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Great Lakes Wind Can Invigorate Wisconsin’s Economy

2012-02-09T08:52:00.000-06:00

Photo courtesy of Ocean Power Magazine

A recent press release from the Sierra Club details the promise of new jobs and investment offshore wind energy development could bring to Wisconsin. Leaders and suppliers of wind energy met Wednesday, Feb. 8th to discuss the opportunities offshore wind energy can offer and strategies towards attracting offshore development to Great Lakes near Wisconsin.

Within the release, Mary Ann Christopher, partner at Michael Best & Friedrich, a Wisconsin Wind Works Alliance member, explains the potential offshore wind offers.

“Great opportunities await Wisconsin in the form of an incredible natural resource – the winds of Lake Michigan right here on our shores,” explains Christopher, also member of the Great Lakes Wind Collaborative. “Europe and Asia are leading the way with almost 4,000 MW of off-shore wind in operation and almost 6,000 MW more under construction. Wisconsin can follow suit, bringing jobs, investments, and clean energy home by developing offshore wind in the Great Lakes.”

Read the full release and connect with RENEW Wisconsin, who hosted the event, at www.renewwisconsin.org.

Wisconsin Wind Works to Exhibit at AWEA Midwest Regional Wind Energy Summit in March 2012

2012-01-24T16:13:00.000-06:00

Wisconsin Wind Works to partner with Lakeshore Technical College to exhibit at the upcoming AWEA Midwest Regional Wind Energy Summit on March 6th-7th in Chicago, IL at the Fairmount Chicago in Millennium Park.

The Summit will highlight the strong wind market of the Midwest. AWEA names the Midwest region the anchor for the entire U.S. Wind Energy industry, reporting "over 43,600 MWs of wind capacity installed in the U.S. through October 2011, over 14,600 MWs were installed in Midwestern states - that's over 30% of total installed capacity."

Attendees to the Summit can expect to learn about and discuss critical Midwest Wind Energy issues in these sessions:

- Keynote Session: Wind Industry Leaders Roundtable
- Midwest Wind Energy Market Assessment
- Transmission Opportunities and Issues in the Midwest
- Siting and Wildlife Issues
- Wind Power as a Manufacturing Growth Engine in the Midwest
- Community Relations and Local Acceptance in Sub-Regional Markets
- Key Wind Power Issues Facing Utilities in the Midwest

SPEAKER HIGHLIGHTS:
Program Co-Chairs:
- Andy Cukurs, Chief Executive Officer, Suzlon Wind Energy Corporation
- John Eber, Managing Director, Energy Investments, JP Morgan

CONFIRMED SPEAKERS:
- Michelle Arenson, Director, Wind Energy Development, Alliant Energy
- Christina Calabrese, Environmental Manager, EDPR
- Ashley Craig, Environmental Business Specialist, Environmental Law & Policy Center
- Chuck Conlen, Director, Business Development, DTE Energy
- Jered Diebold, Sales Manager, Ingeteam
- Rhett Good, Project Manager, Research Biologist, WEST, Inc.
- Ben Hoen, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- Ben Kelahan, Partner, Five Corners Strategies, LLC
- Andy Kellen, WPPI Energy
- Robert Kenney, Commissioner, Organization of MISO States
- Karl Kosciuch, Senior Biologist, TetraTech
- Martin Lubahn, Sales Manager, Winergy
- Bill McNeil, VP Energy Acquisition, ComEd
- Aaron Peterson, Community Relations & Regulatory Affairs Manager, Juwi Wind
- John Purcell, Vice President, Wind Energy, Leeco Steel
- Laura Rauch, Senior Engineer, Transmission Strategy Department, Midwest ISO
- Tim Rosenzweig, Chief Executive Officer, Goldwind
- Melissa Seymour, Director, Regional Markets & Regulation, Iberdrola Renewables
- Dan Shreve, MAKE Consulting
- Susan Sloan, Director, State Policy, American Wind Energy Association (AWEA)
- Beth Soholt, Executive Director, Wind on the Wires
- Kim Zuhlke, Consultant, AWEA

Wisconsin Wind Works and Lakeshore Technical College look forward to seeing you at the booth in March in Chicago, IL. Register today by clicking here: http://www.awea.org/events/AWEA-Midwest-Wind-Energy-Markets-Seminar-2012.cfm#fragment-2

Wisconsin Wind Works Alliance Member Helical Robotics, launches new Robotic Platform

2012-01-13T10:42:00.000-06:00

Helical Robotics, Wisconsin Wind Works Alliance member since early 2011, has announced the launch of a new mobile robotic platform that has the ability to effortlessly navigate almost any ferromagnetic surface. Based in Oregon, Wisconsin, Helical specializes in creating unique robotic platforms that has the ability to conform to any solid surface and travel in any direction. The primary usage of the platforms is servicing wind turbines, as the unique design can navigate along a wind tower or airfoil for servicing.

The launch of the HR-1000LL mobile robotic platform released this week offers multi-directional potential and increased carrying and lifting capacity, allowing for greater capacity to service wind towers. The platform can assist inspection, repair and cleaning of wind towers.

Read more on the new platform in the company's press release and at www.helicalrobotics.com. And, see a video of the HR-1000LL platform in action.

Alliance Member ABB Announces New Order for Electrical Equipment for 2 Texas Wind Farms

2012-01-06T09:15:00.001-06:00

Wisconsin Wind Works Alliance Member ABB announced Thursday January 5th a new $50 million dollar order from Electric Transmission Texas LLC (ETT) to provide electrical equipment to two Texas wind farms that will enhance the existing transmission grid.

North American Wind Power magazine reports that "ABB will design, supply, install and commission four static VAR compensators (SVCs) at two sites."

In a company press release, Peter Leupp, head of ABB's Power Systems division, explains that “ABB has a strong track record of delivering environmentally friendly SVC solutions around the world and we have a large installed base in the US."

Expected to be complete by 2013, ABB will begin work soon. "We are pleased to support the grid integration of clean wind power and help improve power reliability in the region.” Leupp reported in the company press release.

With locations in Wisconsin and around the world, ABB has been a Wisconsin Wind Works Alliance member since the beginning of 2010. Read the full press release at ABB.com.

Developers Apply to Build Western Wisconsin Large Wind Farm

2011-12-30T09:49:00.001-06:00

This week developers Emerging Energies submitted permitting applications to the Public Service (PSC) Commission to built a large wind farm in Western Wisconsin. The 41-turbine, 102.5 - megawatt project in the St. Croix County towns of Forest and Cylon is the first application to the PSC in more than two years.

William Rakocy, founding member of Emerging Energies, based in Hubertus, WI, reports in a recent article in the Wisconsin State Journal highlighting the development plans that the company is confident about the project.

Current conversations are being held within the PSC on siting rules for wind farms in Wisconsin, and this application could offer some clarity into the direction of these conversations.

According to formal process of submitting applications, the PSC has 30 days to consider if the application is complete, then 360 days to make a decision.

Wisconsin Wind Works will be following the process closely. Read the full article in the Wisconsin State Journal.

Company to Specialize in Repairing Wind Turbine Gears

2011-10-31T08:50:00.003-05:00

With the wind industry expanding across the country so will the need to repair gearboxes inside turbines.

A new company in Mukwonago, Gearbox Express has been formed to specialize in wind turbine gearbox replacement.

Currently the company is retrofitting a 43,000 square foot warehouse and expects to be operational by next year. The company has raised $1.8 million from investors and has been aided with a $1.8 million Small Business Administration loan along with a $3.4 million loan from the state of Wisconsin.

It is expected that Gearbox Express will create 100 jobs for the city of Mukwonago in a three year period.

Bruce Neumiller, the company's CEO said, "The firm will try to crave out a niche by having gearboxes ready to exchange and install at the same time the old gearbox is removed. That should result in cost savings for wind farm operator, who would need to bring in a crane only once rather than twice."

Alliance member Milwaukee Machine Works Highlights its recent purchase of a Leitz PMM-G

2011-10-25T17:01:00.000-05:00

In this month's Cutting Tool Engineering Plus Magazine, Milwaukee Machine Works' (MMW) General Manager Mike Manna offers details on MMW's recent purchase of a Leitz PMM-G coordinate measuring machine from Hexagon Metrology Inc., North Kingstown, R.I.

The machine, purchased to specifically support MMW's wind energy market division reportedly enhances the company's measurement accuracy for quicker and more concise measurements.

The investment is expected to bring new opportunities to MMW, reports Manna.

"Helping customers that require the capability of the PMM-G is a natural extension of what we already do,” Manna said. “Some of these large parts are used in machinery that is difficult to rework if there are problems after initial assembly. Installing a 20,000-lb. gearbox in a wind tower involves tremendous logistics. The corresponding costs to remove a gearbox from the tower are equally daunting. Measuring parts to assure you have made them to the engineering specification with additional accuracy assurance minimizes that risk.”

Read the full article on Milwaukee Machine Works in Cutting Tool Engineering Plus Magazine

'ATC files plan for $31 million Wisconsin-Illinois power line' Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

2011-10-14T12:31:00.001-05:00

American Transmission Co. on Thursday applied for state approval for a high-voltage power line that would cross into Illinois from Kenosha County.

The Pleasant Prairie-Zion Energy Center project would cost about $31 million and be built by 2014, under the utility’s plan.

The project, announced earlier this year, was one of several high-voltage power lines that company included in a $3.8 billion to $4.4 billion 10-year planning document it released last week.

Depending on the route selected, the 345,000-volt line would extend 5.3 to 5.8 miles between the Pleasant Prairie Power Plant and the substation at the Zion Energy Center, a natural gas-fired power plant built by Calpine Corp. in Zion, Ill.

Read the entire article on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's web site.

Michael Best & Friedrich LLP to Host: 'Intellectual Property Protection in the Emerging Offshore Wind Energy Sector'

2011-09-19T09:08:00.003-05:00

Alliance member Michael Best & Friedrich will host an upcoming session on Intellectual Property Protection during the upcoming AWEA Offshore Windpower Conference and Exhibit on Oct. 11-13th in Baltimore, MD. The session will be held at the Hilton Baltimore in the Key Ballroom 9-10 on Oct. 12th in the West (Main) Building, 401 West Pratt Street, Second Floor, Baltimore, MD.

Citing the recent claims from American Superconductor (AMSC) against Sinovel Wind Group Co. for "stolen intellectual property", IP protection is a timely subject for those in the wind market. The emerging offshore opportunities in the United States will generate greater competition within the market as future sites are determined and incentives are organized around offshore wind PPA's, making it more and more important for those within the wind market to focus on IP protection.

Also during the conference, Michael Best & Friedrich will host a poster presentation on 'Offshore Wind PPA's, the Ontario Feed-In Tariff, and the New Jersey OREC Program: Strong Government Support to Key Success'.

To RSVP for the sessions and find out more information, contact Jocelyn Gomez of Michael Best & Friedrich at jagomez@michaelbest.com or 414-225.4964.

ABB Hosts 'Five Key Characteristics to Make Wind Farms More Profitable'

2011-09-08T08:18:00.002-05:00

Wisconsin Wind Works Alliance member ABB is joining with North American Windpower to host an upcoming free webinar on 'Five Key Characteristics to Make Wind Farms More Profitable' on Wednesday September 21st at 11:00am EST.

Guest speakers for the webinar include Dennis McKinley, head of ABB's Wind Power business in North America and Dan Shreve, Director of MAKE Consulting and former Wind Energy Market & Competitive Intelligence Leader at General Electric Energy.

The webinar will offer key strategies around effective Wind Farm maintenance to improve profitability, including:

1. Delivery – How to improve the speed and logistics process of the installation

2. Efficiency – How to increase the efficiency of the electrical equipment and of personnel after the site is up and running

3. Reliability – How to select the appropriate amount of reliability and keep things running

4. Maintenance – How to effectively maintain the farm

5. Safety – How to keep people safe. Equipment selection through the ongoing day-to-day operations

Find out more information on the webinar and register to participate today.

'How does Wind Affect Coal..." From the National Renewable Energy Laboratory

2011-08-25T15:34:00.001-05:00

A recent presentation of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory shares insight to how the wind market offsets the cycling, emissions, and costs of coal production in the United States market.

Review the full presentation and share your comments below.

'10 (Short) Reasons to be Excited about Wind Power'

2011-08-22T15:10:00.004-05:00

An article from National Geographic highlights the 10 quick reasons to be excited about Wind Power shared by Keynote Speaker Lester Brown, founder and president of the Earth Policy Institute:

It is abundant. China, for example, has enough harnessable wind to increase its electricity consumption 16-fold
It is carbon-free. Reducing carbon emissions is a key part of any plan to transition from fossil fuels.
It is non-depletable. What we use today doesn’t affect how much we have tomorrow
It does not require any water. This is in contrast to other water-intensive energy sources, such as nuclear and natural gas
It does not use any fuel. Wind farm developers are ready to sign 20-year fixed-price contracts, Brown said, because the main cost associated with wind is building the farm.
Wind turbines don’t use a lot of land. It’s true that wind farms take up a lot of land. But the turbines themselves only occupy 1 percent of a wind farm’s land area, which leads to the next point…

See all the reasons offered by Brown at the recent American Renewable Energy Day in Aspen, Colorado at NationalGeographic.com

Upcoming Event: 'Turbines, Towers, and Vessels 2011' Hosted by Michael Best & Friedrich

2011-08-16T14:03:00.001-05:00

Wisconsin Wind Works Alliance Member Michael Best & Friedrich LLP announce 'Turbines, Towers, & Vessels 2011: For Northeastern Offshore Wind Projects' conference Sept. 7-9th at The Biltmore in Providence, RI.

The only event focused on securing a
place in the supply chain for the
Northeastern Offshore Wind projects

Featuring A Special Opening Address

Governor of Rhode Island: Lincoln D. Chafee

View the Agenda, see the keynote speakers, and register for this great conference today at http://www.infocastinc.com/index.php/conference/windturbines

'Where to Get a Green Job' - Apollo Group

2011-08-15T15:20:00.003-05:00

A recent blog article shared an analysis on 'Where to Get a Green Job' including analysis of green job markets, locations, funding, and more. Wisconsin and greater Chicago area are specifically targeted as high green job centers.

See the full green jobs report at: 'Infographic: Where to Get a Green Job'

'DOE picks 6 projects for R&D funding' Windpower Engineering

2011-08-10T10:10:00.006-05:00

A recent article in 'Windpower Engineering' shares the 6 projects picked by the Department of Energy to receive federal funding for research and development.

The article states that the 'U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu says six projects have been selected to receive nearly $7.5 million over two years to advance next-generation designs for wind turbine drivetrains.'

Read the full article on WindpowerEngineering.com

Comments from Wisconsin Wind Works Consultant, Fin Flood on the projects selected:

I think this DOE funding is particularly important for developing offshore wind as these designs have lower maintenance and significantly less weight in the nacelle, which reduces the anchoring needs, simplifies installation, etc. With the restrictive siting legislation, wind in Wisconsin will likely include installations in Lake Michigan. Those developing direct drive designs will fill that market. Opportunities for designing & manufacturing the bases (tri-pod anchored or "floating), transmissions, installation boats, maintenance rigs, etc. exists.

Of note, 6 MW turbines seem to be the new "standard" for offshore applications (to date, mostly in Europe). Siemens (Germany) and Alstom (out of France) have pretty viable designs. I'm told Gamesa (Spain) is also getting into the game. GE no longer makes an offshore design. The Cape Wind project, America's 1st large scale offshore project (Cape Cod / Nantucket, MA) has 130 Siemens 3.6 MW turbines.

'WI Pursues SheerWind; Co. Interested in Osceola'

2011-08-02T09:24:00.002-05:00

Wisconsin Officials are aggressively pursuing SheerWind, Inc. to locate in Oceola, Wisconsin. SheerWind, Inc. is looking to build its first wind farm within the Midwest, and Wisconsin is offering competitive incentive packages compared to Minnesota and other Midwest states.

An article in Twin Cities last week reports that, "SheerWind hopes to have about 20 wind farms—which will collectively produce about one gigawatt of energy—operational by 2016." Also, SheerWind is using the Invelox system, to eliminate the need for tower-mounted turbines.

Read more on Wisconsin's effort to attract SheerWind at: http://tcbmag.blogs.com/daily_developments/2011/07/wi-pursues-sheerwind-co-interested-in-osceola.html.

Wisconsin Public Service Commission reports Wisconsin meeting RE portfolio standards

2011-07-26T16:46:00.001-05:00

The Wisconsin Public Service Commission reported that all 118 Wisconsin electric providers have met RPS, renewable energy portfolio standards, for 2010. The report offers that, "Excluding sales attributable to green pricing programs, which are discussed later, over 5 million MWh, or 7.3 percent of the electricity sold at retail in Wisconsin in CY 2010, came from renewable resources."

Read the full report at www.psc.wi.gov.

Installation details on a 36-turbine Wisconsin wind farm

2011-07-21T11:36:00.001-05:00

Bulter Ridge Wind Farm in Mayville, Wisconsin is adding to the 1,100 MW of new wind-power capacity installed in the first quarter of 2011. Wisconsin-based electrical and specialty systems contractor, Faith Technologies, has provided the in-tower wiring and installed turbine foundation conduits and ground grid for all of the 36 1.5-MW wind turbines on 80-m towers.

Project Manager Rick Vander Heiden of Faith Technologies shares the development and progress of the wind project in a recent article featured by Windpower Engineering & Development Magazine. Read the full article to learn more...>

Fidelity Analyst on Wind's Sunny Future as an Energy Solution-OnWallStreet.com

2011-07-14T09:59:00.001-05:00

A recent article featured in OnWallStreet.com provides an overview of the perceived competitiveness of wind energy in energy markets compared to other energy solutions. Recent developments in natural gas continue to make natural gas a low cost alternative, considering recent "fracking" technologies. But, as denoted in the article, wind energy's advantages are significant, and with continued standardization and efficient modular designs, capital costs and dollar per KW for windpower will decrease, making wind an even more viable answer tfor energy solutions. Siemens and Gamesa are leading the area in these designs, with new advancements consistently developed.

Read the full article below:

By Dave Lindorff

July 6, 2011

The wind is at the back of alternative energy and it has a sunny future that investors should prepare to capitalize on. That’s the word from Anna Davydova, portfolio manager of Fidelity Select Environment and Alternative Energy.

Davydova says she is bullish long-term about the alternative energy sector, which she says is reaching an “economic tipping point” where solar, wind and biofuels become truly competitive with traditional energy.”

She bases her optimism on three factors:

One is a string of recent disasters, such as the BP well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico, and the earthquake and tsunami-induced meltdowns of the nuclear plants at Fukushima, which she said have raised questions about “reliance on traditional energy sources, including fossil fuels like oil and nuclear energy.”

Another is the huge and growing demand for energy in emerging markets, with their massive populations.

The third driver she sees is rapidly developing technologies and “more compelling energy solutions,” which she said will provide “particularly compelling investment opportunities.”

Davydova said rising oil prices have provided “a positive as a backdrop” for alternative energy, with the most immediate beneficiary being biofuels, though solar and wind have also benefited, at least indirectly.

She said wind power is becoming "truly competitive" in a high natural gas price environment (such as 2007-08) or in countries where natural gas prices are high and that solar is "three to five years away," while biofuels are "closing the gap" to become competitive with oil.

Asked about a trend, particularly in the cash-strapped U.S., of declining federal and state government subsidies for alternative fuels, especially solar and wind, she said, “The renewable energy industry is transitioning from subsidy dependent markets towards large-scale, cost-competitive” adoption.

She added that ending subsidies is not necessarily bad for alternative energy, noting that in Germany, where such subsidies for solar power have been getting reduced every year for some time, “solar installations have increased six-fold over the past three years.”

Meanwhile, she said, “Overall, declining global policy support has contributed to lower wind turbine and solar module prices,” with wind turbines down 15-20% in cost, and solar modules down in price by 60%.

Biofuels, meanwhile, which are also seeing subsidies cut, have been growing at a 30% compound annual rate over the past four years.

In the near term, Davydova sees the best opportunity for investors in the biofuels market, while longer term, she says, she sees “attractive long-term investment opportunities” for solar and wind, “particularly among the lowest cost manufacturers.”

"Wind Turbine Component Suppliers Experience Slow Growth In The U.S." Article by GLWN Executive Director Ed Weston

2011-07-07T09:18:00.000-05:00

Executive Director of Great Lakes Wind Network, Ed Weston, shares the latest experiences of a slow supply chain growth for suppliers in Wind in his recent article featured on North American Windpower.

Weston provides an action-orientated response to suppliers, with the opportunity to participate in conversations with supply chain leaders and policy experts in wind energy at GLWN's upcoming 2011 Wind Summit "Making it Here" in Cleveland, Ohio on July 13th-14th.

Read the article and register for the convention to find out more.

Mike Manna, General Manager of Milwaukee Machine Works, shares his views on alternative energy

2011-07-05T08:50:00.001-05:00

At the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) WINDPOWER 2011 Show in Anaheim, CA, Mike Manna, General Manager of Milwaukee Machine Works shared with Today's Energy Solutions (TES) some thoughts on alternative energy.

Milwaukee Machine Works has been an Alliance member of Wisconsin Wind Works since 2010. Find out more about Milwaukee Machine Works, a division of Cleveland Gear, Inc. on their directory listing at the Wisconsin Wind Works Supply Chain Directory.

Freshwater Wind 2011: Sponsored by Alliance Member Michael Best & Friedrich LLP

2011-06-28T08:33:00.001-05:00

Alliance Member Michael Best & Friedrich LLP sponsors the 2nd Annual Freshwater Wind 2011 Conference on Offshore Wind Development in the Great Lakes in Detroit, Michigan on July 18-19th.

Agenda to include a keynote address from Jim Lanard, President of the OFFSHORE WIND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION on Offshore Wind Project Status & Update. Agenda also features panel discussions on 'After the 2010 Elections—Impacts on Energy
Policies and the Role of Freshwater Wind in Economic Development in the Great Lakes Region', 'Progress in Assessing the Environmental Impact of Offshore Wind Development in the Great Lakes' and 'Siting and Permitting in the Great Lakes Region'.

Conference also will host international and national leaders in offshore wind. See the full agenda for details. Register today for this great event sponsored by one of Wisconsin Wind Works' premier Alliance members, Michael Best & Friedrich, LLP.

Wisconsin Wind Works Welcomes New Alliance Member: Orchid Monroe LLC

2011-06-24T09:45:00.002-05:00

Orchid Monroe, LLC is the newest member of the Wisconsin Wind Works Alliance, now totaling 23 premier suppliers and manufacturers to Wind Energy in Wisconsin and beyond. Orchid Monroe LLC, located in Monroe, Wisconsin, specializes in the manufacturing of high quality generator, motor and transformer electrical steel laminations and sub assemblies.

Orchid Monroe, a division of Orchid International, maintains a customer focused plant that drives value into our customer’s products through efficient manufacturing methods and engineering partnerships.

See more on Orchid Monroe on their web site at www.orchidinternational.com/. And, learn more about Orchid on their Wisconsin Wind Works directory listing.

Keep up to date on all Alliance members on the Wisconsin Wind Works web site and the Wisconsin Wind Works LinkedIn Group.

Offshore Wind has no significant effect on tourism levels, study shows

2011-06-10T13:33:00.003-05:00

A Grand State University study group in West Michigan has researched the proposed effects of offshore wind on tourism only to report no relatively significant effect in the minds of visitors to locations with offshore wind.

Using existing European offshore wind locations and studying tourism perceptions and change in tourism rates, no significant level of harm or help to tourism was reported.

This study contradicts expected assumptions of some that offshore wind could cause decreases in tourism within states bordering offshore wind farms, particularly affecting the Great Lakes States which rely heavily on tourism for investment throughout year. Despite the study, it is believed offshore wind will take years to be realized within the Great Lakes.

Read the full article here.

AWEA Manufacturer's Group Supplier Handbook

2011-06-08T17:04:00.001-05:00

From one of our members:

See links below to a copy of the "Supplier Handbook" recently developed by the AWEA Manufacturing Working Group, along with a MWG policy paper which helps bring clarity and definition to the core policy orientation that the working group has agreed to pursue in upcoming months/years. The Supplier Handbook serves as a helpful reference for companies and their Tier II suppliers. The policy paper is intended to succinctly summarize what AWEA's Manufacturer's Group believes is their focused policy agenda in N. America, and serve as a frame of reference when companies contact and have local/regional discussions with public officials.

Wisconsin Wind Works acknowledges the individual missions and directions of each Wind Energy business and organization within the Wisconsin Wind Works membership. Wisconsin Wind Works does not support or deny any of the claims within the following alert but offers this information as educational material provided from one of our member companies. For follow up questions or comments, contact:

	Tom Maves Deputy Director, Manufacturing and Supply Chain American Wind Energy Association tmaves@awea.org email 614.670.8961 direct 202.341.8230 cell

AWEA 2011--Wisconsin Wind Works Pavilion

2011-06-06T14:24:00.004-05:00

See photos from Wisconsin Wind Works' Pavilion at AWEA WINDPOWER Expo 2011 in Anaheim, California.

GE Healthcare Waiting for Turbine Approval

2011-04-27T08:41:00.008-05:00

GE Healthcare is awaiting for approval from the city of Waukesha. GE hopes to install 10 wind turbines up to 155 feet tall on the company's campus on county highway T north of I-94. If the project is approved it would be built next year or later said Annette Busteri, public relations manager. The installation of the turbines is part of GE's 2015 goal of reducing electrical usage by 15 percent and improving energy efficiency by 10 percent.

Jennifer Andrews a Waukesha city planner said, 'The company seems to have all their ducks lined up in a row," while referring to GE's letters indicating that state and federal agencies have no objections.

Concerns arose when GE originally proposed the installation of the turbines given their proximity to the runway's of Waukesha County's airport. These concerns were put aside after the Wisconsin Bureau of Aeronautics provided a letter stating that all 10 of the proposed turbines would be in compliance with airspace height restrictions.

Currently there are no commercial wind turbines in Waukesha County and the project would be a first of its kind. The location of the project will be near highly traveled roads and give it great visibility to highlight GE's renewable energy commitment.

Students Learn How to Erect Components of a Wind Turbine

2011-03-31T10:18:00.002-05:00

The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 139 has teamed with a Utah manufacturer of crane simulators to build a first-ever virtual world where students learn specifically how to erect the components of a wind turbine.

The simulator is owned by the union’s Joseph J. Goetz Jr. Training Center, located in Coloma. Built by GlobalSim, a Kongsberg Maritime Company, in Draper, UT, the machine’s software projects real-world scenarios such as two cranes being operated independently, but together, to lift the components into place.

Designed with a commitment to realism, the simulator lets students get bumped around if they drive their crane over uneven ground, feel the force of the wind blowing against a crane boom and see the shadow of turbine blades pass over other objects. Equipped with a cab and controls identical to those in a Manitowoc Epic Model 2250 MAXER crane, along with a second set of the controls, up to two crane students can train simultaneously along with a third individual learning to be a signal person. With the second set of controls, an instructor has the option of working with one student at a time.

Because the simulator is enclosed within a 26-foot-long, 8-foot-wide trailer, it can be transported to locations off the training center grounds.

Training center staff applied for and received a $275,000 Green Energy Grant from the State of Wisconsin in 2009 to develop the simulator. Following a design and testing period, the center put the simulator into action and began offering wind turbine erection classes in December, 2010.

“We’re pretty proud of what we have accomplished here,” said Local 139 Training Director Daniel Sperberg. “This simulator is the only one of its kind and it’s like being in the real thing.”

Sperberg said the simulator demonstrates Local 139’s commitment to offer its members the best possible training available. “We continually strive to be in a leadership role nationally as far as training is concerned,” he said. “This simulator gives us the bleeding-edge technology to achieve our goal.”

This story began about a decade ago when the training center purchased a state-of-the-art simulator from GlobalSim to teach Local 139 members how to operate a crane. But the machine’s intended purpose as a training tool was not realized because it was not set up to run a class through. Instead, it was used mainly as an interactive promotional device at public events to showcase educational opportunities at the training center.

With the Green Energy Grant available, Sperberg and Crane Instructor Doug Stegeman saw an opportunity to upgrade and repurpose the simulator to train students how to operate a crane for use in a green industry – wind power. Stegeman discussed creating virtual wind turbine erection scenarios with GlobalSim engineers. In August 2010, he drove the simulator back to the manufacturer and provided photographs he had taken of wind turbine components being hoisted into place on actual jobsites. The engineers incorporated those scenes into the realistic graphics that students now see on the rebuilt simulator’s 90-inch diagonal, curved projection screen.

“We’re working with big cranes in this industry to lift very heavy turbine components hundreds of feet into the air,” Stegeman said. “It is inherently a high-risk situation because of that height. The training center can’t buy a real-life big crane like the Manitowoc 2250. But our students can establish a high degree of confidence with these cranes by using the simulator.”

Wisconsin Wind Works is Proud to Sponsor the Small Wind Siting Workshop

2011-03-21T10:19:00.001-05:00

Wisconsin Wind Works is proud to sponsor the Small Wind Siting Workshop hosted by Renewegy on Friday, March 25^th, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00p.pm. The event will take place at Renewegy located on 3650 Jackson St. in Oshkosh.

The workshop will focus around new siting rules and regulations around opportunities for renewable energy projects. The workshop will also talk about opportunities for renewable energy and highlight real-world case studies of current projects.

Speakers at this event include Paul Esslinger, Mayor of Oshkosh, Dan Epstein, Vice President and COO of Renewegy and Eric Fowle, Executive Director of AICP to name a few.

Tours will also be available of the Renewegy facility after the workshop.

The management team at Renewegy has worked together the past ten years to develop clean energy products for the commercial and industrial marketplace. Prior to starting Renewegy, the team founded and successfully grew MotoTron Corporation a wholly owned subsidiary under Brunswick Corporation.

Glenmore Wind Turbine Project Moves On

2011-03-18T09:23:00.003-05:00

Despite local opposite a development project to build eight wind turbines has been given the go ahead despite strong local opposition.

