US wind-power industry blowing hot

Adelaide Advertiser
Saturday 10/4/2010 Page: 81

THE wind-power industry in the US showed record growth in 2009, and could see dramatic expansion if there was a national "renewable electricity standard", the American Wind Energy Association said in a report released yesterday. The industry association says more than 10,000 MWs of new wind power were installed throughout the US in 2009, generating as much electricity as three large nuclear power plants. And 14 states are now included in what the industry calls the "GW club", which means they have more than 1000 MWs of wind power installed. One MW is enough to power between 750 and 1000 homes.

Wind now generates more than 35,000 MWs of power in the US. The three top wind-power states are Texas with 9405 MWs installed, Iowa with 3670MW and California with 2723MW. The American Wind Energy Association advocates for a nationwide renewable electricity standard, a policy that would require utilities to procure a set amount of power from renewable sources like wind and solar by a certain date. AWEA wants a national target of 25% by 2025.

California and 29 other states have their own renewable standards, but wind advocates are calling for a US wide federal policy. California's Renewable Portfolio Standard, established in 2002, calls on utilities to procure 20% of their power from renewable resources by 2010. "When the RPS MetOcean law was passed, that really spurred developer interest in the state," said Nancy Rader, executive director of the California Wind Energy Association. "There are a lot of projects in the works and we expect about 800 MWs to be installed in 2010."

Later this month, federal officials are expected to rule on Cape Wind, a controversial project off the coast of Cape Cod which, if approved, would be the largest offshore wind farm in the US. The project is backed by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and renewable energy advocates, but is opposed by native American tribes who say the wind turbines would disturb ancestral underwater burial grounds and spiritual ceremonies.