Goooood Evening SuperForest
For your reading pleasure, here’s a roundup of some of the freshest treats in renewable energy news this week!
US Installs Record Wind Power Capacity in 2009!
Last year the USA broke all previous records by installing nearly 10,000 Megawatt (MW) of new wind powered generating capacity in 2009 according to the latest American Wind Energy Association report - this is enough to serve over 2.4 million homes and place wind power on a plane with natural gas as the leading source of new electricity generation for the country! You can see a map of US wind energy projects here
Muaitheabhal Wind Farm Is Approved by Scottish Government
The first large scale wind farm planned for the Western Isles has been given the go ahead by Scottish Energy Minister Jim Mather. The 33 turbine, 118 MW wind farm at Muaitheabhal on Lewis, will provide green electricity for 55,000 homes, is committed to using locally sourced material, labour, transport and plant hire wherever possible and the Minister has imposed conditions to protect the natural environment and cultural heritage. Mr Mather said:
“Since the first proposals for a wind farm on Lewis were put forward, I have maintained that the Western Isles must be able to play its part in harnessing and benefitting from our vast green energy potential. Today, we are making that reality.”
New Mexico, New Solar Power Deal
PNM, New Mexico’s largest electric utility company, has signed a contract with First Solar to build 22 MW AC of utility scale photovoltaic solar power plants in New Mexico. If the plan is approved by state regulators, the new solar capacity could, according to PNM, produce enough power to supply 7,000 average sized New Mexico homes. First Solar expects construction at all five sites to be completed by late 2011.
Ontario Signs Up for World’s Largest Wind, Solar Clusters
Meanwhile, in Canada, the Government of Ontario signed a green energy investment agreement with a consortium of Samsung C&T and the Korea Electric Power Corporation, investing $7 billion in manufacturing and developments which will triple Ontario’s renewable wind and solar energy generation over the next 20 years.
Aaaaand, Bulgarian Wind Farm Secures Financing
And in Bulgaria, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) announced its support for the €60m financing of a wind farm project 25km inland from the Black Sea. The project will have a capacity of 60MW and is anticipated to come online in the second quarter of 2010. Currently, less than 10% of Bulgaria’s electricity comes from renewable sources, but the country has a target of 20 per cent electricity sourced from renewables by 2020.
Exciting stuff! because when the guys with the suits and the contracts and the wallets commit (and they’re not so much the quickest on the uptake) that’s when the ground is broken and the skies are opened and these things can actually happen.
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