Wind Power

Wind Power

Wind Power is the fastest growing energy resource in the world. During 2009, the United States added 9,900 megawatts of wind power capacity, this 39% increase accelerates that trend of rapid growth in recent years. A significant portion of the new wind power came online in the Great Plains states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Illinois, Iowa and Kansas.

Wind power also brought 38 new manufacturing facilities online in the U.S. in 2009. Wind power presents an important opportunity for the manufacturing industry in the Midwest. ELPC has created documents outlining specific opportunities the wind industry supply chain presents to the Midwest and more specifically, to the Dakotas, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Ohio.

ELPC’s Community Wind Financing Handbook is an important resource for communities and individuals interested in creating profit from clean, renewable wind energy.  This up-to-date guide reflects new financing opportunities available from federal energy and economic stimulus legislation, the new Farm Bill, and state incentives.

Promoting Policies to Encourage Wind Power Development

As many states are already learning, wind energy development presents a tremendous opportunity for economic growth. Environmental Law and Policy Center Senior Attorney John Moore says that’s especially true for the Midwest. According to Moore, several government policies have helped spur the development of wind power in rural America.   Listen to the interview here.

News

New Storage Batteries Can Expand Wind Power’s Potential

On a Minnesota wind farm, developers have successfully completed tests of a one megawatt storage battery that can harness excess energy produced by strong winds and send it back into the grid when wind speeds slow down. The 80 ton battery could supply power to 500 homes for 7 hours. Currently, when wind turbines produce more power than the grid needs, they have to be shut down. This type of storage technology “represents a huge leap forward,” said ELPC Policy Advocate Matt McLarty, capturing more of the wind’s energy and offering a more consistent supply of electricity from clean, renewable sources.

Read More in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader