Offshore wind energy is a “no-regrets” option for green growth, job creation and de-carbonization, ministers and delegates heard at the opening session of EWEA OFFSHORE 2013 in Frankfurt.

But the energy projects coming online today will run for 30 years, so to ensure the right choices are made, a binding renewables target for 2030 needs to be put in place today, CEO of DONG Energy and conference chair Henrik Poulsen said.

“It has been the binding targets and not the malfunctioning ETS that has been the key driver for renewable investments in the 2020 package,” he stated.

EWEA CEO Thomas Becker, who opened the conference, warned that changes to market and regulatory frameworks in a range of EU countries were putting investment in the sector at risk.

“Even in forward-thinking Germany, there is now a question mark raised over the support for offshore wind,” Becker said. “Likewise, a lack of political commitment and discussions on electricity market reform in another major market, the UK, are blurring long-term visibility. This is hampering investment decisions. There is an urgent need for policy stability, for political certainty and market clarity, for the direction and drive a 2030 binding target for renewables set at EU level would give.”

In November, CEOs of eight companies representing 176,000 jobs and over EUR250 billion ($336 billion) annual turnover sent out a statement calling for a “stand-alone, stable and predictable 2030 framework with an ambitious binding renewables target alongside an ambitious binding greenhouse gas reduction target and a robust CO2 price”. They said this would reduce costs, help Europe’s competitiveness, bring down energy and electricity bills, and “help remove the need for renewable energy support in future.”

Speakers in the panel at EWEA OFFSHORE 2013 were the secretaries of state for energy from Sweden and Belgium, the European Commission Director-General for Climate Action, the CEO of the Vestas-MHI Offshore Joint Venture, and the Senior Vice President of Alstom Wind.

The offshore wind energy sector needs up to EUR123 billion ($165 billion) in investment between now and 2020 if it is to meet its target of 40GW of installed capacity, and the financial community is able to invest this amount, new research shows.

What’s blocking the investment is the uncertainty caused by changing regulatory frameworks, not least in the two largest markets, the UK and Germany, the independent survey of the financial community shows.

“By undermining investment stability, governments are putting green growth, jobs and a world-leading European industry at risk,” said CEO of the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), Thomas Becker, at the report launch in Frankfurt at EWEA OFFSHORE 2013 on November 20.

“Stable national frameworks and a binding EU renewable energy target for 2030 will be a green light to investors and ensure the industry continues to flourish,” he added.

The report, ‘Where’s the money coming from? Financing offshore wind farms’ comes from EWEA with research from Ernst and Young.

The full report is available on www.ewea.org. 

Cleaning the anchor bolts on a wind turbine tower for the purpose of re-tensioning and/or coating with a non-corrosive coating can be accomplished a number of ways. One of the most efficient and effective  methods used to clean rust from the anchor bolts is by using the Shipman Anchor Bolt cleaning tools.

Towers often vary  in the size of the bolt, nut and the distance of the bolt and nut from the side of the tower.  These dimensions are critical in the sizing of the tools in order to achieve maximum cleaning.  If grease is present on the bolts, Windrush and Shipman suggest that the bolts be power washed prior to cleaning with the brushes in order not to smear the grease and to keep the brushes from fouling with grease. 

The set consists of three tools: one to clean the bolt; one to clean the nut; and one to clean the top and base of the nut, washer, and tower base. This is accomplished by using a slow-speed one-half-inch electric drill with the Shipman tools. Estimated time to clean one bolt is approximately three minutes or less, depending on the condition of the fastener and the amount of rust present. The approximate amount of time to clean the typical tower with 160 bolts at three minutes per bolt would be approximately eight hours.  This time can be cut substantially by using a two or three man crew and working in succession. 

For more information about Windrush and the Shipman tools visit www.windrushllc.net or email us at sales@windrushllc.com.

For more than 40 years, Larson Electronics has supplied the industrial and commercial sectors with the latest in high-grade lighting technology and offers a host of lighting solutions ideal for wind farm projects. As professionals in the wind industry ramp up their efforts and increase productivity, they are finding illumination to play a larger and growing role in the safe and successful completion of projects. High-quality illumination is pivotal to maintaining a safe and efficient work site, and project managers can realize improved performance through the introduction of newer lighting technologies such as LEDs.

The Larson Electronics EPL-FL1524-LED-X24-100 Low Voltage LED work light provides an excellent choice for operators who need a rugged low voltage lighting solution capable of providing the quality illumination needed for detail oriented electrical and inspection related tasks associated with tower installation. This LED work light is designed similarly to fluorescent tube drop lights, but features a high output LED lamp assembly that virtually eliminates the potential for lamp failures due to rough handling without compromising light output or quality. Unlike incandescent hand lamps which produce yellowish light and a prodigious amount of heat, this LED work light produces clean white light that is ideal for close work such as joint inspection and wiring installation, and runs cool so workers can forget about accidental burns.

The EPL-FL1524-LED-X24-100 LED work light produces 1,450 lumens of light output without shadowing or beam irregularities and runs from 12 VDC current provided by an included waterproof step down transformer. The casing is formed from aluminum for durability and light weight, and an annealed glass tube cover with rubber bumper isolators provides rugged protection against abusive work conditions. 100 feet of abrasion resistant cord provides ample working length, and an integral aluminum hanging hook offers easy overhead mounting. This LED work light represents the next step in work lighting technology and provides the enhanced performance and durability needed for demanding construction environments.

Larson Electronics offers a wide variety of lighting solutions geared towards the industrial construction sectors and as a manufacturer can tailor equipment according the customers needs and requirements.

For more information about the EPL-FL1524-LED-X24-100,  or to view all of Larson Electronics’ lighting solutions, visit www.larsonElectronics.com, or call 800-369-6671 (domestic) or 1-903-498-3363 (international).

Helwig Carbon has announced the launch of a new line of shaft grounding systems to protect motors from bearing failure, a major cause of motor downtime. The stock kits fit most motors and various shaft sizes. They are easy to install, maintain, and work effectively in contaminated environments. Helwig’s grounding assemblies divert static and induced electrical currents in the motor shafts away from the bearings, protecting them from pitting and potential damage.

Several methods are available to reduce or eliminate the path the induced electrical currents can travel.  Among these Helwig’s Bearing Protector is a wise choice. The Helwig Bearing Protector is designed for a multi-year lifespan  while maintaining low shaft potential, minimizing your chance of having stray currents pass through the bearings.  The Bearing Protector is a cost effective way to keep shaft voltage to a minimum.

Helwig Carbon has over 85 years experience manufacturing precision machined carbon brushes, vanes, bearings, bushings, and seals. Helwig is one of the last American-owned carbon companies. They are known for fast, reliable service, high quality workmanship, and on-time deliveries.

For more information, or to download a .pdf file about the product, visit www.helwigcarbon.com/literature.html or call 414-362-6241.

Cleco Tools, a business unit of Apex Tool Group, LLC, has  announced the new Heritage Series of material removal products. The new 216, 236, and 25 Series Grinders utilize the latest in advanced alloy materials and improved motor technologies to deliver industrial grinders that offer increased durability and power, yet are lighter and more capable than ever before.

The Cleco 216, 236, and 25 Series is engineered for heavy-use, industrial applications and built to deliver unmatched productivity and maximum material removal with minimum operator effort. Each series was precisely engineered to provide the power and durability required for the user’s application: Series 216, 0.7 HP; Series 236, 0.9 HP; Series 25, 1.4 HP. Now available in high visibility Cleco orange, the Heritage Series Grinders come in over 60 configurations. Compatible with industry standard abrasives, the Heritage Series Grinders offer configurations up to 1.4 HP and up to 25,000 rpm.

Key features include:

• Advanced lightweight alloy housing for durability and weight savings
• Motor technology delivers up to 27% more power without increasing tool size
• Power-to-weight ratio improved by as much as 114%
• High-visibility Cleco Orange product color
• Parts interchangeability with the Cleco Series 116, 136, and 15
• Designed, engineered and made in the USA

For more information on Heritage Series Grinders, visit www.clecotools.com,  or call  800-845-5629.

Joined by state and local government officials, customers and special guests, Siemens Energy recently formally inaugurated its state-of-the-art wind service training center in Orlando. The center that provides highly advanced technical and safety training for installation and service technicians working at wind energy projects located throughout the Americas region.

The new $7 million facility is a milestone for Siemens as the company’s wind service business continues to grow, and the need for skilled technicians increases. Siemens currently provides service and maintenance for more than 3,000 installed turbines in the Americas region and 6,800 globally, with a combined generating capacity of 15GW. As more projects come online in the U.S. and across the region, highly skilled technicians will be needed to provide the long-term service and maintenance required to help insure the turbines operate at peak production, availability and reliability levels.

The training center provides trainees with the industry’s highest level of safety training and equips them with the advanced technical skills needed to service and maintain wind turbines. Siemens will also train the technicians who work on the installation of wind turbines in the Americas, with training specifically designed to address the installation process and related safety requirements. In addition, the advanced training at the center will be made available to technicians from Siemens’ wind power customers.

Built based on LEED Gold green-building standards, the 40,000-square-foot building is located near the global headquarters of Siemens‚Äô Energy Service division and features the latest Siemens’ wind technologies which are used in the hands-on safety and technical training. Two full-size nacelles, three 30-foot high climbing towers, ladder structures, electrical and hydraulic modules, and a service crane station are located within the center, making training, safety and rescue simulations as realistic as possible.

The center will host more than 2,400 trainees annually from the U.S. and the Americas. Siemens committed to creating 50 new full-time jobs associated with the training center. 

For more information, visit www.energy.siemens.com. 

GE recently announced PowerUp, a customized software-enabled platform that will increase a wind farm’s output by up to 5 percent taking into account environmental conditions. For the average U.S. wind farm operator using GE’s 1.5-77 turbine, a five percent increase in energy output translates to up to a 20 percent increase in profit per turbine. PowerUp is available for turbine models across GE’s installed base.

“To put things in perspective, today our customers have more than 9,000 GE 1.5-77 turbines running in the United States,” Anne McEntee, president and CEO of GE’s renewable energy business, said at the announcement. “Even a 1 percent energy output increase on this installed base would generate more than 420,000 megawatt hours of additional energy each year, which would provide the equivalent power used by 33,000 average U.S. homes”.
 

When PowerUp is activated, a GE software program performs a complete before-and-after wind farm power performance analysis, validating the performance improvement. By adjusting performance dials that include speed, torque, pitch, aerodynamics and turbine controls, PowerUp seeks to maximize the power output of a wind farm.
 

For more information, visit www.ge-energy.com.

Gamesa has signed an agreement with Iberdrola under which it will supply 202MW in the U.S. Specifically, Gamesa will supply 101 G97-2.0MW turbines for the Baffin wind farm project being developed by Iberdrola in southern Texas. The wind turbines are scheduled for delivery mid-2014, while the facility is slated for commissioning towards the end of next year. This agreement marks the largest single order for this WTG.

The Baffin wind project is still under development, and the decision to proceed is contingent upon local government approval. Iberdrola is well positioned to utilize the 202MW of turbines at other possible U.S. sites.
 

The wind farm project is the last phase of Iberdrola’s Pe√±ascal complex which, once commissioned, will have capacity of 606MW, generating enough power to supply 210,000 households and prevent the emission of 850,000 tons of greenhouse gases every year.
 

For more information, visit www.gamesacorp.com or www.iberdrolausa.com.

Vestas has received a 400MW order from Duke Energy Renewables for two wind energy projects in Texas. The projects–Los Vientos III and Los Vientos IV–will include a total of 200 V110-2.0MW turbines, to be installed in southern Texas. Deliveries for Los Vientos III and IV are scheduled to begin in the first half of 2014, with commissioning expected in 2015 and 2016.

