The hard work of Western Resource Advocates has caused a major change in electric utility operations: a large energy company will decommission fossil-fueled power generation in favor of shifting to cleaner energy resources for the purpose of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The Colorado Public Utility Commission (PUC) granted final approval to Xcel Energy’s Electric Resource Plan, allowing Xcel to phase out two aging coal-fired power plants and greatly expand energy efficiency measures and use of clean, renewable energy sources.

This is the first time in the nation that a PUC has approved a utility resource plan to retire old and inefficient coal-fired power plants and replace them with cleaner, more modern resources with the goal of cutting global warming pollution.

The approval of the revolutionary resource plan marks a significant milestone in Western Resource Advocates efforts to push for large-scale reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by electric utilities in the West. WRA has worked for over a decade to compel and encourage Xcel to expand investments in clean energy technologies and reduce its reliance on fossil fuels. In recent proceedings, WRA provided extensive expert testimony on the carbon reduction and public health benefits of the Xcel Plan, key factors cited by the PUC in its approval.

“This is a pioneering decision by the PUC,” said John Nielsen, the energy program director at Western Resource Advocates. “It clears the way for Xcel to put into action what is arguably the most innovative utility resource plan anywhere in the country, and it will only strengthen Colorado’s status as a clean energy leader.”

Xcel’s innovative resource plan sets a benchmark for other utilities and other states to follow.

McCain Supports Tax Breaks For Oil Industry — But Not For Wind Power
Sep 12, 2008 (12 days ago)

Here’s something that could create political complications for John McCain in key swing states as he continues to defend measures that would maintain tax breaks for the oil industry: He recently opposed extending tax breaks for the wind-power industry. Making this more difficult for McCain, the fledgling wind-power industry is popular in key upper Midwest and central plains states — and here you have McCain protecting such tax breaks for Big Oil, but opposing them for Big Wind, or, if you prefer, Little Wind. McCain recently opposed the big $300 billion farm bill, which itself is extremely popular throughout the upper midwest, describing the bill as “a $300 billion, bloated, pork-barrel-laden bill” because of subsidies for industries like ethanol. But in a little-noticed development, the bill also contained a measure extending a tax break for developing wind power, which McCain specifically opposed. Obama backed it. According to Senator Tom Harkin, an Obama ally, the wind energy industry is employing close to 2,000 people, some concentrated in those key swing states. It’s little local issues like these that can move votes in states where the voting is expected to be

Wind Power Makes Economic Sense & Simply Works

First and foremost, wind power makes economic sense. If the price of oil drops to $50 a barrel (it won’t), the economics still work; even without government subsidies.

You see, wind can be used to generate electricity for 6 to 8.5 cents per kilowatt-hour.

For comparison’s sake, the cost of nuclear power runs about 15 cents per kilowatt-hour. Coal now costs north of 10 cents (without factoring in carbon capture and storage). And gas-fired power costs approximately 12 cents.

Keep in mind, too, that just a few years ago, wind costs rested north of 15 to 20 cents. But today, costs are low enough in some markets to compete with conventional power generation methods. And future advancements will make wind power even cheaper.

Look no further than Denmark. It already generates 20% of its electricity from wind. And Spain, Portugal and Germany boast similarly impressive penetration rates of roughly 12%, 10% and 7%, respectively.

The timing couldn’t be more perfect, either. While wind energy costs are dropping, costs for competing technologies – coal, nuclear and gas – are headed in the opposite direction.

Wind is the cost effective way our nation can start solving its oil addiction. And unlike many of the other far-fetched solutions to our energy needs …

Wind is realistically attainable.

Good investing,

by Louis Basenese, Advisory Panelist, Investment U
Associate Investment Director, The Oxford Club
Issue #856

leave it to Washington to muddle through the important issues of Tax Credits for Renewables!
T. Boone Pickens has been expending a lot of energy boosting the “Pickens Plan” to invest in natural gas and wind power. He might get more mileage if he devoted some of that time to persuading Congress to extend the tax credits that have helped fuel growth in the alternative energy field. If the credits are allowed to expire at the end of the year, the wind and solar industries may end up being as limp as a ship’s sails on becalmed seas.