Earlier this week the Town Board voted to allow Cenergy, a subsidiary of CG Power Solutions, to build the turbines which, reversed the decision from last week that would have delayed the project two months.

Last week, the Town Board approved the permits for the project but then closed the meeting after many of the more than 100 residents at the meeting voiced a strong opinion against the decision. The board reconvened the meeting later that day and eventually voted to delay a decision on the permit for 60 days.

Cenergy officials stated that reconvening the meeting on March 7 was illegal. Wind turbine opponents argued that the permits could be delayed based on an emergency reference to the state legislative committee.

Recently a state legislative committee suspended the siting rules that had been approved by the Public Safety Commission, claiming that there was enough evidence to suggest that turbines could threaten the publics health and safety.

At Wednesday's meeting questions surfaced about the legality of all action taken at the reconvened meeting earlier this month. So the board voted that day to rescind all votes of the reconvened meeting, leaving the original vote to approve the permits.

The board then voted not to change the original votes.

Many town residents wanted the board to delay a decision on the turbines until more information could be presented on the health and safety risks of turbines.

Committee Votes to Suspend Wind Turbine placement Rule

2011-03-02T08:08:00.004-06:00

On Tuesday a legislative committee voted to suspend rules adopted by the state Public Service Commission last year regarding the placement of wind turbines.

The vote came in 5-2 by the joint committee that reviews administrative rules. This means there are now no statewide standard in place governing setbacks of wind turbines.

In a debate that has pitted economic development opportunity against concerns about property rights, wind energy supporters argued in favor of the rule. Critics of the wind powered projects contended that the setback of wind turbines was not restrictive enough.

The PSC rule was finalized in December and would have been in effect Tuesday if the note had not passed.

The full Legislature must now follow up on the committee’s vote by passing a bill to throw out the PSC rule. A bill under construction would send the issue back to the PSC for revision, giving the agency seven months to have the revision completed.

Republican Sen. Leah Vukmir said the PSC rule was tantamount to “a government sanctioned taking because it reduced the value of property for nonparticipating landowners without their consent and without compensation.”

Representative, Fred Kessler notes that all energy choices are controversial, including older sources such as coal and it’s important for the state to support the development of wind energy. “This is the next generation of technology,” said Kessler, “why would we not be supporting this when companies will go to another states if these rules are suspended.”

The American Wind Energy Association said the PSC rule was restrictive enough, given that it set specific noise limits and restrictions on shadow flicker in addition to turbine distant setbacks.

“These rules were developed collaboratively by the wind energy industry and all major stakeholders in Wisconsin,” said Jeff Anthony, director of business development at the American Wind Energy Association and a Wisconsin Resident.

But Bob Welch, a lobbyist for the Coalition for Wisconsin Environmental Stewardship, which represents groups that have been fighting wind projects, said his constituents need a "fair hearing" at the PSC. "As far as those who want to build wind turbines in Wisconsin, all they've got to do is treat their neighbors fairly," Welch said. "Property rights need to be protected."

United Technologies Optimistic About Future of Wind Power

2011-02-17T10:26:00.000-06:00

An executive of United Technologies Corp. says the conglomerate is more optimistic about the wind power business it recently entered than fuel cell technology that has been in its portfolio for years.

Greg Hayes, Chief Financial Officer of United Technologies Corp. told investors last Thursday that last year’s $382 million purchase of Clipper Windpower, helps United Technologies to capitalize on what he said is a $60 billion global market.

When comparing the potential of the wind market to that of other renewable energy markets Hayes feels optimistic in wind development on the basis that it is one of the most developed markets in the renewable energy field.

Wisconsin Power & Light Co. Construction Finished on Wind Farm

2011-02-08T09:47:00.002-06:00

Wisconsin Power & Light Co. announced that it has finished construction on its Minnesota wind farm and that it is up and running generating power.

The total cost of the project was $460 million and began delivering power Monday morning about a week ahead of the company’s projections.

The Bent Tree Wind Farm is located in Albert Lea, Minn, and consists of 122 turbines that can produce up to 201 megawatts of electricity. It is expected that over a year’s time the wind farm will generate enough power to supply 50,000 homes.

“The addition of Bent Tree allows us to meet and exceed Wisconsin’s existing renewable portfolio standard,” said John Larsen, WP&L president.

Obama Calls for Clean Energy

2011-01-31T09:22:00.001-06:00

Last Tuesday night during the State of the Union address president Barack Obama made a big push for renewable energy. The president stated that the nation should develop 80 percent of its electricity from clean sources by 2035 and pursue and research development projects to be financed by killing $4 billion in annual tax subsidies for oil, gas and other fossil fuels.

The White House believes that domestic production of wind, solar and other types of clean energy helps to underscore its prime time focus on clean energy as well as innovative technologies that make them cheaper and more reliable.

President Obama’s 2012 budget will increase clean energy technology funding by one-third when compared to last year or to about $8 billion. “Instead of subsidizing yesterday’s energy, lets invest in tomorrows,” said Obama.

Going forward wind and solar companies would also like to see a long-term extension of the popular government 1603 grant program, which allows companies to obtain grants instead of investment tax credits.

Clean energy advocates have also supported the creation of a national renewable energy standard. This would force companies to generate a certain percentage of their electricity from renewable energy sources.

For more on Obama's clean energy push click here >

India’s Inox Wind Orders More From American Superconductor

2011-01-27T11:42:00.000-06:00

Inox Wind Limited of India has placed a $9 million follow-on order for a wind turbine electrical control system from American Superconductor (AMSC). AMSC is gaining a business presence in India with multiple orders for its products being used on renewable energy projects. In August AMSC received an initial order for 17 of the companies electrical control systems and another $20 million order from Ghodawat Energy in April of last year.

Inox will use the systems in its 2MW wind turbines and has the ability to manufacture 400 annually. India is currently the 5^th largest wind energy market in the world and is expected to double its capacity within 4-5 years.

“India has one of the fastest growing economies in the world,” said Devansh Jain, Director of Inox Wind Limited. “When considering our rapid urbanization and industrialization combined with our need to reduce pollution and increase electricity generation, it is imperative that we continue to promote and produce zero-emission electricity from sources such as wind. Our partnership with AMSC has enabled us to enter full-scale manufacturing quite rapidly, taking us one step closer to our goal of becoming a leader in the global wind power marketplace.”

U.S. Market Report shows high Wind Energy Investment in 2010

2011-01-21T09:32:00.001-06:00

A recent U.S. Market report from Peachtree Capital Advisors showed the wind industry with 4.8 billion in transactional value in 2010. A bulk of the investment was seen in energy generation projects for wind.

The report showed a large portion, 85 percent, of the federal money allotted to subsidize renewable energy generation construction went to wind companies.

The report supported continued investment in 2011 in renewable energies, specifically wind, because of less initial investment and quicker returns than other renewables like solar and biofuels.

Read the full article on reuters.com and view the complete report.

The report argues the losers in 2010 were bioenergy firms, who say a 27-percent decline from 2009 investment. The article supports that higher investment needs due to high demands of R&D and time for this market is holding back investment. Do you agree?

Magnetek Receives Orders Valued at Over $8 Million for E-Force® Renewable Energy Inverters

2011-01-11T14:20:00.000-06:00

Wisconsin Wind Works Member Magnetek sees over $8 Million of orders for its E-Force^® inverters for variable speed turbine generators. The orders represent a new market for Magnetek and have come in over the past five weeks, to be delivered April 2011 and July 2011.

Wisconsin Wind Works supports Magnetek’s recent successes in the wind industry and forwards their progress update on to all Wisconsin Wind Works members.

Read the full press release, as well as information on Magnetek, Inc., below.

Menomonee Falls, Wis. –January 10, 2011–Magnetek, Inc. (NYSE: MAG) today announced that it has received production orders over the past five weeks for its E-Force^® power inverters valued at over $8 million. Magnetek's modular utility-scale power inverters regulate and transform DC power generated by renewable sources into utility-grade AC power, which is distributed to the power transmission grid. The orders received include inverters for wind turbines as well as an initial production order valued at nearly $1 million for inverters to be used in the operation of variable speed turbine generators for combined heat and power (CHP), a new market for the Company. The orders are currently scheduled for delivery between April 2011 and July 2011.

“We are pleased to receive these additional inverter orders. The use of our E-Force inverters in CHP turbine power generation is an exciting new application for our products and furthers our goal to become a major provider of utility-scale power inverters for renewable energy applications,” said Ed Butte, Magnetek’s Director of Renewable Energy. “We continue to actively quote applications beyond wind and see this order as a solid sign that the benefits of variable speed technology are being recognized in other markets.”

About Magnetek, Inc.

Magnetek, Inc. is a leading provider of digital power and motion control systems used in energy delivery, overhead material handling, and elevator applications. In addition to power conditioning products for renewable energy applications, the Company is North America’s largest supplier of digital drive systems for industrial cranes, hoists, and monorails. Magnetek provides Energy Engineered^® drives, radio remote controls, motors, and braking and collision avoidance subsystems to North America’s foremost overhead material handling crane builders. Magnetek is also the world’s largest independent builder of highly integrated digital motion control systems for high-rise, high-speed elevators and is a leading independent supplier of digital motion control systems for underground coal mining applications. Magnetek is headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wis., in the greater Milwaukee area and operates manufacturing facilities in Pittsburgh, Pa., and Canonsburg, Pa., as well as Menomonee Falls.

http://www.magnetek.com/

Milwaukee Considering Lakefront Wind Turbines

2011-01-11T10:52:00.035-06:00

The city of Milwaukee has seen a lot of development along its lakefront in the past couple of years with such projects as the Milwaukee Art Museum renovation and the building of Discovery World on Pier Wisconsin. Currently the city is seeing another high-profile project that could add more landmarks to the lakefront.

Milwaukee officials are considering installing one to three wind turbines near the Lake Express car ferry terminal or by the Port offices in Milwaukee's, Bay View neighborhood. City officials are considering if Milwaukee should follow in other Great Lake cities footsteps such as Toronto and Cleveland and erect wind turbines in an urban setting.

