MidAmerican Energy completes wind farms

Brings total capacity to nearly 3,500 megawatts

Feb 3, 2016 at 2:01 pm | Print View

MidAmerican Energy on Wednesday said it has completed two major wind energy installations in Iowa, adding more than 1,200 megawatts of electric generation.

The Highland wind farm in O’Brien County, which began providing electricity on Dec. 3, 2015, is the fifth and final piece of MidAmerican Energy’s Wind VIII project — the Des Moines utility’s largest wind energy project to date.

On Jan. 30, MidAmerican completed its Wind IX project when the Adams wind farm in Adams County began providing electricity.

The two wind energy projects bring MidAmerican’s total generation from the renewable energy source to almost 3,500 megawatts, an amount that represents about 42 percent of the company’s installed generation capacity.

In a news release, Mike Gehringer, MidAmerican vice president, renewable energy, said completion of the two projects marks a major milestone for the company, which owns and operates more wind turbines than any utility in the nation.

“Slightly more than 10 years ago, MidAmerican Energy did not own any wind energy generation,” Gehringer said. “Today, wind makes up the largest share of our generation portfolio. We project that by 2017, we will generate an amount equal to 57 percent of our total retail load.”

MidAmerican plans to begin construction in the spring on the Ida Grove and O’Brien wind farms, which will add up to 552 megawatts of wind generation capacity to the existing fleet. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.

Plans call for approximately 134 turbines and up to 301 megawatts of generation capacity at the Ida Grove wind farm, and approximately 104 turbines and 250 megawatts of additional generation capacity at the new O’Brien wind farm.

Over the next 30 years, MidAmerican estimates that the company’s wind projects will generate more than $1.5 billion in lease payments to landowners and property tax payments to schools, cities and counties.

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MidAmerican Energy completes wind farms

Nearly half of British offshore wind farms 'locally sourced'

With the UK government expected to this week set out new plans for cost-effectively decarbonising the energy sector, two new reports aim to underline the economic benefits of investing in offshore wind power, despite it remaining one of the more expensive forms of renewable energy.

Analysis by BVG Associates will today show 43 per cent of the content used to build and run UK offshore wind farms has been sourced locally. The report commissioned by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), sea bed-owner The Crown Estate and trade body RenewableUK, is the first of its kind to show the level to which UK companies are reaping rewards from the expanding offshore wind industry.

FURTHER READING

The report details how the sector in the UK is well on track to meet its self-declared target for 50 per cent UK content in offshore wind farms. RenewableUK said the performance translates to £840m of offshore wind investment being retained in the UK in the past year alone.

Wind industry companies have come under pressure in recent years to prove their investments are creating local jobs by attracting new manufacturing plants or supply chain opportunities. With some earlier projects, such as Thanet offshore wind farm, sourcing only 20 per cent of its content from UK operations, fears had been mounting that the country would once again miss out on attracting local investment in manufacturing capacity, repeating the experience of the onshore wind sector.

But Benj Sykes, co-chairman of the government and industry led Offshore Wind Industry Council, predicted local content share for offshore wind farms will now increase further as the industry develops. “We expect the amount of UK content to grow as more companies base their operations here,” he said. “This includes the recent opening of a blade factory on the Isle of Wight, and Siemens’ landmark blade manufacturing and turbine assembly plant scheduled to open in Hull next year. This means more jobs and investment in local communities, proving that the offshore wind industry is making a substantial contribution to the British economy.”

The report reveals that currently the actual content in wind turbine supply remains low, at just three per cent, while most large electrical components, such as switch gear transformers, were also imported. However, UK businesses, such as Harland and Woolff and BiFab, contributed significantly to the construction of offshore platforms and foundations, and a large chunk of investment for operations and maintenance is sourced in the UK.

Meanwhile, a separate report from the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) today, predicts the wind industry as a whole could generate 366,000 jobs and €591bn in investments across the bloc by 2030.

The report predicts wind power will be the largest single source of European electricity supply by the end of the next decade, overtaking coal and gas. But it  warned the sector would only be able to secure this prospective leadership position if governments show a renewed commitment to delivering on their clean energy and climate change policies.

It comes after a separate report last week from the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicted renewable energy globally will overtake coal as the number one source of energy by the early 2030s. Renewable energy technologies accounted for nearly half of all new electricity plants in 2014, and are now the second largest power generator after coal.

The European Union has agreed to source 27 per cent of its energy from renewable sources by 2030, but it has yet to explain how that goal will be shared between member states – an uncertainty that has sparked concern across much of the wind power industry.

Today’s EWEA report calls for countries to develop national renewable energy action plans among a range of policy proposals that could help boost the industry.

The report predicts that under a “central scenario”, wind power will deliver 334,000 jobs and €474bn in investments by 2030. But this could rise significantly to 366,000 jobs and €591bn if the EU shows a stronger commitment to helping the industry succeed, the EWEA added.

“Wind power can be the foundation of the European energy system within the next 15 years,” said Giles Dickson, chief executive of EWEA in a statement. “Wind power makes economic sense. But policymakers must demonstrate more determination than is on show today. Wind power can deliver economic growth in Europe by boosting investments, creating jobs and reducing electricity bills. A new market design, a reformed ETS and rigorous accountability on 2030 targets are essential if these goals are to be achieved.”

The wind energy industry has enjoyed an impressive run of form, as costs have fallen and ever more efficient onshore and offshore turbines have emerged. The pace at which the sector’s impressive expansion continues now rests to a large extent in the hands of Europe’s policymakers.

Nearly half of British offshore wind farms "locally sourced"

Costa Farms Share Tips for Growing Orchids for Mother's Day

Miami, FL (PRWEB) May 08, 2015

Mother’s Day is right around the corner and spending for the holiday is on the rise.

A recent survey by the National Retail Federation found that families will spend a record $173 on mom this year. And aside from greeting cards, flowers are the most popular gift. Choose a moth (phalaenopsis) orchid that will flower for months and even years to come.

Orchids are highly coveted ornamental plants. Delicate orchids symbolize a mother’s love, beauty and strength. They look and feel luxurious but are actually very affordable.

“Orchids are the perfect gift for Mother’s Day because they’re so chic and easy to grow,” says Justin Hancock, garden expert at Costa Farms. “These exquisite plants reward with fabulous blooms for months and months.”

Here are Hancock’s tips to grow beautiful moth (phalaenopsis) orchids that will bloom for years and years:

Six Steps to Orchid Success

1. Selection: Pick an orchid with as many buds as you can to prolong the display. “Many homeowners buy the orchid that has the most open flowers, but that’s usually the first one to go out of bloom,” says Hancock.

2. Water: Water once a week or when bark or moss is almost completely dry. Allow orchids to dry out before re-watering and never leave orchids in standing water.

3. Location: Place orchids in a well-lit area, but not in direct sun. Moth orchids grow under trees and get sunburned in direct sunlight. Help orchids to thrive by placing them near east- or west-facing windows. If the plant receives too little light, it will not bloom. The larger the leaves of an orchid variety, the less light it needs.

4. Humidity: Orchids need humidity. Pair orchids with other plants that release moisture as they breathe or sit a humidifier next to the orchid.

5. Temperature: Keep them warm. Moth orchids love temperatures between 70 and 80F and about 10 degrees cooler at night.

6. Feed: Moth orchids bloom once a year, usually in winter when nights are cool. Fertilizing regularly in the spring and summer months will help it to grow, too.

Remind mom that just like her, orchids are more than just a pretty face. They provide oxygen and are great natural air filters that clean indoor air of carbon dioxide and other toxins. Learn more about growing orchids at CostaFarms.com.

About Costa Farms: Costa Farm s is one of the nation’s largest growers of ornamental plants. Founded in 1961 by Jose Costa, Costa Farms is a third-generation, family-owned business that globally stretches over 3,500 acres and employs 4,000 people. Along with thriving indoor and bedding plant divisions, Costa Farms operates merchandising and young-plant production divisions as part of its infrastructure, with operations domestically in South Florida and North and South Carolina, and abroad in the Dominican Republic and Far East.

Costa Farms Share Tips for Growing Orchids for Mother"s Day

Two More Indiana Wind Farms Join NIPSCO Complaint over Tx Upgrades

By Michael Brooks

Two of the world’s largest wind farms have joined a complaint against Northern Indiana Public Service Co., asking the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to cut the $35.8 million bill the utility assessed them and others in connection with transmission upgrades needed to reduce congestion that has caused frequent curtailments.

NIPSCO charged Fowler Ridge, Meadow Lake and seven other wind farms $50.4 million to build the upgrades and an additional $35.8 million to operate them over 35 years.

FERC ruled Dec. 8 that the 1.71 multiplier NIPSCO used to calculate the operating costs is too high. But it denied a request by the original complainant, E.ON Climate and Renewables North America, to eliminate it entirely. Instead, it directed NIPSCO and E.ON to enter settlement proceedings to determine a fairer rate (EL14-66).

The owners of the Fowler Ridge and Meadow Lake wind farms, located in western Indiana, filed their complaint last week (EL15-34), saying they wanted to ensure they would share in any refunds resulting from the resolution of the E.ON case.

Fowler Ridge and Meadow Lake companies were part of a group of Indiana wind farm owners that negotiated last year with NIPSCO a transmission upgrade agreement to alleviate congestion on the utility’s system.

E.ON estimated its Pioneer Trail and Settlers Trail wind farms, with 300 MW of combined capacity, lost between $9.8 million and $11.7 million in 2013 when grid operators forced them to curtail their output due to congestion.

Because MISO’s Tariff does not include a procedure for calculating the cost of transmission upgrades that require customer funding, the RTO instructed the wind companies to deal with NIPSCO directly.

E.ON said it immediately objected to the operating cost multiplier but that both MISO and NIPSCO refused to file the agreement on an unexecuted basis — an action that would have allowed FERC to rule on it before it went into effect. NIPSCO also refused to go through with the upgrades unless E.ON and the other companies signed the agreement and paid the total cost upfront, E.ON said.

“[G]iven the continuing curtailments, the only avenue was to agree to the terms of the proposed” agreement and hope that FERC would find it unjust once it was filed in February 2014, E.On said. FERC accepted the agreement in late March, and E.ON filed its complaint in June.

The 600-MW Fowler Ridge, jointly owned by BP Wind Energy North America and Dominion Resources, and the 526-MW Meadow Lake, owned by EDP Renewables North America, rank among the largest wind farms in installed capacity. Collectively they make up 73% of Indiana’s total wind capacity, according the U.S. Department of Energy.

Two More Indiana Wind Farms Join NIPSCO Complaint over Tx Upgrades

Wind farms generate €12b in value

Business Nature Netherlands

Wind farms generate €12b in value

According to Natuur & Milieu (Nature & Environment), wind farms on the sea provide billions to environmental gains, if the social benefits are included.

The study the environmental organization published today states that if the avoided climate damage, from current electricity production from gas and coal, is taken into account, the positive balanced can amount to more than 12 billion euro.

Negative climate impacts are limited by the large-scale deployment of wind energy. According to Natuur & Milieu, the social returns thereof are wrongly calculated. The public debate focus sole on the high investment costs and subsidies. The Second Chamber will debate Minister Kamp’s (Economic Affairs) plans for offshore wind farms tonight.

Natuur & Milieu asked the office SEO Economic Research of the University of Amsterdam to make a social cost-benefit analysis of the wind plans at sea. The environmental impact of CO2 emissions from the combustion of fossil materials was included in the calculations. Offshore wind farms will ultimately reduce the CO2 emissions.

According to Natuur & Milieu, wind energy is a smart insurance policy. “Wind farms save high costs for future generations. They are an excellent insurance for our (grand) children. We must invest now to reduce future damage”, says director Tjerk Wagenaar.

The organization believes that the economic cost calculations for wind energy are currently too one-sided. “We are not building wind farms to develop optimal business models, but to keep climate change within limits. Therefore it is important to include climate effects, translated into CO2 costs.” says Wagenaar. “Otherwise you get the bizarre effect that we cheer for the best business model for a windmill while in that scenario the climate damage is perhaps the greatest. A social cost-benefit analysis takes these effects into account.”

