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Overlapping wind energy initiatives spark claims of waste, as IRS increases tax credit
April 8, 2013 in Fox News
April 8, 2013 in Fox News
"This labyrinth of overlapping programs has spawned a system in which a single wind project could have siphoned public funds from numerous federal and state programs," Daniel Simmons, director of state affairs at the Institute for Energy Research, wrote in U.S. News & World Report. "These include a Section 1603 grant, accelerated depreciation, a DOE loan guarantee, state tax incentives, and indirect subsidies from a state Renewable Portfolio Standard. Adding to the waste, GAO reports that states often design their initiatives to skirt double-dipping laws."
Also filed under [
Tax Breaks & Subsidies|
USA]
Mason County wind farm neighbors sue Consumers Energy, claim physical harm from Lake Winds Energy Park
April 8, 2013 by John S. Hausman in Michigan Live
April 8, 2013 by John S. Hausman in Michigan Live
The lawsuit claims the plaintiffs will continue to suffer harm, including physical injury, emotional distress and loss of property value if they continue to be exposed to the wind farm's operation.
The $250 million Lake Winds Energy Park development generates 100.8 megawatts of electricity. Its Vestas turbines are 312 feet high at the hub, with rotor blades having a 328-foot diameter.
A group of homeowners living near Consumers Energy wind turbines in Riverton and Summit townships are currently suing the company for damages they say are caused by operating the turbines.
There are 17 people who have joined as plaintiffs in the case, which was filed Monday. ...The 56-turbine park began operations on Thanksgiving Day 2012.
Wind industry in holding pattern, awaiting new tax rules
April 5, 2013 by Elias Hinckley in Christian Science Monitor
April 5, 2013 by Elias Hinckley in Christian Science Monitor
No one is exactly sure what it means to begin construction. There are some obvious assumptions that can be made, but at the edges, such as where a developer is contracting for facility components, the final vision or location of a project is not completely fixed, or instances where an adequate financial commitment is made to begin construction, the rules for qualification will be vital.
Also filed under [
Tax Breaks & Subsidies|
USA]
3 face June trial in Wyoming wind farm fraud case
April 5, 2013 by Associated Press in Bismarck Tribune
April 5, 2013 by Associated Press in Bismarck Tribune
The indictment alleges they hired phone solicitors to make cold calls to investors, telling them that the wind farms were being constructed jointly by private investors and the U.S. government. The indictment lists victims only by their initials, stating that many of them mailed in checks for $25,000 or more. Prosecutors have declined to identify victims.
BP selling its entire U.S. wind power Business; will focus on oil and gas for future growth
April 3, 2013 by Matt Cover in CNS News
April 3, 2013 by Matt Cover in CNS News
“BP has decided to market for sale our U.S. wind energy business as part of a continuing effort to become a more focused oil and gas company and re-position the company for sustainable growth into the future.” BP said that selling its entire U.S. wind operations would make the company more profitable.
BP (BP.L) has put its U.S. wind farm operation, one of the largest in the country, up for sale, marking the continued retreat of big oil companies from renewable energy investments while oil and gas projects offer them better returns.
Exelon falls from green favor as chief fights wind aid
April 1, 2013 by Jim Snyder & Julie Johnsson in Bloomberg News
April 1, 2013 by Jim Snyder & Julie Johnsson in Bloomberg News
"I will continue my efforts to get rid of the 20-year-old, multi-billion-dollar subsidy for unreliable, expensive wind energy that stands no chance of powering our nation's 21st century economy." ...Perhaps just as important, Alexander said, wind turbines would scar the mountaintops of Tennessee, the only place in the state where they can work.
Mr. Sanford said he wrote the bill because he is opposed to government mandates, not because he favors any particular energy source-a sentiment echoed by legislators in other states. "Texas is blessed with a lot of incredible resources for energy, wind and solar amongst them. But they need to be developed with free-market principles, not with the heavy hand of government directing us to an inefficient process," he said in an interview.
US support for wind projects could be wasting federal funds: GAO
March 27, 2013 by Derek Sands in Platts
March 27, 2013 by Derek Sands in Platts
The US government has not justified its financial support of wind energy and that failure could lead to unnecessary federal spending to boost the wind industry ..."Federal support in excess of what is needed to induce projects to be built could instead be used to induce other projects or simply withheld, thereby reducing federal expenditures,"
Also filed under [
Tax Breaks & Subsidies|
USA]
Despite a recent report trumpeting a record year for wind power in 2012, the numbers are not as encouraging as they seem.
Because even though total wind power capacity grew by 30 percent last year, with 13,000 megawatts in new wind turbines, the actual portion of our electricity coming from wind energy did not increase proportionally.
Senator introduces measure to repeal wind energy production tax credit
March 27, 2013 in North American Windpower
March 27, 2013 in North American Windpower
Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., who has been one of the most vocal congressional opponents of the wind energy production tax credit (PTC), has sponsored a budget amendment in the U.S. Senate that would repeal the PTC - which he calls a "wasteful federal taxpayer subsidy for unreliable, expensive wind energy."
Also filed under [
USA]
"What people need to understand is that it's not just prairie chickens. It's really the inter-connectedness of these biotic communities," Boal said. "When we have indicators like a prairie chicken, and there's something going wrong, that's an indication of that biotic community as a whole. We need to think about, ‘what is the world we want to live in?'
US FERC takes Idaho PUC to court over wind power qualifying facility contracts
March 25, 2013 by Esther Whieldon in Platts
March 25, 2013 by Esther Whieldon in Platts
FERC claims the PUC violated the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act when it held that Idaho Power was not obligated to buy from a number of wind generators because the utility did not sign the QF contracts prior to December 14, 2010, which was when the QF qualification threshold dropped to 100 kW from 10 MW.
A rapid expansion of renewable power would be complicated and costly. Using large amounts of renewable energy often requires modifying national power grids, and renewable energy is still generally more expensive than using fossil fuels.
Also filed under [
Energy Policy|
USA]
David Schnare: We're putting global warming on trial in Colorado
March 22, 2013 in Energy Policy Center
March 22, 2013 in Energy Policy Center
Indeed, the flurry of activity may represent more of a shuffle than an expansion. Developers are mainly dusting off projects they already had in the works, rather than seeking out new business, while others are trying to sell off unfinished projects, experts and executives said.
Also filed under [
Tax Breaks & Subsidies|
USA]
PCW originally planned to file the application on Jan. 21, but decided to wait to apply to see what would happen with Senate File 49, which, if passed, would have required projects requesting a permit from the ISC to spend 25 percent of anticipated project funds during the first two years of the project.
Cape Wind construction could begin off Massachusetts coast by year-end
March 19, 2013 by Scott DiSavino in Reuters
March 19, 2013 by Scott DiSavino in Reuters
BTMU is providing a significant amount of debt capital that will be used to pay for development and construction of the project, Cape Wind said. The company could not say how much BTMU was expected to raise.