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A Mere Breeze: Era of fast growth ends for wind energy in Europe
February 8, 2013 by Joel Stonington in Spiegel Online

The debt crisis is finally catching up with wind energy, once a fast-growing sector in Europe. After more than a decade of double-digit growth, austerity, rapidly changing energy policies and skittish investors are putting a damper on the industry.

Also filed under [ USA| Europe]

Europe consuming more coal
February 8, 2013 by Petra Krischok in Jaenschwalde and Eliza Mackintosh in Washington Post

One big part of the problem, experts and officials say, is Europe's cap-and-trade system, which aims to reduce European Union-wide industrial greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020. The system is the centerpiece of Europe's green policies. But the program, which charges industries for permits to emit greenhouse gases, no longer serves as a major disincentive to pollute.

Also filed under [ Energy Policy| USA| Europe]

Exelon chief: Wind-power subsidies could threaten nuclear plants
February 8, 2013 by Julie Wernau in Chicago Tribune

Crane has said the tax credit keeps turbines spinning even when there is no demand for power, driving down the price Exelon receives for power from its nuclear plants. In wind-rich areas like Illinois, that means there are instances when Exelon pays customers to take their power rather than the other way around.

Also filed under [ Impact on Economy| Tax Breaks & Subsidies| USA]

Potential whooping crane deaths demand EIS for North Dakota wind project, groups say
February 7, 2013 in The Chattanoogan

Seventy-six groups led by American Bird Conservancy (ABC), one of the nation's leading bird conservation organizations, have called on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to fully analyze the environmental consequences of a proposed North Dakota wind farm to the endangered Whooping Crane. FWS is considering issuing the first-ever Incidental Take Permit (ITP) to a wind farm for the killing of endangered Whooping Cranes and threatened Piping Plovers.

Also filed under [ Impact on Wildlife| Impact on Birds| USA| North Dakota]

GE sees U.S. wind PTC tempering slump in turbine demand
January 31, 2013 by Tim Catts and Stefan Nicola in Bloomberg News

Questions about the fate of the tax credit stalled wind- power projects for 2013 and beyond before its extension as part of the fiscal compromise between President Barack Obama and his opponents in Congress. Declining U.S. turbine orders this year will still damp profit, Fairfield, Connecticut-based GE said.

Also filed under [ Tax Breaks & Subsidies| USA]

Wind, solar groups quit ALEC as conservative powerhouse targets clean-energy programs
January 31, 2013 by Hannah Northey in E&E News

The American Wind Energy Association and the Solar Energy Industries Association joined the industry-backed coalition for a year because they wanted a "seat at the table" ...But the groups decided to drop out after ALEC adopted the "Electricity Freedom Act" model bill in October, which would end requirements that utilities generate a set amount of electricity from renewable sources.

Also filed under [ Energy Policy| USA]

Vitter, Alexander demand a clear migratory bird policy from Justice Department
January 30, 2013 by Senator David Vitter and Senator Lamar Alexander

“It appears the Justice Department is hand-picking which migratory bird mortality cases to pursue with an obvious preference of going after oil and gas producers,” said Vitter. “For example, while three oil and gas companies are facing fines for killing birds, a wind energy company is applying for permits to kill up to fifteen bald eagles.

Also filed under [ Impact on Birds| USA]

Ralls sues to void U.S. wind-farm purchase Obama blocked
January 30, 2013 by Andrew Zajac in Bloomberg News

Ralls is asking U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson to declare the Ralls-Terna transaction invalid and block Terna from selling collateral because of Obama's order. The Ralls lawsuit challenging Obama's power to block the Oregon wind project also is before Jackson.

Also filed under [ General| USA]

Colorado Energy Office misspends millions in stimulus funds
January 29, 2013 by Michael Sandoval in The Foundry

Twenty of 22 contracts administered by the agency contained incorrect or missing information in the state contract database, with six missing performance elements and another 13 missing contractor progress reports. ...The audit also discovered that as many as 16 travel and other expenditures "lacked appropriate approval and justification documentation." This included a line item for a $25,000 expenditure listed only as "2008 Membership."

Also filed under [ General| USA| Colorado]

Altamont Pass turbines kill fewer birds
January 29, 2013 by David R. Baker in San Francisco Chronicle

The tall, grassy hills, raked by stiff winds in spring and summer, offer prime hunting territory for owls, hawks and eagles. Focused on spotting prey, many birds soar straight into the spinning blades of turbines. But efforts to curb the bloodshed may be starting to work.