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Wind farms generate €12b in value

BBC News - Onshore wind farms subsidies would be scrapped by Tories

24 April 2014

Last updated at 04:28 GMT

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Energy Minister Michael Fallon said a “good mixture of reliable energy” was needed

The Conservatives have said they will not subsidise new onshore wind farms if they win the 2015 general election.

Energy Minister Michael Fallon said any project not granted planning permission before the election would not get funds as the UK would already have enough wind power to meet 2020 EU targets.

He also said councils in England and Wales would be given the “decisive say” on new onshore wind farms from 2015.

A Lib Dem source accused the party of pandering to its right wing.

The source said the Tories were trying to stop voters turning to UKIP.

‘No more needed’

Mr Fallon said a “good mixture of reliable energy” was needed and the government was “committed” to cutting carbon emissions.

“Renewable energy, including onshore wind, has a key role in our future energy supply,” he said.

“But we now have enough bill payer-funded onshore wind in the pipeline to meet our renewable energy commitments and there’s no requirement for any more.”

He also said his party would change the law within six months of winning the 2015 election so all onshore wind farm applications would be handled by local planning authorities.

At present large projects in England and Wales are dealt with under the “nationally significant infrastructure” planning regime.

Coalition divide

The government says there is currently enough wind power to provide energy to four million homes, forecast to rise to seven million by 2020.

Department for Energy and Climate Change figures suggest 13.8GW of UK onshore wind power capacity is already built, under construction or has been granted planning permission.

It says that will be enough to meet targets of 11-13GW even if some projects fall through.

Speaking on Tuesday, David Cameron suggested onshore wind farm subsidies might be cut

BBC political correspondent Ross Hawkins said the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats had been “at pains to point out how much they disagree about onshore wind farms”, with David Cameron “repeatedly saying” subsidies must eventually be brought to an end.

On Tuesday the prime minister said the government “shouldn’t keep subsidies for longer than they are necessary”.

On Wednesday the government announced approval of eight new renewable energy projects, including offshore wind farms and conversions of coal-powered plants to run on biomass.

Lib Dem Energy Secretary Ed Davey said the move marked a “new stage in Britain’s green energy investment boom”.

BBC News - Onshore wind farms subsidies would be scrapped by Tories

Individuals buy £3m of shares in co-operative wind farms

The investment, generated by 607 individual investors, has been hailed as a vote of confidence in the co-operative model and a signal of the appetite for alternative investments while bank interest rates remain low.

Applications for the £2.7m of shares available in The Spirit of Lanarkshire (SOL) Wind Energy Co-operative totalled £2,975,671 when the offer closed on March 20.

Those shares will now be allocated, with priority given to residents of South Lanarkshire and then the surrounding areas.

The shares will effectively give local people the chance to secure 5% stakes in two wind farms, developed and operated by Falck Renewables Wind.

The co-operative has so far provided £1m of funding to the Nutberry wind farm, near Coalburn, which has been generating income from shareholders since November.

A further £1.7m will invested in the West Browncastle wind farm, near Strathven, with the stake due to be secured on May 18.

The South Lanarkshire project represents the fifth and largest wind energy co-operative to be organised by Energy4All in Scotland.

With annual returns of 8.5% being enjoyed by investors in the first four since 2009, Energy4All said its co-operative model offers a genuine alternative for savers.

Regional development manager Paul Phare said: “It’s amazing, it’s far more than we were expecting.

“To have had a target of £2.7m and to exceed it shows the appetite for this kind of investment.”

The Nutberry wind farm, which is now generating electricity, will ultimately host six 2.5 megawatt (MW) turbines, while West Browncastle, to the west of Strathven, will have 12 2.5 MW machines. The latter is due to begin producing electricity in April.

Mr Phare, who sits on the board of the SOL co-operative, explained the campaign to attract investment initially targeted South Lanarkshire residents with local press and Facebook advertising. It was then widened out to areas bordering on South Lanarkshire such as East Ayrshire, Scottish Borders and North Lanarkshire.

Potential investors were given the chance to visit wind farms and to attend roadshows, which were held in towns such as Bothwell, Strathven and Coalburn.

