Aubanel Wind Project to Supply Jobs and Economic Growth-

Cannon Power Group and Gemesa Technology Corp., Inc. recently announced that they have combined resources for the development of a string of wind farms known as the Aubanel Wind Project in Baja California, Mexico – roughly 60 miles east of San Diego. As part of a 10-year agreement, Cannon Power Group will operate as the project’s lead developer, and Gamesa – one of the world’s leading turbine manufacturers – will provide all the wind turbines installed at the project sites. The Aubanel Wind Project is expected to be one of North America’s largest wind farms with potential capacity of 1,000 MW at various stages of development. The first stage of the project calls for the installation of between 70MW to 100MW of wind turbines. Construction will begin sometime within the next 12 months, with additional assembly taking place over the next three to four years. “Cannon Power Group is one of the most experienced wind project developers in the renewable energy market, so we are very pleased to collaborate with them on this project,” said Dirk Matthys, Gamesa’s CEO in North America. “This exciting new relationship will further strengthen Gamesa’s leadership in the Mexican market where we already have a substantial presence.” Gary Hardke, Cannon Power Group’s President and Managing Director said, “We are delighted to be working with Gamesa, a pioneer in wind and one of the premier wind turbine manufacturers in the world today… Gamesa’s experience, technology and technical support will be invaluable as we move forward to develop a strong presence in the Mexican market.” Power generated from stage one of the project is going to be sold to consumers in Mexico and as additional project stages develop, power will be sold to both Mexico and U.S. customers. The development is anticipated to create extensive employment and financial growth in Baja, California – however, a considerable amount of the capital equipment will be sourced from the U.S. “This will be a win-win for Mexico and the United States — the clean power and jobs will be shared on both sides of the border,” said Hardke. “We envision this as a major cross-border project — potentially in excess of a billion dollars – - that can both stimulate the region’s economy and provide enough clean energy for over 250,000 households.”

Energy Production Companies Receive Direct Cash in Place of Tax Credits-

The United States government is doing its part to incite venture capital investments in clean and renewable energy by offering cash awards to energy production companies in place of earned tax credits. In a recent announcement, U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and U.S. Energy Secretary Dr. Steven Chu awarded $502 million in the first round of funding in an effort to help produce upfront capital – allowing companies to create jobs and begin construction that may have been put on hold. Twelve projects were awarded grants. Penascal wind farm in Sarita, Texas received the largest grant, over $114 million. The 12 winning projects would be able to produce 840 megawatts of electricity, representing a 3 percent increase in total U.S. renewable energy generation capacity. “These grants will help America’s business launch clean energy projects, putting Americans back to work in good construction and manufacturing jobs. The initiative will help double our renewable energy capacity over the next few years and make sure America leads the world in creating the clean energy economy of the future,” said Secretary of Energy Chu. Treasury Secretary Geithner said, “This renewable energy program will spur the manufacture and development of clean energy in urban and rural America, allowing us to protect our environment, create good jobs and revitalize our nation’s economy.” The agenda, introduced under Section 1602 of the Recovery Act, is anticipated to generate more than $3 billion in fiscal support for clean energy projects by supplying direct payments in place of tax credits. Over the life of the program, these direct payments will sustain around 5,000 renewable energy production facilities of all forms throughout the nation. More than 2,000 Americans will have access to jobs in the renewable energy industry as a result of this first round of funding – both in construction and manufacturing – and will bring the nation one step closer toward the goal of a clean energy economy.

Trailblazing Company to Recycle & Reclaim Landfill Trash for Waste to Fuel Facility-

R3 Environmental, a Wilmington, N.C.-based startup, is currently in negotiations with New Hanover County to construct a revolutionary facility which will sort the county’s refuse, filter recyclables and convert the organic material into biofuel (cellulose biomass). This waste-to-fuel production plant will aid to dissolve reliance on landfills, reduce the district’s carbon footprint, and moderate taxpayer costs. Not to mention, the initiative will eliminate local curbside recycling programs as the service will be performed in one centralized location to offer greater efficiency. “We’ve spent the past several years traveling the world to research technological solutions and develop best practices to address mounting landfills,” said R3 Environmental manager Dean Byrd. “We’re proud to bring the cleanest and most efficient systems to New Hanover Co., where our own families live, work and play.” R3 Environmental has also partnered with several leading environmental firms and waste and energy manufacturers to prepare for the endeavor. “R3 presents the vision and process the county and its citizens want,” commented Jason Thompson, Chair of the New Hanover Co. Board of Commissioners. “Their system will convert trash into reusable biofuels, cut down on time residents spend sorting recyclables and reduce the emissions and traffic associated with curb side recycling. A greener New Hanover is happening today.” R3 facilities will offer a sustainable system for managing solid waste by eliminating traditional disposal practices and does not require the operation of landfills, but rather incorporates the mining of existing landfills to reduce emissions and reclaim impacted lands.