It is Vestas’ largest turbine order globally since 2010.
 

“Continuing our partnership with Duke Energy, one of the largest utilities in the United States, is really important to Vestas,” said Chris Brown, president of Vestas’ sales and service division in the United States and Canada. “We won this deal in a very competitive process and thank Duke for its faith in Vestas to deliver high quality services and products such as our new V110-2.0MW turbine. These turbines will be able to power nearly 120,000 Texas households with clean, reliable electricity for decades. This order also will keep our U.S. factories busy and create jobs for Vestas service technicians who ensure the turbines are producing the maximum amount of power.”
 

Vestas’ factories in Colorado will manufacture blades, nacelles and towers for these projects. Once Los Vientos IV is finished, it will be the 10th major wind-energy project in Texas to use Vestas turbines.
 

For more information, visit www.vestas.com or www.duke-energy.com.

Broadwind Energy, Inc. recently announced $106 million in tower orders from a U.S. wind turbine manufacturer. Broadwind will produce these towers in its Manitowoc, Wisc. and Abilene, Texas facilities. Since the start of 2013, Broadwind has recorded $306 million in new tower orders.

“I am pleased to report that this tower order brings us within reach of filling our planned 2014 tower capacity,” said Peter C. Duprey, president and CEO of Broadwind Energy. “At the same time, we continue to work with customers to begin to build additional visibility into 2015.”
 

For more information, visit www.bwen.com.

Siemens Canada has received an order from Samsung Renewable Energy, Inc. and Pattern Energy Group LP (Pattern Development) for the Grand Renewable Wind Project. Located in the County of Haldimand in southern Ontario, the Grand Renewable Energy Park will consist of 100MW of solar power and 150MW of wind power. Under the agreement, Siemens will supply, deliver and commission 67 units of its SWT-2.3-101 wind turbines. The deal also includes a three-year service and maintenance agreement.

As part of the commitment to the green energy economy in the Province of Ontario, the wind turbine blades for the project will be manufactured at the Siemens facility in Tillsonburg, Ontario, and towers and steel for the turbines will be sourced from local suppliers as well. The nacelles and hubs will be supplied by the company’s nacelle assembly plant in Hutchinson, Kansas. Commercial operation at the Grand Renewable Energy Park is expected to begin by fall of next year.
 

For more information, visit www.energy.siemens.com.

PSO has signed agreements for the long-term purchase of nearly 600MW of wind energy from facilities currently under development in northwestern Oklahoma and the Oklahoma panhandle.

Long-term Renewable Energy Purchase Agreements (REPAs) totaling 598.7 megawatts will provide PSO customers with energy from wind farms near Seiling, Balko, and Goodwell beginning in 2016. The agreements are for 20 years and are subject to approval by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.
 

The new REPAs are a result of a Request for Proposals (RFP) issued June 10, 2013, in which PSO sought long-term purchases of up to 200MW of new wind energy resources.
 

The decision to contract for an additional 400MW was based on pricing opportunities that are expected to lower costs for PSO’s customers by an estimated $53 million in the first year of the contracts. Annual savings are expected to grow each year over the lives of the contracts.
 

The new series of 20-year agreements includes: 199.8MW from Balko Wind, LLC, owned by Apex Clean Energy Holdings, LLC; 198.9MW from Seiling Wind, LLC, owned by NextEra Energy Resources, LLC; and 200MW from the Goodwell Wind Project, LLC, owned by TradeWind Energy.
 

For more information, visit www.psoklahoma.com.

Kevin Alewine, director of Renewable Energy Services for Shermco Industries, has been appointed to the Operations, Performance and Reliability Task Force for U.S. Department of Energy Wind Vision Project.

The DOE Wind Program is working in close cooperation with the wind industry to revisit the findings of the 2008 DOE 20% Wind Energy by 2030 report, and to develop a renewed vision for U.S. wind power research, development, and deployment. The task force will be involved in examining industry progress and how recent developments and trends have impacted the 2008 conclusions. They will also facilitate discussion of the costs and benefits to the nation arising from more wind power, and will work to develop a road map addressing the challenges to achieving high levels of wind within a sustainable national energy mix.
 

