Specialist renewable energy fund Babcock & Brown Wind Partners (BBW) is to purchase another six wind farms in the United States from its parent, investment bank Babcock & Brown Ltd (BNB). The disclosure follows an application for approval of the sale with the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. No purchase price was disclosed, although a BBW spokesman said that further details, including price, were expected to be released publicly some time in January.

BEAR CREEK TWP. – A zoning battle over the use of public land for a potential wind farm project broke down into arguments between those wanting to live without turbines and conserve land and those who want to turn a profit and conserve energy.

The U.S. government is committing billions of dollars to support renewable energy such as wind- and solar-power plants. Some say it should use more of that financial clout to encourage less energy consumption in the first place. Advocates of conservation, including businesses that help homeowners and companies save energy, think there should be more subsidies and tax incentives for basics like insulation and window shading, and for newer, more costly products like light-emitting-diode lamps and building-automation systems.

"Iberdrola Renewables is focusing on operations in 2012 rather than new building due to low energy prices, a poor economy and regulatory uncertainty," Johnson said, adding that the company has a "solid balance sheet, positive cash flow and no real debt."

Udall also is pressing ahead by drafting a separate bill to renew the wind credit, hoping to get influential Republican senators to co-sponsor the measure. Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, for example, supports wind power but voted against the Stabenow package of tax credits on Tuesday.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is finalizing new rules allowing the destruction of wetlands and streams and ocean floor to accommodate renewable power facilities, according to a document posted today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).

Debate over the radar issue underscored the growth of an industry that, compared to other energy sectors, largely has gone unregulated by state government. During the past decade, some wildlife and property rights advocates have made repeated calls for checks on wind development.

U.S. legislation extending renewable energy and energy-efficiency tax credits failed a key procedural vote on Wednesday and lawmakers will now set the bill aside, at least temporarily. The extensive tax package includes measures providing an eight-year extension of solar energy investment credits, and a one-year extension of tax credits for biodiesel, renewable diesel, and wind power. The bill required 60 "yes" votes in the 100-member Senate to move forward, but received only 51, with 43 opposed.

As key federal lawmakers negotiate the final details of an $8.7 billion Coast Guard bill, a single controversial provision has taken even sharper aim at Cape Wind.

The Electric Transmission Customer Protection Act is intended to prevent FERC from applying cost-recovery mechanisms for interstate transmission projects beyond where the upgrades will have an immediate, direct benefit. This position is at odds with a current proposed rule in FERC's docket that seeks to implement a methodology that spreads infrastructure costs regionally among a wide range of consumers.

The Senate today is expected to approve a $17 billion measure that would extend tax credits for renewable energy sources by hitting up oil and gas companies for higher taxes. ...The Bush administration opposes the language that targets the oil and gas industry. "At a time when consumers are already struggling with the high price of gasoline and diesel fuel, Congress should not put additional upward pressure on fuel prices," the White House's Office of Management and Budget said in a statement.

Administration officials say the exemptions were essential to accelerate more than $30 billion in stimulus-funded clean-energy projects through the Energy Department, which already have created 35,000 jobs. In the long run, they add, the exempted activities will boost energy efficiency and curb pollution. ...This approach to stimulus projects has left the Obama administration at odds with some of its supporters in the green movement.

Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) introduced last week the Clean Energy Standard Act of 2012, which would use a market-based approach in requiring utilities to sell a percentage of their electricity from clean energy sources starting in 2015. The requirement begins at 24% and increases by 3% per year through 2035.

Biofuels, which include ethanol and bio-diesel, have displaced wind farms as the biggest focus area of renewable energy investment by private equity, according to New Energy Finance, a UK-based consultancy.

After some wind power projects have had dramatically higher bird deaths than predicted, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a set of voluntary guidelines to reduce bird deaths. Those guidelines, if adopted by the government and developers, could force significant changes to projects.

The slaughter at Altamont Pass is being raised by avian scientists who say the drive among environmentalists to rapidly boost U.S. wind farm power 20 times could lead to massive bird losses and even extinctions. New wind projects "have the potential of killing a lot of migratory birds," said Michael Fry, director of conservation advocacy at the American Bird Conservancy in Washington. ...Officials in the wind energy industry say migratory birds and birds of prey, including eagles, are killed each year at some of the nation's biggest wind farms, but they say the concerns are overstated.

The growing U.S. wind power industry is drawing increased scrutiny from states and the federal government over the problem of spinning wind turbines killing birds. ..."Without guidelines, controversies and conflicts between wind developers and wildlife groups will only get worse and slow down projects and make it harder to get financing," Levin said in an interview.

American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the nation's leading bird conservation organization, today said that the cancellation of the Xcel Energy Inc. 150-megawatt, $400 million wind farm in southeastern North Dakota reflects how serious bird mortality issues are in connection with the burgeoning wind farm industry.