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Category: North America

Costa Rica building wind farm in Central Valley

August 12th, 2010 | Posted in Wind | No Comments

Costa Rica has begun development of a wind farm in the country's Central valley, which is the part of the country with three of the most populated cities. The project has a USD 45 million value, and is expected to begin commercial operation in August 2012. All power will be sold and distributed through the state run National Power and Light Company.

Once completed, the new wind farm will be able to generate enough clean electricity for supplying about 6000 average homes in the area. Even though, Costa Rica has several smaller wind energy projects under way in the northern parts of the country, this is the first major wind project in the country's most urban central area. About 93% of consumed electricity in Costa Rica comes from hydropower sources, while 7% comes from thermal energy facilities, using fossil fuels.

[source: Terra.com (in Spanish), image: CostaRicaFrog]

Siemens starting North American wind production operations by the end of 2010

August 10th, 2010 | Posted in Wind | No Comments

Having signed several major deals in the past months, such as the 600 MW combined capacity deal with Samsung C&T for wind energy projects in Ontario, Canada, or the latest wind turbine supply deal for 227 MW of capacity for the Crossroads wind farm in Oklahoma, Siemens is concentrating its manufacturing operations on the North American continent in order to be able to answer the growing demand for its products in this wind energy market. The company is planning to start operations at two North American manufacturing facilities by the end of 2010 – the nacelle manufacturing facility in Hutchinson, Kansas, and the blade manufacturing facility in Canada.

[source: Siemens]

Siemens supplying 227 MW of wind turbines for Crossroads wind farm in Oklahoma

August 10th, 2010 | Posted in Wind | No Comments

Siemens announced a supply agreement with Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E) for 95 SWT-101-2.3 MW wind turbines, or a total of 227.5 MW of wind capacity. The turbines are to be installed at the Crossroads wind farm in Oklahoma, USA, about 160 km (100 mi) from Oklahoma City. First units should start arriving in April 2011. Additionally, Siemens will be supplying three latest generation direct drive wind turbines, SWT-3.0-101 units, featuring gearless transmission, which are also to be installed at the wind farm. This is the first time the new unit has been sold in the US wind energy market, since its launch in America a few months ago.

Once completed, the Crossroads wind farm will be able to generate enough clean electricity to supply about 68,000 average US households. The project is expected to provide clean power for consumers for at least 25 years.

This is the third wind energy project by OG&E featuring Siemens wind turbines.

[source: Siemens]

Plutonic Power and GE start exporting power from hydro project in BC

August 10th, 2010 | Posted in Hydro | No Comments

Plutonic Power Company and GE jointly announced the start of power exporting at the East Toba River and Montrose Creek run-of-the-river power generating facilities in British Columbia, Canada. The projects have been developed under the Toba Montrose General Partnership, comprised of the two companies. All power generated at the plants is being exported to BC Hydro under a 35-year electricity purchase agreement (EPA). The power plant uses Pelton hydroturbines, fed through six nozzles.

The project has been completed after three years of construction, and is the first clean energy project in Canada for Plutonic Power and GE Energy Financial Services in operation. The project has been developed in collaboration with First Nation partners (Klahoose, Sliammon and Sechelt nations).

The project, including the construction of the power generators and the transmission lines, represents a USD 663 million investment.

[source: GE and Plutonic Power]

United Steelworkers in landmark agreements with power companies from China

August 9th, 2010 | Posted in Wind | No Comments

United Steelworkers (USW) announced the signing of landmark agreements with power companies from China – A-Power Energy Generation Systems and Shenyang Power Group (SPG). The newly formed agreements represent a great opportunity for USW, which will be guiding and working in collaboration with the Chinese companies on all of their US market strategies including manufacturing, assembly, component sourcing, distribution and wind energy development.

A-Power and SPG are planning to purchase about 50,000 tons of steel over time, to be manufactured in unionized US steel mills. This steel will be used to supply the companies' 615 MW wind farm project in Texas with wind turbine towers.

[source: United Steelworkers]

US DoE designates national marine renewable energy center

August 9th, 2010 | Posted in Hydro | No Comments

The US Department of Energy has designated the Center for Ocean Energy Technology (COET) at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), as the national center for ocean energy R&D. The Southeast National Marine Renewable Energy Center (SNMREC) is now the third such research center, joining the existing two in the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii. DoE will provide funding for SNMREC operations involving research and development of advanced technologies for harnessing the energy from the ocean. These include ocean current and ocean thermal energy, among others. FAU has a very good location for research and testing these technologies, being near Florida Straits and the Gulf Stream, much like the European Marine Energy Center (EMEC) is located in Orkney, next to prime marine energy locations, on the northern coast of Scotland.

SNMREC will collaborate with industrial partners in order to refine, investigate, produce and test next generation ocean power technologies. Initial work by the center will be the deployment of ocean current observation systems, with the goal to establish a reasearch baseline. At some point, SNMREC will be doing full-scale testing of prototypes.

[source: Florida Atlantic University]

US government approves more funding to Iberdrola Renovables for wind enegy projects

August 7th, 2010 | Posted in General Wind | No Comments

Iberdrola Renovables announced the company has been awarded more funding from the US government, bringing the total amount of funding awarded to the company so far to USD 976 million. The awarded funding is part of the US government's strategy to provide incentives for companies to invest and build projects in the United States. This financial boost will significantly help Iberdrola's strategic plans to install about 1000 MW of wind capacity in the US in 2011 and 2012. The company has expressed reassurances it will invest the awarded funding into new renewable energy projects in the country.

The grants have been awarded in tranches, the latest being a USD 109 million injection for the company's 202 MW Peñascal II wind farm, part of the Peñascal wind complex, located in Kenedy County in Texas, USA. The complex has a total of 404 MW of capacity, and is the largest wind energy facility operated by Iberdrola in the world, featuring 168 Mitsubishi MHI 92 2.4 MW wind turbines. Power generated at the wind farm complex is enough to supply about 150,000 average US homes with clean electricity.

[source: Iberdrola]

BrightSource close to approval for 392 MW solar thermal power plant in California

August 5th, 2010 | Posted in Solar | No Comments

BrightSource Energy announced a siting committee of the California Energy Commission has issued a proposed decision recommending the approval of the company's 392 MW Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, a solar thermal power project in the High Desert region of California.

When final approval is given, and the power plant built, it will be the largest solar thermal power plant in the world. BrightSource recently received a conditional commitment from the US Department of Energy for USD 1.37 billion in loan guarantees for this project.

Southern California Edison stimulating small RE developers in California

August 5th, 2010 | Posted in General | No Comments

Southern California Edison (SCE) launched a request for offers for power supply contracts from small renewable energy generators. The power generating facilities are to be no bigger than 20 MW, in order for the operator to qualify. This is SCE's first open call for additional renewable energy contracts which is being issued under the Renewable Standard Contracts program, designed to minimize the time required for getting executed power purchase agreements.

Long term contracts involving solar, wind, biomass, biogas, ocean energy, hydro and geothermal facilities in California are being looked for. SCE is putting particular emphasis on projects which are to become operational within three years from contract approval. All proposals are due on September 8 this year, while contract execution is expected in November.

[source: Southern California Edison]

Duke Energy upgrading Jocassee pumped-storage hydropower plant

August 5th, 2010 | Posted in Hydro | No Comments

Duke Energy is in the process of upgrading and extpanding capacity of the Jocassee pumped-storage hydropower facility, in South Carolina. The facility will be receiving two new hydroturbines for units 1 and 2, upgrading the power generators and increasing installed capacity by 50 MW.