Mr Phare said the minimum investment is set at £250, with the maximum limit fixed at £20,000 “so you don’t get a few individuals benefiting”.

The policy of prioritising local investors means anyone from outside South Lanarkshire and its surrounding areas who wishes to invest £5000 will not be able to commit the full amount to the co-op.

The co-op said it intends to repay members’ original investment after 25 years, but members may be able to withdraw their capital on request before then.

Mr Phare noted co-op members will have the opportunity at annual meetings to vote for the profits to be returned to shareholders on a “one member one vote basis – it doesn’t matter how much you invest”.

But he said experience at other co-ops set up by Energy4All shows that members often vote to invest profits in local community projects, such as the installation of solar panels in schools.

Mr Phare added that the model chimes with a key objective of the UK government’s community energy strategy, which seeks to build on the 5000 community energy projects already in place.

Individuals buy £3m of shares in co-operative wind farms

A Rise in Solar Powered Farms Shines Light on Need for Security Measures

Cambridge, MA (PRWEB) March 01, 2014

Last week, the United States Department of the Interior approved two additional solar projects in the Ivanpah Valley area of the Mojave Desert. These two projects together will occupy over six square miles of public land, straddling the California-Nevada border. Both plants will employ photovoltaic solar arrays as a means to harness the sun’s energy. Additionally, the output of both plants is expected to produce roughly 550 megawatts of renewable energy, enough to power over 150,000 homes.

The announcements come on the heels of the opening of the world’s largest solar thermal power plant, the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System. The plant is situated about 40 miles southwest of Las Vegas and occupies approximately five and half square miles in the California Mojave Desert. After concerns about the environmental impact on a local species of desert tortoises (and the efficiency of solar thermal power as opposed to photovoltaic) the plant has officially begun providing power to Pacific Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison. At its highest output, the Ivanpah plant can ideally produce 392 megawatts.

These two announcements highlight an increasing trend in the production of large-scale solar farms in flat, remote areas. In fact, the two farms recently approved by the Department of the Interior are the 49th and 50th renewable energy projects on public lands to be approved by the Obama administration, as part of the Climate Action Plan. As solar technology improves, and production costs decrease, larger solar plants can be constructed on vast expanses of land, providing clean power to millions of Americans.

As more people come to rely on renewable energy sources, security becomes a larger issue. These often large, flat areas are difficult to monitor, and disruption of service must be avoided. One potential solution could be utilizing a long range, wide area, thermal surveillance system. This would provide continuous monitoring of a large area, and be able to detect movement and intrusion at long distances. The Spynel-U, is a rotating panoramic infrared thermal imaging camera that provides continuous monitoring of ultra-wide areas in real time through inclement weather. The Spynel-U, manufactured by HGH Infrared Systems, can detect a human at up to 2.5 km throughout the day and night. Coupled with an effective software system developed specifically for the Spynel-U, Cyclope, unlimited targets can be tracked and trigger alarms at certain distances. This would be an effective measure for solar plants to employ to prevent expensive equipment from being stolen and damaged.

As renewable energy solutions gain traction in the United States, large scale solar power plants are becoming more and more common and are occupying larger areas of land than in previous years. Utilizing effective long range detection and surveillance devices like the Spynel family can protect equipment and ensure consistent delivery of service to customers.

About:
Founded in 1982, HGH designs, develops, assembles and sells complete high end optronics systems for security, industrial and civil applications. HGH’s team of highly qualified engineers is comprised of experts in optics, software, mechanics and electronics and operates in the US, out of Boston, MA. HGH strives to provide advanced and innovative infrared equipment to protect their clients all around the world, while keeping the agility and dedication of a small and passionate team. Speed, flexibility, technical excellence and innovation constitute their core values. HGH has established itself as an international reference for infrared technology innovation through the development of multiple advanced thermal sensors, among which its award-winning real-time 360 degree thermal camera, the Spynel-C – 2008 Product of the Year from Photonics Tech Briefs, 2010 Innovation Prize from the EuroNaval Committee, 2011 Kummerman Award from the French Academy of Marine, 2012 GovSec Platinum Award, and 2012 Govies Homeland Security Award.

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A Rise in Solar Powered Farms Shines Light on Need for Security Measures