"If the project is approved," said Erick Shambarger, a city environmental sustainability manager, "the project would be funded by the federal economic stimulus package."

"No property tax dollars would be involved," Shambarger stated, "The purpose is to power the Port administration building with renewable energy."

Milwaukee is allocating most of its block grant money towards programs that aim to boost energy efficiency and conservation efforts. Shambarger hopes that if the erection of wind turbines on the lakefront is approved that the project will "show the city's commitment to renewable power."

City officials are considering two different types of turbines for the project. One turbine would be 115 feet tall while the other would be 156 feet tall.

No final decision has been made yet to go through with the project. On Thursday the city will be holding a meeting to offer residents a chance to express their opinions on the project. "We really want to get public input," said Shambarger.

The cost of the project is still unknown and would depend on the types of turbines that would be selected. The larger of the turbines is estimated to cost around $550,000 but the actual price could be reduced by incentives offered from the Focus on Energy Program and the Milwaukee utility We Energies.

We Energies spokesman, Brian Manthey said, "the utility provides incentives of $10,000 to $100,000 for renewable energy projects installed by nonprofit organizations and governments. Funding is awarded after Focus on Energy agrees to provide an incentive for the project."

If interested in attending the informational meeting regarding the turbines it will be held Thursday, January 13th, at 6 p.m. at the South Shore Park Pavilion in Bay View.

Rice Management Inc. Builds Wind Turbine

2011-01-10T10:07:00.000-06:00

Officials for Rice Management Inc. knew they wanted to build a wind turbine after purchasing the Maple Lane Health Care Center from Shawano County.

“Rice Management really looks to the future,” said Colinda Clark, administrator of what is now the Maple Lane Health and Rehabilitation Center. “When Rice Management purchased the building that is one of the things they were looking at.”

On Wednesday a 100-foot wind turbine was erected in front of the building with great enthusiasm. “The turbine will help us reduce energy costs so we can do more improvements for the building and do more things for the residents here,” said Clark.

Clark has never seen a wind turbine up close but stated that while in Iowa over the holidays she noticed how well the state and businesses in the state have used wind power as a form of renewable energy. “I’m very excited to know that we are enhancing the life of the earth by installing a turbine,” said Clark.

The turbine at the Maple Lane Health and Rehabilitation Center has blades that are 32 feet in diameter and will produce a maximum 20 kilowatts or 20,000 watts of power when the wind is blowing hard enough.

“The 20 kilowatts is enough energy to power three to five smaller homes,” states Jeff Ehlers, president of Renewergy Inc. located in Oshkosh.

New Rule Could Make It Easier to Build Wind Projects in Wisconsin

2011-01-06T09:58:00.017-06:00

On January 1st, a wind siting rule took effect which could open the door to wind farms in southwest Wisconsin.

The rule provides a path for obtaining a permit to build a wind farm, as long as the project developers abide by the guidelines established by the state Public Service Commission (PSC). If a township wishes to regulate a wind energy power system its ordinances can not be more restrictive that the PSC's rules.

In short the PSC's rules trump any local ordinances.

The new rule could help the development of the proposed White Oak wind project in southwest Wisconsin. The White Oak wind project includes parts of Smelser, Hazel Green and Paris townships and has been on hold for more than two years.

Tom Green, senior manager of project development for Wind Capital Group the company pursuing the project believes that the passage of the PSC's rule will help to make the development of wind facilities in state easier.

"The new law will allow communities to plan and give wind developers the freedom to create wind farm strategies," said Ron Brisbois, Grant County Economic Development Director. "That's what everybody was waiting on," said Brisbois while talking about the White Oak project.

Joe Alt of Cuba City and a participant in the White Oak project stated, "it's important to discus the new rule. It's definitely going to help get a wind farm going."

However there are opponents to the White Oak project, in 2009 the Smelser Township supervisors enacted a moratorium on wind farms. Foes of the project said that siting has and always will be the main concern of numerous Smelser Township residents.

"We're just sitting neutral right now," said Smelser Supervisor, Arnie Rawson who voted for the moratorium and did not see the new wind-siting rules as of Monday. "We are very open-minded on it, but we have to be careful to weigh both sides."

Smelser Township Chairman, Gabe Loeffelholz states that there are still residents out there that are in favor of the moratorium. " I don't know what lies ahead," said Loeffelholz, "but whether it's ethanol, solar power, or wind turbines as an alternative energy source, I say go for it."

"Going for it," is exactly what former Gov. Jim Doyle and state lawmakers did previously. In October of 2009, Doyle signed a bill that called for state regulators to come up with statewide rules for wind farms that specified the conditions a local government could impose on the installation or use of a wind-energy system.

At the beginning of this month the commission adjusted the requirements on two issues of critical importance: setback distances between and compensation to neighboring residents.

Initially, the rule did not specify a definite setback distance between turbines and residences next to the host property. Now municipalities cannot establish a setback distance on non-participating residences that is less than 1,250 feet.

The new rule allows for the owner of non-participating residents within a half-mile of wind turbine to receive monetary compensation from the wind system owner said Alt. "It's fair to everybody."

President Signs 2010 Tax Bill into Law: Renewable and Other Energy Provisions Extended

2011-01-04T10:18:00.001-06:00

President Obama recently signed into law H.R. 4853 which extends the “Bush” ear tax cuts for all taxpayers at every income level for the next two years. Many energy provisions were also included in the bill. One of the timeliest provisions is the extension of the law passed in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 enacting Section 1603 Grants.

Section 1603 Grant in Lieu of Investment Tax Credit:
The existing law, under ARRA Section 1603, allows a taxpayer to elect to have certain property which is part of a qualified renewable electricity production facility qualify for a cash grant in lieu of the investment tax credit. In most cases the grant amount is 30 percent of the basis of the qualified property. The previous law required eligible property to be placed in service in calendar years 2009 or 2010, or at a minimum to have begun substantial construction or have met a 5% safe harbor test during that period.

The new law extends the Treasury Secretary's authority to provide grants in lieu of credits for one year (through 2011). The new law provides that eligible property must be placed in service in calendar years 2009, 2010, or 2011, or for property placed in service later, its construction must begin during that period. The extension provided by the new legislation does not extend the deadline to have the qualified projects completed, which relates to the expiration of the underlying tax credits for these types of properties. The qualified projects must still be completed prior to 2013 (in the case of wind facility property), 2014 (in the case of other renewable power facility property eligible for credit under Section 45), or 2017 (in the case of any specified energy property described in Section 48). The grant application due date has also been pushed back a year. Applications must now be filed before October 1, 2012.

The Section 1603 Grant in lieu of credit program has been popular among those who are not able to benefit from a tax credit, and has served to provide a much-needed source of funding during the financial system's challenges over the past two years. The extension is a welcome development for investors and developers of renewable energy projects.
Other alternative energy points of interest pertaining to the passage of the 2010 Tax Bill include:

-100% Bonus Depreciation: 100% bonus depreciation applies to new assets acquired and placed in service starting September 9, 2010 through December 31, 2011. The 50% depreciation structure will again apply for 2012. These accelerated depreciation provisions can enhance the tax benefits when investing in renewable energy projects.

-NOT INCLUDED - Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit (48C): The first $2.3 billion of credits were designed to jump-start domestic manufacturing of renewable energy components. Unfortunately, even with allocation support from President Obama, the new tax law did not extend this program.

For more information on the Section 1603 Grant or other alternative energy provisions please contact a member of the Baker Tilly Renewable Energy and fellow WI Wind Works Alliance Member:
Rich Frohmader: 608 240 2340
richard.frohmader@bakertilly.com

Sam Blahnik: 608 240 2464
sam.blahnik@bakertilly.com

Visit: www.bakertilly.com/Renewable-Energy

President Signs 2010 Tax Bill into Law: Renewable and Other Energy Provisions Extended

2010-12-30T09:07:00.000-06:00

On December 17, 2010 President Obama signed into law H.R. 4853 which extends the "Bush" era tax cuts for all taxpayers, at every income level for two additional years. Many energy provisions were also included. One of the timeliest provisions is the extension of the law passed in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 enacting Section 1603 Grants.

Section 1603 Grant in Lieu of Investment Tax Credit:

The existing law, under ARRA Section 1603, allows a taxpayer to elect to have certain property which is part of a qualified renewable electricity production facility qualify for a cash grant in lieu of the investment tax credit. In most cases the grant amount is 30 percent of the basis of the qualified property. The previous law required eligible property to be placed in service in calendar years 2009 or 2010, or at a minimum to have begun substantial construction or have met a 5% safe harbor test during that period.

Other alternative energy points of interest pertaining to the passage of the 2010 Tax Bill include:

100% Bonus Depreciation: 100% bonus depreciation applies to new assets acquired and placed in service starting September 9, 2010 through December 31, 2011. The 50% depreciation structure will again apply for 2012. These accelerated depreciation provisions can enhance the tax benefits when investing in renewable energy projects.

NOT INCLUDED - Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit (48C): The first $2.3 billion of credits were designed to jump-start domestic manufacturing of renewable energy components. Unfortunately, even with allocation support from President Obama, the new tax law did not extend this program.

For more information on the Section 1603 Grant or other alternative energy provisions please contact a member of the Baker Tilly Renewable Energy and fellow WI Wind Works Alliance Member:

Rich Frohmader: 608 240 2340

richard.frohmader@bakertilly.com

Sam Blahnik: 608 240 2464

sam.blahnik@bakertilly.com

Visit: www.bakertilly.com/Renewable-Energy

State Awards $8 Million in Renewable and Wind Energy Funding

2010-12-29T10:46:00.000-06:00

The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District and Price Engineering Co. have received a combined $8 million to invest in their operations through the State Energy Program.

Price Engineering which is establishing a wind-turbine service facility in Hartland, received $3 million from the state.

Price Engineering will provide maintenance services and repairs for wind-turbine gear driven systems. The funds will be used to buy equipment for the gear-driven remanufacturing plant. The plant will include material handling, testing capabilities, and a gear-drive spares-management process to ensure replacement of worn gear boxes in turbines.

The project will create 111 jobs and represents a total investment of $9 million according to the Commerce Department.

Five million dollars was granted to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) through the State Energy Program.

