The U.S. wind power industry has huge potential, both onshore and off, but it's clearly looking for a hand from the government ...But will all that money be enough? Like most businesses these days, Clipper and other wind power companies have been hit by the down economy.

The town of Freedom continues to work on the question of how to tax three wind turbines built last fall. Before any taxes can be levied, the town must decide how much the development is worth. In a statement submitted to the town, Beaver Ridge Wind LLC - named for the location of the wind development - declared the cost of the turbines to be $9,765,826, or $2,170 per kilowatt.

The intent to prevent California's utilities from using out-of-state wind and solar generation to meet the new 33% RPS requirement is not obvious from the provisions of the bills. The exclusion results from a change in the requirements concerning the "delivery" of generation to California. Under California's current RPS legislation, in order to qualify as an eligible renewable energy resource such that California's utilities can count that generation against their RPS requirements, out-of-state generators are required to deliver the electricity to California simultaneous with its generation.

Austin Democrats are hammering out a compromise with party leadership that would boost wind tax revenue for townships at the expense of school districts. Reps. Robin Brown and Jeanne Poppe have been fighting to restore a wind tax benefit for schools set to expire on July 1. Last year, Minnesota schools received $146,000 from the wind energy production tax.

Town Councilor Rod Carr recused himself from a 4-2 vote awarding First Wind of Massachusetts a 20-year tax break Monday after he was accused of a conflict of interest in working as a paid lobbyist for landowners who would benefit from the project. ...Carr denied any unethical conduct, saying that he was "really disappointed" at being accused after more than 20 years of honest public service to the town. He recused himself after a 15-minute recess in which he unsuccessfully attempted to telephone his attorney for advice.

With economic breezes no longer at its back, Iowa's wind energy industry hopes the three-year renewal of federal tax breaks will regenerate the momentum that has made Iowa the nation's second-largest wind producer. "The renewals of those tax incentives will be a huge help to us," said Estherville insurance man Al Blum, who is putting together wind farm projects in Emmett and Dickinson counties.

Property values are soaring in this West Texas community, and the reason is obvious. Looming on the northern horizon, hundreds of new wind turbines dot the once-barren hills. Ordinarily, much of the tax dollars generated by the turbines would go to the state's "Robin Hood" school finance plan, which requires property-rich districts to share their wealth with those less fortunate. But that won't happen in Sterling City, at least not if school officials have their way.

Many of the north country's 165 businesses that receive Empire Zone tax breaks could lose the benefit under the state's new budget agreement. State officials say the Empire Zone program is being abused by companies that are getting tax breaks without generating new jobs. ...In the new regulations, a measure is included to kick out businesses that have not matched dollar-for-dollar wages and capital investments with the tax breaks they received.

A consulting firm will propose a tax-increment financing zone for representing Beaver Ridge Wind during a meeting tonight. Selectman Ron Price said Tuesday that the select board and the public alike will be able to comment on the proposals. The meeting in the basement of the Freedom Congregational Church begins at 6. Price said that Eaton Peabody of Augusta has put together TIF plans on behalf of the town.

Energy companies have warned the government that unless they get £2 billion in "immediate" state aid several offshore wind farms will be scrapped - and this would leave Whitehall's pollution-reduction targets in tatters. Companies have put off giving the green light to several big projects, such as the £3 billion London Array in the Thames estuary and Npower's £2.2 billion Gwint y Mor farm off the coast of Wales, until the government decides whether it will stump up more cash to offset building costs that have doubled in the past three years.

The Sargeant, Minn., resident said many of his fellow farmers signed agreements to have the wind turbines on their property, thinking they were helping their local school districts. But starting July 1, those dollars will no longer mean a boost in local school funding. And that has Gronseth upset. "The more I talked to people about this I just said, 'Enough is enough.' So I offered to help," he said.

Sixteen residents crowded into the tiny Freedom Town Office for the most recent meeting of the Board of Selectors after word circulated that Selectman Ronald Price, who owns the land under the turbines, had called a special meeting with representatives of Eaton Peabody, a law firm hired by Competitive Energy Services, the parent company of wind developer Beaver Ridge Wind. The meeting was on the subject of establishing Tax Increment Financing (TIF) for the turbines.

Two major wind energy projects in New Brunswick have been put on hold indefinitely, putting a wrench in NB Power's plans to use significantly more wind energy by 2010. ..."It has made liquidity for capital projects scarce," said Eric Schneider, a spokesman for the company. Schneider said that it's "far more expensive to build and get financing in the market situation we're dealing with right now."

With the Town Council's first try at negotiating a 20-year tax break for First Wind of Massachusetts essentially dead due to a deadlocked 3-3 council vote on March 9, councilors will meet Monday to resume talks with the wind- power proponent, officials said Thursday. The executive session is the meeting's sole purpose. No council votes are expected, Chairman Steve Clay said.

Nevada has handed out tax incentives worth an estimated $45 million to lure solar and geothermal projects to Nevada over the past four years. So far, the state has received in return promises that the projects' developers will create 89 permanent jobs. It's a number so small that some lawmakers are questioning whether taxpayers are getting a good return on their investment in the incentives.

Highland County supervisors agreed Tuesday they could use some help getting the proposed industrial wind energy utility here off the ground ...Toward that end, supervisor David Blanchard suggested the county ask for $1.5 million in stimulus package money to pay for consultants who could assist. The 39-megawatt facility planned by Highland New Wind Development LLC has state and local permits to build and operate the plant, but there are strict conditions attached to each.

When the government's $787 billion economic stimulus package became law last month, the Bonneville Power Administration was one of the many beneficiaries. The federal utility wasted no time making use of its share, rolling out plans for a major transmission project ...The project now aims to provide service for 873 megawatts of energy - about 700 megawatts of that from wind power. That wouldn't have been the case seven years ago, he said.

Wind turbines in Kansas could be taxed by the state and local governments under legislation supported Friday by a group of western Kansas officials. A bill before the House Taxation Committee would eliminate the lifetime property tax exemption granted in 1998 to renewable energy resources and technologies. The Kansas Legislative Policy Group, a coalition of 30 county commissions in western Kansas, offered the sole testimony in support of the change Friday.

The Cattaraugus County Legislature will be represented on a panel that will work with town and school delegates to set up a tax-exemption policy for the Cattaraugus County Industrial Development Agency’s wind farm projects. A blanket state tax exemption for wind farms and other alternative energy systems was lifted in the county by the Legislature in 2008 following a lengthy debate.

After a week that smoothed the path for a proposed Coos County wind farm, a state attorney is asking for closer scrutiny of its financing. Peter Roth, a senior assistant attorney general, has asked the state Site Evaluation Committee to suspend hearings to license the construction of 33 wind turbines along forested ridgelines. He said Granite Reliable Power has not shown it can pay for the $275 million project, a claim rebutted by an attorney for the company.