"We're trying to create clarity so that firms that want to do these kinds of projects know what's available," said Todd Cornett, Wasco County planning director. "Also, we want to be consistent with our guidelines and take away any concerns that counties aren't doing a strong enough job at oversight." As of this week, 18 people are appointed to serve on the Wasco County commercial energy advisory group and 13 on the Wasco County noncommercial energy advisory group.

Newly-elected Republican Governor Chris Christie announced proceeds from the northeastern US cap-and-trade programme's quarterly allowance auctions would be used to plug the budget deficit, details of which were released yesterday. New Jersey has raised $64.5 million in proceeds from the sale of emission allowances in the scheme's seven auctions, which were held on a quarterly basis since late 2008.

Halfway into a 20-year program to increase the use of renewable energy in Connecticut, leaders of the legislature's energy committee want to drastically alter the program's goals, saying it is not promoting investment in the state. "The bottom line is, (renewable energy) projects aren't being built," said Rep. Vickie O. Nardello, D-Bethany, co-chairman of the Energy and Technology Committee. "It hasn't worked up to this point and it's been there for a number of years."

The expansion of a wind farm in northeast Weld County was approved by the Weld County Planning Commission on Tuesday following some last-minute changes by the company proposing to build it. The first phase of the Cedar Creek facility, about eight miles east of Grover, began full commercial operation in January 2008, according to BP Wind Energy.

The Burleigh County Commission on Monday set a public hearing about a draft wind tower policy for townships using county zoning for 5:30 p.m. on April 5 at the City/County Building in Bismarck. The need for the wind energy policy became more immediate after Nextera Energy proposed to build a 66-tower wind farm across Ecklund and Crofte townships that is projected to generate 99 mega-watts of energy.

The province's Green Energy Act has hamstrung residents ability to fight wind turbine proposals for lakes Erie and St. Clair by putting the financial onus on opponents to prove any harm to human health or the environment. Municipalities need to do hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of studies to fight 715 wind turbines proposed for the two lake, Gord Meuser, a member of Citizens Against Lake Erie Wind Turbines, told Leamington council Monday.

A bipartisan coalition of 29 governors is pushing to solidify a national standard for renewable power to boost green job creation, environmentally friendly economic development and energy independence. In a report delivered Tuesday to President Obama and Congress, the Governors' Wind Energy Coalition asked lawmakers to require utilities to obtain at least 10% of their electricity from alternative energy such as wind, solar and biofuels by 2012.

A group that includes wind farm supporters and opponents was named today to recommend new statewide standards on wind energy developments. The state Public Service Commission named 15 people to serve on the Wind Siting Council, which will study, among other things, how far wind turbines should be located from nearby homes.

A company once expected to help fill the sails of the Colorado Springs economy now appears to have vanished into thin air. Prevailing Power, the Shenandoah, Iowa, company owned by Steve and Pam Stultz, who planned to bring a spinoff named Rocky Wind Power to Colorado Springs, shut its doors last week, leaving many customers with half-completed or malfunctioning wind turbine systems.

South Dakota is trying to streamline its complex maze of tax incentives for small renewable energy projects. A bill that passed the Legislature last week rewrites state law to make the first $50,000 of the assessed value of a small to medium renewable energy property, or 70 percent of the assessed value if that figure is greater, exempt from real property tax.

A coalition representing governors of 29 states -- including Maine's Gov. John Baldacci -- is urging the federal government to take steps to boost wind energy, such as a renewable energy standard requiring utilities to produce at least 10 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2012. The bipartisan Governors' Wind Energy Coalition plans to make the recommendations Tuesday in a report to Congress and the White House. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the report ahead of its official release.

Households that get their power from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power could see their electric bills go up between 8.8% and 28.4%, depending on where they live and how much energy they use, under a plan unveiled Monday by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Appearing with labor and environmental leaders, Villaraigosa said the proposed increases would ensure that the DWP meets his goal of securing 20% of its energy from renewable sources such as wind and solar by Dec. 31.

Developers of a proposed power transmission line linking southeast Wyoming wind fields and the Colorado Front Range say they believe in the project and are forging slowly ahead, despite a Colorado utility's rejection of Wyoming wind. New Jersey-based LS Power and the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority are partnering to develop the 180-mile line between substations at Wheatland and Brush, Colo. It's one of six major transmission lines proposed by developers hoping to tap Wyoming's potential wind power resources.

As Wisconsin lawmakers and manufacturers discuss the merits of proposed clean-energy legislation, central Wisconsin economic development agencies seem divided on the issue. Industry leaders at the Wisconsin Paper Council and many of its members, including NewPage and Domtar, oppose Gov. Jim Doyle's proposed Clean Energy Jobs Act because they say it will lead to higher energy costs and the loss of traditional manufacturing jobs.

Maine - The parent company of Bangor Hydro-Electric Co. intends to buy the company that owns Presque Isle-based Maine Public Service Co., a move officials say will improve chances of building a power transmission line linking northern and southern Maine and bolster economic development in Aroostook County. In a deal valued at approximately $108 million, BHE Holdings Inc. ...plans to buy Maine & Maritimes Corp., or MAM, which owns Maine Public Service Co.

Lawmakers had approved legislation on Thursday reforming South Dakota's program of construction-tax refunds for large business projects and agriculture processing projects. That legislation included a $500 million limit on the project costs that could qualify for the refunds. But there were second thoughts overnight that the cap might send the wrong message to companies considering developing wind projects in South Dakota, according to Rep. Val Rausch, R-Big Stone City.

Contracts for carbon dioxide allowances in the U.S. Northeast fell today to their lowest level of the year after an auction of more than 40 million pollution permits drew a near-record low price. Permits for December delivery in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative fell 4 cents, or 1.9 percent, to $2.08 each on the Chicago Climate Futures Exchange.

Oil dealers say it would kill their industry and cost thousands of jobs. They and other critics also say the electricity from offshore wind would be very expensive, and note that customers would have to pay higher electricity bills to make it possible. ...the cost of offshore wind power and how to pay for it got a bit more real when Chuck Digate stepped up to testify. Digate is managing general partner of Neptune Wind LLC, a Massachusetts company that is interested in developing an ocean wind farm in Maine. It will cost an estimated $1.5 billion to build a 250-megawatt ocean wind project, he said. Its power would cost 22 cents a kilowatt hour, and with no state support to help financing debt, he said, it would add $8 a month to the average household's electricity bill.

With legislative recommendations officially proposed by the Great Lakes Wind Council, the Lake Michigan P.O.W.E.R. Coalition is hoping the state legislature will improve on recommendations to establish a state process to better protect the Great Lakes and local interests. The coalition also responded to the March 2 proposal by Scandia Wind LLC to reduce the size of its Lake Michigan wind farm.