MMSD plans to use the funds to purchase turbines capable of burning landfill gas. The gas will be converted into electricity and used in the manufacturing process. The total cost for the project is said to be $88 million.

The American Recovery Reinvestment Act is funding the State Energy Program. Currently Wisconsin is the only state directing 100 percent of its state energy funds from the act to help manufacturers bring down their costs through energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.

City of Neenah Considers Wind Power

2010-12-28T10:22:00.004-06:00

The city of Neenah’s Common Council has been convinced by proponents of renewable energy to budget $250,000 next year to build either a system based on solar or wind turbines at the city garage.

The project would generate 50,000 kilowatt hours of energy annually or 25 percent of the electrical need of the Tullar Road garage.

The project would be funded through the city by borrowing $100,000 and drawing $150,000 from cash reserves. Proponents are anticipating $100,000 from WE Energies— $50,000 from Focus on Energy and $150,000 from financial incentives.

The electrical cost at the city garage total about $20,000 per year, it is predicted that the system would be able to cover around 25 percent annually or $5,000 per year. The payback period for the system would be 20 years.

Ald. John Ahles, co-chairman of Sustainable Neenah urged the council to not forget about the educational and environmental benefits of the project. “It will help educate this council, and will help educate future councils.”

In a discussion over using solar or wind power deputy director of community development, April Mielke stated the Sustainable Neenah Committee favors wind power for the project because it would be more visible. “Wind was something we felt that would be more identifiable to the public and something that would be a daily symbol of the efforts towards sustainability.”

Scientist Says Wind Turbines May Aid Crops

2010-12-21T10:19:00.023-06:00

New research by an Iowa State University scientist reveals that wind turbines could be beneficial to adjacent crop fields.

ISU professor of geological and atmospheric science, Gene Takle, believes that wind turbines may help crops grow healthier and faster by moderating ground level temperatures, in turn blowing away fungi-producing moisture and churning the air to expose plants to more growth-promoting carbon dioxide.

Last week Takle presented the findings at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco.

"When people think about wind turbines they think of four things birds, bats, noise and radar interference," said Takle. "They really don't consider impacts on the environment."

But Takle and University of Colorado researcher Julie Lundquist did just that.

Last summer Takle collected surface measurements of temperature, wind fluctuation and changes in carbon dioxide from fields adjacent to wind turbines. Lundquist then used a laser to determine that wind turbines create a plum of turbulence that can be measured up to 250 feet and a quarter of a mile down wind.

The next step in research is to quantify any impacts the turbines have on crop growth, said Takle.

Takle said he began look at whether turbines affect crop growth because of what he already knew about the impacts of shelter belts. Shelter belts are rows of trees that farmers plants in order to be used as wind breakers.

Takle believes that a turbines effects are the greatest in the spring and fall because they would keep crops warmer and prevent frost.

Air movement would also limit the amount of dew forming on crops which in turn would lower the chances of fungi and toxins to grown on the crop.

Lastly, extra turbulence produced from the turbine could lift carbon dioxide from the soil and make it easier for crops to absorb more of it, enhancing a plants ability to perform photosynthesis and grow.

Wind Turbine Foundation and Tower System Design Course Available Feb. 22-23rd

2010-12-20T13:08:00.000-06:00

For those interested in training opportunities for Wind Turbine Foundation and Tower Design a course will be held February 22-23^rd in Santa Clara, California. Attendees will:

-Develop design know-how in this rapidly developing area

-Gain in-depth understanding of the mechanics and principles of structural tower loads on foundations

-Become a valuable, contributing member of your company’s design team

-Gain working knowledge of the design of shallow through deep foundation systems for wind turbines including ground improvement

Instructors include skilled professionals from Vestas Technology, Con Tech Systems, Ltd., Renewable Energy Systems Americas, Inc., Earth Systems Global, Inc, and the University of Wisconsin Madison.

Download the brochure and register here: http://epdfiles.engr.wisc.edu/pdf_web_files/epd/L771.pdf

Tillsonburg Selected by Siemens for Turbine Plant

2010-12-10T11:49:00.013-06:00

Siemens has recently announced that Tillsonburg, Canada will be the home of a new wind turbine blade manufacturing facility. Siemens expects to invest more than $20 million into the project.

The creation of the facility is expected to create 300 jobs along with 600 related jobs during the construction process.

On hand to help with the announcement was Brad Duguid, Ontario's Energy Minister who said, "I've had the opportunity in the last seven day to announce 1,700 clean energy jobs across the province. That's something."

The blade factory will be located in an existing 253,000 sq. ft facility. The factory will be the first manufacturing plant for wind turbine parts in Canada.

Rene Umlauft, CEO of Siemens Renewable Energy said in a press release, "By investing in a new blade production facility in Canada, Siemens is pushing further ahead with the regionalization of its wind manufacturing network in important markets." Umlauft continued stating, "Canada is one of the Top 10 wind power markets in the world by installed capacity."

Currently Siemens has eight projects commissioned or underway in Ontario and Manitoba.

In 2009 Canada saw wind power capacity climb by 40 percent, providing enough electricity to power more than one million homes. Canada's wind power capacity is expected to continue to climb providing enough electricity for 11 percent of the country's total power generation by October 2020.

Renovations to the Tillsonburg facility will begin in late December, and it its expected to be ready for production by October 2011.

Alternative & Renewable Energy Tax News Alert

2010-12-08T10:22:00.010-06:00

On Thursday evening Mark Baucus, Senate Finance Committee Chairman released a proposed tax legislation the "Middle Class Tax Cut of 2011," which would include permanent extensions of Bush-era tax cuts of house holds with incomes less than $250,000, changes to the estate tax, and a variety of additional business tax extensions. Developers and investors in new energy technologies are particularly int rested in proposed legislation that would renew several expired or expiring tax provisions.

For more information regarding the "Middle Class Tax Cut of 2011" click here.

Broadwind Energy to Provide Towers for Wisconsin Wind Farm

2010-12-06T09:48:00.007-06:00

Illinios based Broadwind Energy recently revealed that its Wisconsin-based subsidiary, Tower Tech Systems will supply the Glacier Hills Wind Park project located in Central Wisconsin.

The wind farm is being developed by WE Energies with the design and construction services being provided by a partnership between the Boldt Company and Michels Corportaion.

Construction of the project began in May of this year with expectations of the turbines being installed "in the very near future."

Vestas will be manufacturing the turbines for the Glacier Hills Wind Park project and believes the turbines are capabile of generating enough power to supply up to 45,000 homes with electricity.

Wisconsin Wind Energy Facts

2010-11-27T11:29:00.013-06:00

Wind Projects and Potential

Wisconsin currently ranks 18th for total installed wind capacity

Percentage of Wisconsin power provided by wind in 2009: .66%

Wisconsin wind farms now online could power the equivalent of more than 110,000 homes

Wisconsin's wind resource is ranked 16th in the United States

Wisconsin's wind resources could provide over four times the states current electricity needs

Economic & Environmental Benefits

Investment in wind power is an investment in both long-term jobs in manufacturing and operations as well as temporary jobs during the construction of the wind project. In addition, wind power projects produce lease payments for farmers and increase the tax base of rural communities. Generating wind power creates no emissions and uses no water. The wind power installed in Wisconsin will avoid over 760,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

Total direct and indirect jobs supported in 2009: 2,000-3,000

Annual property tax payments by wind project owners: $870,000

Annual land lease payments: $1.35 million

The wind industry creates opportunities for suppliers throughout the supply chain. At least 21 facilities in Wisconsin manufacture components for the wind energy industry and two more are announced.

Events

Wisconsin exhibitors at WINDPOWER 2010: 48

Wisconsin Wind Works Sees Success

2010-11-19T11:07:00.001-06:00

The Wisconsin Wind Works has seen significant growth over the past year in growing the wind energy industry in the State. The Wisconsin Wind Works is a consortium of wind energy suppliers and manufacturers established by the New North, Inc.

This year the Wisconsin Wind Works Supply Chain Directory, a listing of companies involved in producing components and providing services to the industry added 40 companies. This has brought the statewide total to 279. Of the companies 68 percent reported they are currently supplying the wind energy market. This is a 24 percent increase from 2009.

Jerry Murphy, Executive Director of the New North, Inc. is pleased with the statistics and results of the New North and Wisconsin Wind Works to promote the assets of Wisconsin and capabilities of the companies within it. “With our state’s excellent advanced manufacturers and the success of our technical colleges in training workers for this industry, people across the country are recognizing that Wisconsin is the ideal place for component production and other wind energy services.”

On October 13th, the Wisconsin Wind Works hosted a wind energy symposium in Milwaukee which drew over 300 attendees. Attendees traveled from far and wide to attend the symposium form states as far away as California, Vermont, Florida and Texas. Ninety-five of the attendees were new contacts and business leads for Wisconsin Wind Works. As a result of the symposium three new companies joined the Wisconsin Wind Works Alliance as a result of the conference.

Wisconsin Wind Works also launched its new website–www.wiwindworks.com– in October and has received hundreds of visitors from 11 countries on four different continents. The Supply Chain Directory was redesigned to be more user friendly and offer enhanced search options and include the new category of business.

“We’re excited about the potential of this industry for the New North and the state as a whole, and we look forward to continued growth and success in the coming year,” Murphy said. “We’re also excited to report further on the efforts of Wisconsin Wind Works at the upcoming New North Summit on December 3.”

The 7th annual New North Summit will be held at the Kolf Sports Center at UW-Oshkosh. The efforts of Wisconsin Wind Works will be highlighted during the event, which will also feature Oshkosh-based Renewegy, LLC demonstrating their model wind turbine.

For more information on the Summit, please visit http://www.newnorthsummit.com.

State Support Sealed the Deal for Shirley Wind

2010-11-16T22:03:00.002-06:00

Earlier this week, I had the privilege of attending a celebration of Shirley Wind, Wisconsin’s newest commercial wind installation. Located in the Brown County township of Glenmore, a mere 15 miles southeast of Lambeau Field, the project consists of eight Nordex N100 turbines rated at 2.5 megawatts (MW) apiece. All eight turbines are fully erected and will be turned on individually as part of the commissioning process. Commercial operation should begin in a few weeks.

