bruce nuclear power facility and the increasing presence of wind energy are putting Southwestern Ontario in the spotlight as a provider of electricity. ...

As electricity created by wind generation increases, there has to be a way for that electricity to be connected to the provincial system and transmitted to users. The Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) provides that role and explained what it is currently doing to the council of the Municipal District of Willow Creek at its meeting on Jan. 9. Ata Rehman and Matt Gray of the AESO appeared as a delegation and described the current situation. The AESO plans the transmission system, arranges access for load and generation, and directs the day-to-day operation of the system. Transmission planning is a two-step process. First, the AESO identifies the need for transmission development and submits a need identification document to the Alberta Utilities Commission which will include a recommendation for transmission reinforcement in the area.

The debate over Mag-Wind is raging on green energy Internet forums, too. Critics argue with supporters about whether the unproven technology will produce power as advertised. A few would-be customers in the U.S. also complained about an unauthorized dealer in the Midwest, now under investigation by the FBI, who allegedly took deposits for non-existent Mag-Wind turbines. The gale-force controversy has surprised Mag-Wind founder Rowan. The delays and problems are real, he admitted - but so is the technology. Back in 2005, when Rowan and co-inventor Thomas Priest-Brown unveiled their prototype in Thorold, they hoped to be producing and delivering commercial units by the end of 2006. ...Well-known wind advocate Paul Gipe has called the company's power claims for the turbine "outlandish" on his website, www.wind--works.org. ...Gipe's best advice: make sure you understand what you're buying. "If you're going to spend $10,000, or $50,000 or $100,000 on a wind turbine, do your homework," he said.

Lacombe County doesn’t exactly stand out as a windy destination. However one wind power group sees it as a place of potential. Greengate Power Corp. is looking at establishing wind power turbines on two sites near Lacombe - one to the north bordering Ponoka County – and one five kilometres east of town, dubbed the Chigwell Project. “Traditionally wind hasn’t been looked at here in this area as a source of power,” said Dan Balaban, Greengate founder, president and chief executive.

A proposed wind farm project for Higgins Mountain is causing some concern for the operators of Ski Wentworth and others in the Wentworth Valley-Folly Lake area. "I want to make it clear that we are in favour of renewable energy and all of the benefits that come with it, but we do have some concerns about the proposal that will see 400-foot (120-metre) turbines being erected right across the valley from the ski hill," Ski Wentworth spokeswoman Leslie Wilson said Monday. Ottawa-based 3G Energy Corp. proposes to build 66 turbines along a seven-kilometre stretch of the Cobequid Mountains. They would be on a ridge on the opposite side of the valley from the ski hill. The project is among the largest ever proposed for Nova Scotia.

Roxanne Notley, Executive Director of the Aurora Development Corporation feels no decision has been made on wind energy development on the south coast. "We are not totally convinced about wind energy. The reason is because we just don't have enough information to validate our argument. So we used a proactive approach to determine if wind diesel would provide enough wind energy for now and in the future." ..."I did hear some comments from people. Most thought, 'oh my goodness, we are not getting wind power are we.' They are very worried, and scared that this is something that is going to be our alternative," noted Mrs. Notley. The problem with wind and diesel powered generation is that it is not reliable for taking on huge energy loads.

Dairy farmer Michael Schmidt had some advice for anyone thinking of getting into wind energy production for private use. ...Making sure the spot planned for the wind turbine has enough wind to support the investment throughout the year is the key ingredient. Schmidt sank $200,000 into an 80-kilowatt wind generator on his Durham-area farm without first having set up a test tower to assess wind speed and atmospheric conditions on his farm for a year. "Wind volume can vary 30 to 40 per cent a year," said Schmidt, who admits he rushed into a decision before doing enough research.

The question is no longer "Who has seen the wind?" but "Who owns the wind?" In the developing world of renewable energy, can neighbouring wind farms steal from each other? What if you put solar panels on your roof and your neighbour plants a tree that blocks them from the sun? Do you have a right to solar access? These aren't just philosophical questions, but real-life challenges that are already lining lawyers' pockets in Canada and Europe.

Newfoundland and Labrador has great potential for wind energy, but is hampered by an "isolated and relatively weak" power grid, a confidential report says. The report, obtained by CBC News, says the island's electrical grid will limit the size and potential of wind farm projects, despite a "world-class wind resource" waiting to be tapped.

Wind and environmental studies will be conducted to determine if two 120-metre dormant smokestacks in Coniston can be retrofitted with wind-powered generation systems. The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp. is investing $100,000 in the studies to be done at the former Inco Ltd. smelter in Coniston. The studies will explore the potential for renewable energy production in Greater Sudbury, said Northern Development and Mines Minister Rick Bartolucci, who announced the funding. Environmentally sustainable energy production is essential to making the North an attractive place to live, work and do business, said the Sudbury MPP, who chairs the NOHFC. Funding is being provided through the fund's Renewable Energy Program as part of the Ontario government's Northern Prosperity Plan. The plan aims to strengthen the North, listen to and serve northerners better, help the North compete globally and provide opportunities for northern residents.