Also filed under [ General| USA| California]

AWEA reveals insight into wind energy PTC implementation rules
January 25, 2013 by Laura DiMugno in North American Windpower

Under the old PTC rules, beginning construction meant starting work "of a significant nature," which could include steps like building access roads and foundations. ...However, the previous guidance was less clear about whether construction had to be continuous in order for the project to qualify for the PTC. ...the same changes were not made to the requirements for bonus depreciation.

Also filed under [ Tax Breaks & Subsidies| USA]

Offshore wind development still faces hurdles
January 23, 2013 by Daniel Bowden in Lumina News

"[Duke Energy] has been committed to supporting research and study of wind energy generation, and we continue to believe there is good wind off the North Carolina coast, but we also recognize that any development in wind off the coast of the state has to make sense for our customers, the coastal communities and the company as a whole."

Also filed under [ Offshore Wind| USA| North Carolina]

Despite dawn of a new term, forecast cloudy for energy and enviro issues
January 22, 2013 by Nick Juliano, Jean Chemnick and Phil Taylor in E&E News

Fresh off their successful push to extend a key tax break in the PTC, wind industry lobbyists are beginning to prepare for the tax reform fight. But the push for some longer-term certainty will proceed without at least one key ally in Congress. Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Wash.) says the one-year extension and expansion of the PTC that were included in this month's "fiscal cliff" legislation should be sufficient for the industry.

Also filed under [ Tax Breaks & Subsidies| Energy Policy| USA]

Wind power still in limbo despite renewed tax break
January 21, 2013 by Kyung M. Song in Seattle Times

But the public subsidies alone likely won't be enough to propel more than a dozen proposed wind farms in Washington to quickly start spinning their giant blades. Cheaper natural gas, environmental concerns and plentiful renewable-energy sources for utilities are among a confluence of factors that have taken much wind out of new turbines' sails.

Also filed under [ Tax Breaks & Subsidies| USA]

Big bet on Wyoming wind: Phil Anschutz's latest $9 billion idea
January 20, 2013 by Mark Jaffe in The Denver Post

Phil Anschutz - who has made money out of everything from a well explosion to a failing railroad - is looking to wager $9 billion on the fierce winds of Wyoming. Anschutz's Power Company of Wyoming is seeking to build the nation's largest wind farm and then ship the power to California over a 725-mile transmission line, the longest to be built in decades.

Also filed under [ Transmission| Wyoming]

Interior designates Arizona lands for solar, wind development
January 18, 2013 by Brian Scheid in Platts

Following a three-year environmental analysis, the Obama administration Friday designated 192,100 acres of public land in Arizona as potentially suitable for utility-scale solar and wind energy development.

Also filed under [ Energy Policy| USA| Arizona]

Burst of construction in December delivers record year for US wind
January 18, 2013 in Bloomberg New Energy Finance

The figures were compiled by research company Bloomberg New Energy Finance, based on the world's leading database of transactions and projects in clean energy. The previous record had been set in 2009, with 10GW installed. The 2012 capacity addition represented more than a 102% increase over 2011′s number, when the industry installed 6.5GW.

Also filed under [ Pollution| USA]

Treasury, IRS preparing guidance to clarify renewable credit eligibility
January 17, 2013 by Nick Juliano in E&E News

The timing of the guidance on the new eligibility requirements for the production tax cut remains unclear. Treasury and IRS need to determine how exactly to define when wind and other renewable energy developers can claim the credit after Congress approved a change to its eligibility requirements.

Also filed under [ Tax Breaks & Subsidies| USA]

US taxpayers giving $4B to foreign firms for green energy projects, study says
January 16, 2013 in Fox News

U.S. taxpayers have forked over nearly $4 billion to foreign-owned companies as part of a stimulus program that pays cash grants to green-energy firms ..."Billions of dollars have filled the coffers of overseas firms while the evidence of the promised permanent jobs and economic growth here in the United States is scarce," the report said.

Also filed under [ Tax Breaks & Subsidies| USA]

Bald Eagle Annual Deaths As High As 14
January 16, 2013 by Kristi Rosenquist

United States Fish and Wildlife Service predicts that between 8 and 14 American bald eagles could be killed annually if New Era Wind Farm is built as currently designed. The outcome of USFWS's eagle mortality models are dramatically higher than one eagle every-other-year as predicted by New Era's consultant Westwood Professional Services.

Also filed under [ Impact on Birds| USA| Minnesota]

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