There are many features of this project that stand out. The most obvious one is the turbines themselves, which are the tallest in Wisconsin and are among the tallest in North America. The nacelle is perched on a 100-meter tower (330 feet). Attached to the rotor are three blades extending 50 meters (165 feet). For comparison purposes, the tower is more than 60 feet taller than the next largest turbine in Wisconsin, the Vestas V82, and the blades are about 30 feet longer. According to Michels Wind, the general contractor for Shirley Wind, the spread foundations supporting these turbines are the largest in North America.

Between their height and blade length, Shirley Wind’s eight turbines will be the most productive wind generators in the state. The power conversion zone of a Nordex N100 is one-third larger than those of the Vestas and GE turbines located in Fond du Lac and Dodge counties. The turbine’s productivity is enhanced by the favorable wind resource that flows over the relatively flat terrain in southeast Brown County. All told, Shirley Wind’s turbines should produce about 64 million kilowatt-hours of electricity each year, which will exceed the annual output from the 20 turbines at the 30 MW Montfort installation in Iowa County, now in its 10th year of operation.

Another praiseworthy feature of Shirley Wind is the degree of local participation in the manufacturing and construction of the project. The towers were fabricated in Manitowoc by Tower Tech Systems. Manitowoc Crane supplied the giant crane that assembled the turbines. Brownsville-based Michels Wind Energy, which was also the general contractor for the 86-turbine Forward Energy Center surrounding its headquarters, organized and oversaw all facets of project construction. Numerous Wisconsin-based subcontractors, consulting engineers and natural resource professionals also made significant contributions to Shirley Wind. And Emerging Energies, the enterprising developer that started prospecting in this area in 2004 and drove the project forward across the finish line six years, is a Wisconsin corporation whose principals have deep roots in the Badger State.

It is no accident that the Shirley Wind project sets a new standard for Wisconsin content and participation. From its inception, Emerging Energies sought to maximize the benefits of windpower development to two important constituencies: Wisconsin businesses and the local community. As it turned out, its decision to partner with Tower Tech was a money-saving proposition, due to the very short distances needed to haul 80-ton tower sections from Manitowoc to the project site 25 miles away.

To build support among local officials, Emerging Energies agreed to set aside a portion of their receipts for compensating local governments and project neighbors, even though such payments are not required on power plants under 50 MW. The developer devised an innovative arrangement that allocates one-third of this revenue pool to the Town of Glenmore, one-third to Brown County, and one-third to project neighbors living within a certain distance of a wind turbine. This commitment to equitable distribution of revenues was no doubt instrumental in helping Emerging Energies secure a conditional use permit from the township in March 2007. This would have been no mean feat for a seasoned wind developer, let alone a relative newcomer to the industry.

With permit in hand, Emerging Energies set out to find an entity with an appetite for renewable energy. Initially, the developer approached Wisconsin utilities, which are required under 2005 Act 141 to increase the renewable energy content of the electricity they sell. However, by the time Emerging Energies started knocking on their doors, the utilities were already moving forward with their own acquisition plans, which emphasized owning and operating renewable generation sources over purchasing renewable electricity from third parties.

However, the same state law created another entity that needed to acquire renewable energy, namely, the State of Wisconsin. Under Act 141, which was signed into law in March of 2006, the State is obligated to source, by 2011, 20% of the electricity it consumes, or 184 million kilowatt-hours per year, from renewable resources. For state government officials, the purchasing requirement presented an opportunity to back an in-state wind project that could showcase Wisconsin’s prowess in manufacturing and construction as well as bolster the local economy. As a modest-sized project that had assembled a highly capable project development team, Shirley Wind shaped up to be an ideal fit for the State’s aspirations.

Because only utilities can legally sell electricity at retail, the State of Wisconsin and Emerging Energies needed to engage Wisconsin Public Service Corporation (WPS), the local utility, in a purchasing agreement that could allow the project to move forward. This was accomplished under a novel arrangement that allows WPS to purchase both electricity and renewable energy credits from Shirley Wind under a 20-year contract and resell the credits to the State of Wisconsin. The project is interconnected to a nearby WPS distribution-level substation, which enables Shirley Wind’s output to be directed into the host community and environs.

With this three-way arrangement in place, Emerging Energies then sold a 90% stake in Shirley Wind in late 2009 to an outside investor, Central Hudson Enterprise Corporation, a Poughkeepsie, N.Y.-based company. The other 10% of the project remains with Emerging Energies. Having consummated that investment, Shirley Wind cleared the last remaining preconstruction hurdle. Project construction commenced in April.

When fully operational, Shirley Wind will produce enough electricity to equal the annual consumption of approximately 8,000 households without discharging so much as an ounce of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. At the same time, the project as well as generate thousands of dollars each year in supplemental income to host landowners and their neighbors. At every step of this six-year endeavor, Emerging Energies pursued its vision of locally beneficial renewable energy development in a patient and transparent manner, which eventually bore fruit when the State of Wisconsin decided to apply the power of the public purse to seal the deal for Shirley Wind. Shirley Wind represents an auspicious debut for Emerging Energies. Hopefully, there will be more projects coming through that particular pipeline.

WIRTTEN BY: Michael Vickerman, Executive Director of RENEW Wisconsin

Menasha Corp. To Install Wind Turbines

2010-11-12T13:41:00.004-06:00

Menasha Corp. is turning green. The company is installing five electricity generating wind turbines at its headquarters off Bergstrom Road.

Menasha Corp. is expecting all of the five turbines to be installed be for the year’s end. Each turbine will generate 20 kilowatts of electricity which will help power all of the office equipment, including computers and lighting.

Along with the company’s renewable energy project Menasha Corp. is implementing a number of energy-saving electrical improvements.

“Earlier this year, we identified sustainability as one of the critical areas in which Menasha must step forward and take a market leadership position,” said Jim Kotek, Menasha Corp.’s president and chief executive officer. “Our renewable energy project is part of the corporation’s support of alternative energy solutions and our focus of becoming a leader in sustainability.”

The turbines will be purchased from Renewegy, which is located in Oshkosh. The turbines will be installed in the greenway between Menasha Packaging’s manufacturing plant and its north office building on Bergstrom Road.

Wisconsin’s Largest Wind Turbines to Begin Operating in Green Bay Area

2010-11-10T15:13:00.000-06:00

Located along the Niagara Escarpment are some of the tallest wind turbines in the nation. Each turbine rises nearly 500 feet from the ground which is only 100 feet shorter than Wisconsin’s tallest skyscraper, the U.S. Bank building.

The turbines are located in Glenmore, as part of the Shirley Wind project and are expected to start producing power later this month.

Several Wisconsin companies contributed to the effort including Michels Wind Energy of Brownsville and Tower Tech of Manitowoc. Tower Tech states that the towers produced for the Shirley Wind project are the largest they have ever produced.

“I can’t tell you how exciting it has been to watch this go up, and to feel and touch the turbines, and know that it’s Wisconsin through and through,” said Bill Rakocy project developer of Emerging Energies.

The new turbines will supply power to Wisconsin Public Service Corp. which in turn will sell energy credits to the stat to help it reach its goal of getting 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources.

Each of the new turbines will generate about 2.5 megawatts of electricity which is four times as much as the first two turbines built in Glenmore 12 years ago.

Emerging Energies predicts that the Shirley Wind project will generate enough power over the next year to meet the needs of 8,000 customers.

Floating Wind Turbines Make Wind Energy Cheaper

2010-10-22T13:06:00.007-05:00

As we all know when people decided to take on a building project that takes place on or around the water costs tend to rise. The same can be said for wind turbines, in a new study by the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) (United Kingdom) those costs can be justified by long term economic efficiency.

ETI chief executive Dr. David Clarke states, "The traditional view is that the cost of offshore wind becomes increasingly expensive as turbines are located in deeper water, due to additional expenses of supporting traditional turbine structures."

The cost of turbine foundations increase as you get into deeper water, but the wind speeds in deeper water environments are significantly stronger and more consistent, which in turn results in a more reliable and higher energy output.

The conclusions of this this study are simple, floating wind turbines are both technically and economically feasible.

Two more feasibility studies on floating wind turbines are currently under way. The first being the Nova Project, which is analyzing the potential use of vertical axis turbines offshore. The second study, the Helm Wind Project is looking into the viability of making changes to the basic design of offshore wind farms.

With data to support the building of offshore deep water wind turbines industry professionals are optimistic about the future of renewable energy.

$2.1M in funding for Wind Center

2010-10-19T21:47:00.006-05:00

The Ohio Third Frontier Commission and Advisory Board has approved a $2.1 million in funding for the creation of a Wind Energy Research Development Center. The center will be located at Stark State College of Technology.

The college, Timken Co., Stark Development Board Inc. and the Stark County Port Authority will be collaborating on the project. The awards are contingent upon funding from the Ohio Air Quality Development Authority.

The new research center will be a test facility for wind turbines. The facility will be able to test and assemble full-scale systems under real world applications and environmental conditions.

With help from the Ohio Third Frontier, Stark State College and Timken will invest upwards of $8 million for the project. The creation of the facility is expected to birth 57 part-time and eight full time jobs.

Wind Power Firm to Expand Production in Wisconsin

2010-10-11T15:00:00.000-05:00

http://www.avanti-online.com/

Danish firm Avanti Wind, has been doing business in the United States for many years, making service lifts used by technicians for inspecting and repairing wind turbines.

Avanti Wind has recently moved its production of aluminum ladders from Germany and China to Wisconsin. Even though the pace of wind development has slowed across the country Kent Pedersen, Avanti’s U.S. general manager stated we have done quite well in expanding our customer base in North America, and we’ve continued to grow in 2010 compared to 2009 and we expect that to continue next year.”

The local expansion of Avanti is a small example of creating jobs in which local economic development official’s hope will be a growth sector for Wisconsin.

Manufacturing is one of Wisconsin’s biggest industries and professionals in the wind industry are looking towards the state to help facilitate the industries growth. “It’s a market we look at and we see growth, we see jobs and we see capital investment,” said Jim Paetsch, business development specialist with the Milwaukee 7 regional economic development group, during the Wisconsin Solar Decade conference.