In addition to documenting and analyzing the current status of wind technologies and the wind industry, the objectives of the initiative are to:

Provide leadership in development of a cohesive long-term vision for the benefit of the broad U.S. wind power community; Analyze a range of aggressive but attainable industry growth scenarios; Provide best available information to address stakeholder concerns; Provide objective and relevant information for use by policy and decision makers.
 

“I am honored to be appointed to this task force and look forward to representing the industry to the best of my abilities,” said Alewine.

Alewine is the Director of Renewable Energy Services for Shermco Industries with a focus on business development in the wind energy business sector including both maintenance services and community wind projects. He has extensive global experience with both the manufacture and repair of electrical machinery, including wind turbine generators.
 

Kevin is an active member of several IEEE and American Wind Energy Association working groups and is the Co-chair of the AWEA Operations and Maintenance Working Group responsible for developing and maintaining recommended practices for wind energy asset maintenance and operations management.
 

Kevin is also the Technical Program Chair of AWEA’s WINDPOWER 2014 Conference & Exposition to be held in Las Vegas on May 5-8, 2014.
 

For more information, visit www.shermco.com.

EverPower Wind Holdings, Inc. has been selected to compete for contracts to provide renewable energy to U.S. Army and potentially other Department of Defense facilities. The company has been deemed qualified to develop, finance, design, build and own wind energy plants that will power facilities with a clean, renewable source of domestic power. EverPower Wind Holdings partnered with GE’s wind turbine business and the Tennessee Valley Infrastructure Group (TVIG) to provide a strong team to develop, construct and operate best–in–class wind projects.

The largest single consumer of energy in the world, the Department of Defense is mandated to meet at least 25 percent of its facilities’ energy needs with renewable energy by 2025.
 

In total, the Department of Defense has committed to invest more than $7 billion to deploy three gigawatts of renewable energy in Army, Navy and Air Force installations by 2025, the equivalent of powering 583,000 homes.
 

“EverPower is pleased to have been chosen to support the Army Corp and the Department of Defense in their efforts to add renewable energy to their energy supply,” said Jim Spencer, EverPower Wind Holdings CEO. “We believe our company; along with our partners, is uniquely qualified to help the Army and DOD achieve their goal of energy security and long–term power savings from locally sited wind turbines.”
 

For more information, visit www.everpower.com.

GE finalized the installation and started the testing of 20 GE 2.5-103 wind turbines for a 50MW wind energy project under construction by GDF SUEZ Energy Romania in the town of Baleni, located in Romania’s southeastern Moldavian region. When it begins operating, the wind farm will generate enough renewable electricity to power the equivalent of 50,000 houses in Romania. GE will support the Baleni wind farm‚Äôs long-term availability through a 10-year, full-service maintenance agreement.

“We selected GE‚Äôs wind technology for its proven reliability, excellent references from the grid operator and high availability track record,” said Eric Stab, chairman and CEO of GDF SUEZ Energy Romania. “We are glad to power this wind energy project in Romania with GE turbines.”
 

In addition to supplying, erecting and commissioning the wind turbines, GE has signed a 10-year, full-service agreement to support the operation of the Baleni wind farm. The service contract includes GE’s condition monitoring system. GE will have permanent on-site support and work with local GE service and parts distribution centers to maximize availability and customer production.
 

Romania’s energy demand is expected to grow 400 MW annually until 2016, and the new wind farm could meet 12.5 percent of that anticipated growth. 
 

For more information, visit www.ge-energy.com. 

The Canadian Wind Energy Association will hold its 29th Annual Conference and exhibition from October 7-10 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario. CanWEA 2013 Conference & Exhibition is Canada’s largest wind energy conference. Organizers expect to attract nearly 200 exhibitors and 2,000 attendees from around the world to the four-day event. Participants can expect to see products and services, learn industry brand names, network with leading industry decision makers, and generate numerous high-quality business leads.