Hans-Armin Ohlmann had hoped his experimental and unusual wind turbine would usher in a revolution in energy production. But progress has been slow for the Ayr resident -- the wind just isn't there. "We've had very bad wind capacity -- exceptionally unfortunate," said Ohlmann, principal owner of Ventax Wind Power Inc. in Ayr. Stretching 90 feet high, the tube-like prototype sits on a farm just west of Ayr in Blandford-Blenheim. It is clearly visible from Highway 401, sitting on a hill on the farm of Phil Schiedel on Concession 11. Schiedel is a three per cent owner of Ventax and paid $120,000 toward the test wind-turbine project, said Ohlmann, who footed the remaining $130,000. There are no external propeller-like turbines on this design. They are internal, and flipped 90 degrees so they face upward. The mechanical energy of two vertical rotors is converted into electricity.

VANCOUVER, CANADA, July 23 /CNW/ - The United States Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) announced a proposal to shorten the permitting process for pilot ocean energy projects to as little as six months. As part of its proposal, FERC will convene a public hearing on licensing pilot projects in Portland, Oregon on Oct. 2, 2007. Finavera Renewables (TSX VENTURE:FVR) CEO Jason Bak said, "We look forward to the hearing in October and want to extend our thanks to the FERC commissioners and staff for the tremendous commitment they've shown to offshore wave energy development. This decision shows strong leadership in promoting a clean, environmentally friendly renewable energy source that has the potential to satisfy a significant portion of the total energy demand in the United States."

Ottawa, Canada-based company Magenn has developed a "floating wind turbine" for personal and infrastructure power generation. The helium-filled device floats up to 1,000 feet into the air, using high altitude wind gusts to generate power up to a kilowatt. The power is transfered down via two "tethers" attached to the turbine.

An eight-day shutdown of Melancthon 1 wind turbines was undoubtedly costly but is being viewed by industry officials as among statistically and meteorologically predictable occurrences for any wind plant. The turbines were shut down when ice formed on the blades during the ice storm of Friday, Dec. 1, and came back online only after the ice had thawed from the blades at some point late Sunday.

Some people say these wind turbines look like corkscrews or a piece of Twizzlers candy. And these uniquely designed wind machines cost about a third the price of conventional wind turbines, according to the Canadian startup company that is building and marketing them. Windaus Energy of Brantford, Ontario, says its wind turbines can be easily scaled for use in residential backyards or large commercial wind farms. In addition to their lower cost, they appear to address some, but not all, of the issues that have riled opponents of wind power. "We have interest from all over the world," said Maurice Deschamps, a former crane operator who is president of Windaus Energy -- pronounced win-DAY-us. "I get it from Argentina, China, India, all over." His wind turbines have no "swoosh" noise and do not kill birds or bats, two problems that have made existing wind-turbine designs controversial, he said. The bird-friendly claim has not been independently verified, and some people are skeptical. Nevertheless, the Windaus turbine doesn't have the typical propeller blades used on conventional wind turbines, such as the ones along the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Somerset County. These blades range in length from about 100 to 300 feet. Instead, Windaus employs a vertical column with three twisting wings made of a light but strong composite material. The wings catch the wind from any direction and operate at lower wind speeds.

It must be a harrowing time for those who once thought the cool breeze could save us all from the coming ecocide. The expectations of wind advocates have already had to be minimized as they realize there is nothing inherently virtuous about their pet piece of tech. Alas, like recycling fanatics, they are likely to end up praising wind power as a moral enterprise that "instills good habits" and signals "green consciousness," even if the honest cost-benefit analysis goes against them in the long run.

Countries must expand the range and availability of alternative sources of energy to reduce global dependence on oil and to help meet growing energy demand, U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman says. Bodman said oil and other hydrocarbons alone cannot meet rising demand, much of it coming from fast growing economies in Asia......The energy secretary said the U.S. government has been supporting development of renewable sources such as solar, wind, nuclear and ethanol as well as new technologies such as zero-emission coal plants and hydrogen fuel cells. The U.S. goal is to identify technologies with the greatest marketplace potential in the near future and push them more quickly to market, he said.

Wind power has become a key part of Canada’s energy mix, with the number of installed wind turbines growing exponentially in recent months. But the fact the wind doesn’t blow all the time is creating a potential roadblock that could stall growth in the industry. Alberta and Ontario, the two provinces with the most wind turbines up and whirling, face concerns that there are limits on how much power can be generated from the breeze before their electricity systems are destabilized.

In May, citing a potential for reliability problems for the provincial network, the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) — which oversees the electricity market and transmission network in Alberta — surprised the industry by announcing that wind power generation in Alberta, currently at about 300 megawatts (MW) of capacity, would be capped indefinitely at 900 MW. However, there are proposals for about 3,000 MW of projects above and beyond the ones already lined up and paid up to meet the 900 MW mark.