Cape Wind, National Grid Strike Power Deal-


National Grid, a leading New England power utility, and Cape Wind, the controversial company behind a much-debated Nantucket Sound wind farm, filed an historic contract with the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities. Under the terms of the agreement, National Grid will purchase power from what will be the nation’s first major offshore wind farm, a facility expected to come online at the end of 2012. The move fulfills the requirements of the Green Communities Act, which mandates that all the investor-owned utilities in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts enter into long-term contracts to purchases a minimum of three percent of their energy from renewable production sources. In a statement issued by National Grid, the company’s president, Tom King, said, “It’s truly fitting that the next milestone in our nation’s clean energy revolution is taking place in the Bay State and New England. We believe this project will provide long-term economic and environmental benefits here, throughout the region, and across the nation.” Cape Wind president Jim Gordon indicated the company was looking forward to working with National Grid to diversify its energy portfolio with “pollution-free, inexhaustible wind off our shore.” The agreement, he said, firmly propels Massachusetts to the forefront of the emerging wind power industry. The Department of Public Utilities must approve the agreement, which would become active in 2013.

National Grid will purchase more than half of the wind farm’s output as well as the applicable renewable energy certificates garnered from its operation. The cost per kilowatt hour to National Grid is approximately 20.7 cents. The price, which assumes existing federal tax incentives, will increase 3.5% annually over the life of the 15-year agreement. Based on its projection of electrical rates in 2013, National Grid says consumers will see a monthly bill increase of approximately $1.59 or about 2%. (This estimate is based on a monthly consumption of 500 kWh.) King, commenting on the rate increase, said, “We recognize that all renewable energy, be it on- or off-shore wind, solar or other sources, has a cost associated with it. Carbon-based generation comes with its own set of long-term costs — to our health and our environment. Cape Wind is an investment in our future, and one that we must support if we are to achieve a lower-carbon energy portfolio.” The Cape Wind project has been a controversial one that was only approved by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar on April 28, 2010. The go-ahead ended a nine-year struggle to stop the construction of the turbines offshore in Horseshoe Shoal in Nantucket Sound. Groups like the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, Three Bays Preservation, Oceans Public Trust Initiative, and Earth Land Institute have vehemently opposed the wind farm as has the Cape Cod Times, which called it “the wrong project in the wrong place.” Audra Parker, head of the Nantucket group described Cape Wind as an endeavor that would mar “treasured public lands” in a “corporate giveaway to private industrial energy developers.” In spite of this opposition, however, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick was a supporter of the project as were a significant number of state citizens who recognized the economy benefit for Massachusetts in becoming a leader in offshore renewables. In the wake of the decision granting federal approval, Cape Wind issued a statement inviting proponents to “join the community and country in ushering in a new era of environmental stewardship, energy security and prosperity.”

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Explore easy low cost techniques to save on your electric bill. For the serious conservationist, we cover advanced topics such as solar energy and powering your home with a residential wind turbine.

Germany-based Auto Company to Offer Alternative-Energy Vehicles-

With GM and Nissan EVs about to hit the streets, Germany-based Audi (owned by Volkswagen Group) is now preparing to release a new line of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles over the next few years in a reported strategy to dominate the alternative-energy vehicle market. In an interview with Automotive News, Michael Dick, Audi’s board member for technical development reported that the next-generation A6 sedan may become a full hybrid by the end of 2012. The A6 would follow the recently announced hybrid A8 sedan at the Geneva auto show and the anticipated launch of the Q5 hybrid crossover. Hybrid capability may broaden to reach the complete Audi lineup by decade’s end. According to Dick, the auto company also intends to increase efficiency of its internal combustion engines by 30 percent and wants 5 percent of the lineup to be electric by 2020. “In the future, our customers will be able to choose from an increasingly broad range of driveline technologies,” Audi CEO Rupert Stadler said in Geneva. “We shall offer electric power in the best possible forms for a wide range of mobility needs. The hybrid driveline will be followed by all-electric vehicles.”