Until now, the solar credits have required an annual renewal by Congress, but the top proposals currently being debated extend them for eight years. In typical Washington fashion, however, the bills are languishing.

this is the way you do Wind……….out in BFE and power with Clean Renewables!

North Dakota regulators have approved construction of North Dakota’s largest wind project, a 200-megawatt development north of Valley City. Its backers plan to spend $350 million on the wind farm and a new power transmission line.

The Ashtabula Wind project, so named because the turbines will be located just east of Lake Ashtabula, should be operating by year’s end, members of the state Public Service Commission said Friday. It includes 133 wind turbines, which will be spaced over 77 square miles in Barnes County.

“This is a major wind farm from a national perspective,” Commissioner Tony Clark said. “If you look at where wind farms are being built … there are a few larger nationally, but not a lot.”

Press Release Source: Otter Tail Corporation

Otter Tail Corporation Announces Public Offering of Common Stock; Updates 2008 Earnings Guidance
Monday September 15, 6:55 am ET

FERGUS FALLS, Minn., Sept. 15, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Otter Tail Corporation (NasdaqGS:OTTR – News) (the Company) announced today the commencement of a public offering of 5,000,000 shares of its common stock. The Company also expects to grant the underwriters of the offering an option to purchase up to an additional 750,000 shares to cover over-allotments.
The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to finance the construction of the Ashtabula Wind Center in Barnes County, North Dakota; the expansion of wind tower manufacturing facilities in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and West Fargo, North Dakota; and to fund working capital needs of the Company’s other businesses.

Today, the wind industry is experiencing record growth, and hiring new workers every day,” said Randall Swisher, Executive Director of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). “Unfortunately, many of those newly created jobs are now at risk, and urgent bipartisan action by Congress is needed to sustain the momentum of this growing clean energy industry.” According to a recent study by Navigant Consulting, failure to promptly extend the renewable energy tax incentives places at risk 116,000 jobs in the wind and solar industries and more than $19 billion in clean energy investment.

http://www.pickensplan.com/boonecam/

Boone Pickens says the Economy is SICK and the rising price of OIL is going to come home to roost globally. Cramer even saying SELL on Monday. The House of Cards we call finance sure seems to have caught a global flu.

Wind power could be impacted by legislature and ongoing problems with the financial crisis looming globally as utilities who were going to invest into wind power now asking themselves, why invest in the USA only giving a one year tax credit on wind the ability to build and profit.? Oil prices rose $7 Friday on continued dollar dropping prices globally as the world recoils from the financial disaster looming on the horizon with the dollar dropping. When the dust settles, what will the outcome for wind power be long term? Financial lending in the world is crucial for wind and other forms of power generation into future generations. Does the push for global CLEAN energy overshadow the day to day crisis in world financial markets? Does the rising cost of OIL and COAL make Wind Power more an option long term?? My guess and gut gives the edge to Wind long term but the short term financing and the USA inability to pass a tax credit for more than one year is going to slow wind power going forward.

U.K. Small-Scale Wind-Power Turbine Installs May Double in 2008

By Nicholas Larkin

Sept. 20 (Bloomberg) — U.K. installations of small-scale wind-power turbines may more than double this year as the government aims to meet renewable-energy targets and as consumers face rising electricity costs, an industry group said.

Private turbine installs may reach 7,844, compared with 3,459 in 2007, the British Wind Energy Association said yesterday in a report, using projections from manufacturers. The number of installs last year in Europe’s windiest country climbed 80 percent from 2006, it said.

Britain is seeking as much as 35 percent of its electricity from “green” sources by 2020, according to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. European governments want to increase alternative-energy production to curb greenhouse gas emissions, blamed by scientists for climate change.

The U.K.’s six biggest energy suppliers haves raised household bills twice this year, as wholesale fuel costs reached records. U.K. electricity for the six months ending March 2009 traded at a record 99.10 pounds ($181.77) a megawatt-hour yesterday, according to broker GFI Group Inc.

The increase in installations is being driven by technology improvements and the “realization that there are huge savings to be made by deploying small turbines,” the BWEA said in the report, adding that more than 13,000 units may be set up in 2009.

So-called micro-generation is production from units with a capacity of as much as 1.5 kilowatts and small wind systems are those with a capacity of up to 50 kilowatts. The generators can be freestanding or mounted to walls or roofs of buildings