Click for more on this article.

World’s Largest Wind Farm Opens in the UK

2010-10-01T16:10:00.000-05:00

On Thursday the world’s largest off shore wind farm opened off the British coast consisting of 100 wind turbines capable of supplying enough electricity for 200,000 homes a year.

The farm is located off the coast of Kent in Southern England and is part of a key renewable energy initiative spearheaded by the previous British government.

Vattenfall a Swedish based company will operate the farm after investing around $1.38 billion into the project.

Waters off the coast of the United Kingdom are an alluring place for wind farm operators because of their constant ocean winds. An offshore turbine located around the United Kingdom has the capability to produce 50-percent more power than a similar one elsewhere in Europe.

Europe is seeing a boom in offshore wind energy with the construction of 16 farms currently underway. The Thanet farm covers approximately 13.5 square miles which is roughly the equivalent to 4,000 football fields. The nearest turbine is located 7.4 miles from the coast of Margate.

Along with a renewable, efficient power supply Vattenfall stated that a rise in tourism is expected to bring more tourists into the region eager to see the site of the windmills in the distance.

Impressive as the Thanet Farm is it will not remain the largest windfarm for long, in late 2012 or 2013 the so-called London Array will start to generate electricity just north of London. Owners of the Array farm predict it to be the world’s first 1 gigawatt offshore windfarm.

2010-09-16T21:17:00.002-05:00

Four Wind Turbines Spin in the Wind Outside SCA Tissue in Neenah, Photo Courtesy of Marketplace Magazine

Marketplace Magazine Features Local Companies Adopting Wind Energy

Several New North companies have adopted wind energy as an energy alternative and are seeing lower utility rates as a result. Marketplace Magazine, a magazine publication out of Oshkosh, WI recently featured several Wisconsin Wind Works member companies new wind energy operations in Northeast Wisconsin.

The article highlights Orion Energy Systems of Manitowoc, SCA Tissue in Neenah and Bergstrom Automotive of Northeast Wisconsin who have all purchased light commercial scale wind turbines from fellow Wisconsin Wind Works member Renewegy, Inc of Oshkosh. These light commercial scale turbines help the companies reduce energy bills and support green practices.

Other Northeast Wisconsin organizations and companies have also begun adopting wind energy as an alternative including East Town Mall in Green Bay, the article explains.

Read the full Marketplace Magazine article on wind energy, written by Lee Marie Reinsch, at http://www.marketplacemagazine.com/content/588_1.php.

Learn more about Wind Energy and how your company can start participating and supplying to the Wind Supply Chain in Wisconsin and the Midwest at the Wisconsin Wind Works Wind Energy Symposium on October 13^th in Milwaukee, WI at Frontier Airlines Center.

Registration and program information available here: http://www.coalescemarketing.com/wind_symposium/email.htm

Baker Tilly Announced as Gold Lunch Sponsor for Fall Wind Energy Symposium!

2010-08-27T13:51:00.005-05:00

Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP is sponsoring the Wisconsin Wind Works Fall Energy Symposium as the Gold Lunch Sponsor. The symposium, to be held on October 13th at Frontier Airlines Center in Milwaukee, WI, will feature information on the wind energy supply chain and provide educational insight from wind experts on 1st and 2nd tier wind production and aftermarket operations and maintenance of wind turbines.

Baker Tilly, a full-service accounting and advisory firm specializes in providing deal structuring, tax credit and funding placement and works with many renewable energy suppliers to reach energy development goals. Find out more about Baker Tilly at Bakertilly.com

As part of sponsorship, Baker Tilly will be speaking during lunch and introducing the premier lunch speakers: Ingeteam and Vestas Nacelles Americas.

Wisconsin Wind Works is proud to have Baker Tilly part of Wind Energy Symposium!

Register for the event today to hear Baker Tilly speak at http://www.coalescemarketing.com/wind_symposium/email.htm

2010-08-25T12:37:00.002-05:00

Wisconsin Wind Works’ Fall Wind Energy Symposium Featured in Windpower Engineering Magazine

Wisconsin Wind Works is featured in a write up by Windpower Engineering magazine for their August online issue for the Fall Wind Energy Symposium to be held on October 13^th, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at Frontier Airlines Center. Windpower Engineering is a noteable publication in the wind industry featuring stories about wind energy design, maintenance, engineering, regulations and policies and more. Windpower Engineering provides up to date wind energy information in each magainze issue and online and is followed by wind professionals around the country.

The Fall Wind Energy Symposium will feature Wisconsin supply chain for wind and will host wind experts from around the Midwest and Wisconsin to cover topics on 1^st tier and 2^nd tier wind and aftermarket maintenance.

Vestas Nacelles Americas and new North American Wind entrant Ingeteam (INDAR Division) to present as premier speakers at Wind Works Symposium. Register now to reserve your spot to see these and more expert wind producers and suppliers on October 13^th at the Symposium.

Read the event information write up on Windpower Engineering below or at this link: http://www.windpowerengineering.com/news/one-day-symposium-at-wisconsin-wind-works/ and make sure to register for the October 13^th event at: http://www.coalescemarketing.com/wind_symposium/index.htm

Follow Symposium details on Twitter at ‘TheNewNorth’ and LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=3096644

2010-08-24T10:38:00.004-05:00

Vestas to Speak at Wisconsin Wind Works Fall Energy Symposium on Oct 13th!
Vestas Nacelles America has confirmed to speak at the Wisconsin Wind Works Fall Energy Symposium on October 13th, 2010 at Frontier Airlines Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Vestas, a leading wind turbine producer in the world, will offer an overview of wind sourcing to date and lessons learned during the companies over 25 years in the wind industry.

"Over the past 25 years we [Vestas] have succeeded in improving the generator effect of our wind turbines by a factor of 100 – and we [Vestas] constantly strive to improve.

We [Vestas] have installed more than 41,000 wind turbines in 65 countries on five continents. We [Vestas] install an average of one wind turbine every three hours, twenty-four hours a day. In fact, our [Vestas'] wind turbines generate more than 60 million MWh of energy per year, or enough electricity to supply millions of households." Source: Vestas' Web site "Track Records and Results".

Check out more information on Vestas' great work in wind industry around the world on their Web site at http://www.vestas.com/en/.

Make sure to register today to see Vestas and other Wind Industry Experts speak at the Fall Wind Energy Symposium at http://www.coalescemarketing.com/wind_symposium/email.htm.

Companies Expanision into Wind Energy Highlighted

2010-08-18T14:39:00.003-05:00

Wisconsin Wind Works, targeted growth initiative of New North, Inc, has seen record success since its beginning in 2008. From eight companies within the Supply Chain Directory at its start to nearly 300 companies participating and over 160 actively serving the wind energy market in the Wisconsin Wind Works Supply chain, Wisconsin Wind Works has proved the strong logic and the potential capacity of wind energy in Wisconsin.

In a recent article in the Sunday August 15th edition of the Green Bay Press Gazette, Wisconsin Wind Works history and local companies wind involvement was spotlighted. The article “Companies expand to accommodate wind energy” highlighted two Green Bay, Wisconsin companies within the Wisconsin Wind Works Directory, Synchrotek, Inc. and Lindquist Machine Corporation, and featured Vorpahl Fire & Safety, a Green Bay, Wisconsin company that provides protective gear designed for workers in the wind energy industry. The article focused on something businesses in Wisconsin already know: Wind energy has huge, future potential for business development in Wisconsin.

More and more companies become part of Wisconsin Wind Works each day, proving collaboration around suppliers and vendors in the wind energy market can bring success and support to Wisconsin companies and Wisconsin’s economy.

Access the complete article here: http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20100815/GPG03/8150590/Wisconsin-companies-expand-to-accommodate-wind-energy

Read more about Wisconsin Wind Works and access the growing Supply Chain Directory at www.thenewnorth.com/wisconsinwindworks.

2010-08-16T10:37:00.006-05:00

New Wind Farm Deal Confirms Large U.S. Role in Wind

United Steelworkers and two Chinese companies signed an agreement Friday August 6^th, 2010 assuring major components for the large, $1.5 billion wind farm to be built in West Texas would be manufactured by American companies within the United States.

The agreement announced the two Chinese companies anticipate buying 50,000 tons of steel from unionized American mills for the wind project. In an article in the New York Times last week detailing the agreement, explains The United Steelworkers partnership with legislators and other groups to set strict actions to ensure American jobs and good business practices between the two Chinese companies and manufacturers in the U.S.

The article in the New York Times explains Jinxiang Lu, the chairman and chief executive of Shenyang Power Group, one of the two Chinese companies working on the West Texas 615 megawatt wind farm, partnered with U.S. Renewable Energy group and United Steelworkers president Leo W. Gerard to “…understand his [Gerard’s] vision for win-win relationships between manufacturers and workers.”

This collaborative agreement, and others likes it, ensure United States manufacturers have a seat at the table for wind energy in an increasingly globalized market. The Wisconsin Wind Works initiative supports developing a stronger domestic manufacturing supply chain and works to realize the potential of an American wind technology export market.

Read more on the agreement in the New York Times article here!

2010-08-11T09:00:00.007-05:00

Wisconsin Wind Works to host Fall Wind Event on October 13th, 2010 at Frontier Airlines Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin!

Come learn about Wind Energy opportunities in Wisconsin, and gain new insight into the Wisconsin wind energy market from expert wind professionals and suppliers. Attendees can expect to learn about Wisconsin's 1st and 2nd tier wind market, develop connections with wind suppliers in Wisconsin, and have the unique opportunity to hear about aftermarket operations and maintenance for wind in Wisconsin.

Notable Wisconsin Wind energy suppliers have already signed on to be part of panels throughout the day including:

Wausaukee Composites
Ingeteam (INDAR)
Milwaukee Machine Works
Helwig Carbon Products, Inc
L&S Electric
Energy Maintenance Service (EMS)
and many many more!

Networking, food, and expert programming ensures the event to be a major success! Register today to reserve your spot at the Wisconsin Wind Works Wind Energy Symposium!

Invitation and Registration Link available here: http://www.coalescemarketing.com/wind_symposium/email.htm