CanWEA 2013 exhibitors are leaders in the wind industry, and are dedicated to supporting CanWEA’s efforts to push forward wind energy industry policy, regulatory, and business development objectives.
Past attendees will notice a few changes and enhancements to the event over years past. Exhibition times have been condensed and scheduled as a two-day event on Tuesday and Wednesday. Additionally, the association has has added some service functions to exhibitors and attendees. CanWEA will have a theater set up on the show floor providing companies with the opportunity to showcase their products or services. CanWEA also recognizes the importance of having private spaces available for companies to hold meetings outside of their booth and off the show floor, while still staying within the walls of the show. CanWEA will have meeting rooms on the show floor this year. These rooms can be rented for the duration of the show, or can be rented by the hour.

In another first, CanWEA has added a job fair to the 2013 Conference and Exhibition. The Association has secured the participation of a number of exhibiting companies who have confirmed that they will have jobs available in the wind industry within the next year. Are you a graduating student, recent graduate, or an individual who is interested in exploring the opportunities available in the wind energy industry? If so, make plans to participate in the CanWEA 2013 Career Fair, which will be held on Wednesday, October 9 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. in Exhibit Hall D (an entrance fee of $50.00 will be charged).

CanWEA 2013 gets underway on Monday, October 7 with a one-hour exhibitors’ reception starting at 3:30 p.m., followed by the opening reception at 5 p.m.
The opening session on Tuesday borrows its topic from the host province, and is entitled: “The Wind Energy Experience in Ontario.” Ontario is the largest market for wind energy in Canada—currently with more than 2GW of wind power capacity. Presenters slated to speak are: CanWEA Board Chair Roby Roberts, Ontario Minister of Energy Bob Chiarelli, and CanWEA President Robert Hornung. Through these presentations and the acompanying roundtable discussion, participants will examine both successes and challenges for Ontario concerning wind energy, investigating how lessons learned can contribute to a long-term energy plan for the province.

The next day, the focus shifts back to Canada as a whole under the “Wind Energy Across Canada” theme. More than two-thirds of Canada’s installed wind energy capacity can be found outside Ontario. In British Columbia, Alberta and Quebec, formal processes are now underway that will determine the opportunities available for new wind energy development over the next 5-10 years. Each of these markets is unique and this plenary session will highlight wind energy’s successes in these markets to date and discuss the unique actions required in each market for wind energy to capture its full potential. This session features a procurement and opportunities update, as well as case studies and regional updates.

On the final day of the conference, the plenary session takes on “Renewable Energy Advocacy & Review of the Long Term Energy Plan.” This final half-day session shifts the topic of discussion beyond wind and into the energy renewables arena. CanWEA brings you a panel of energy association leaders and provocative key speakers including environmental activist, Ms. Tzeporah Berman, and journalist, Mr. Tyler Hamilton.

Educational sessions will be offered concurrently with the exhibition on Tuesday and Wednesday. These 90-minute sessions take a narrower focus on specific wind energy topics, such as: finance, wildlife and ecology, global markets, wind integration, operations and maintenance, siting, forecasting, and more.

More information about CanWEA’s 29th Annual Conference & Exhibition, including conference agenda, floor plan, and exhibitor directory can be found online at http://canwea2013.ca.

The Renewable Energy Storage Summit—hosted by Canadian Clean Energy Conferences—will be co-located with CanWEA 2013 in Toronto on Monday, October 7. By solving key challenges around integration, curtailment and dispatchability, energy storage is set to shift the wind business landscape and open new project opportunities across Canada.

The Renewable Energy Storage Summit will bring together wind developers and suppliers, system operators, utilities, investors and regulators to discuss the economics, finance and practicalities of energy storage and give critical insight into how the structure of the wind sector will change as a result of energy storage.

The Summit will provide the complete picture of how storage is changing the wind business including:

• Changing procurement regimes
• Changing business models
• New market opportunities
• Operational challenges
• Investor insight and market development

The Summit will be held from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

For more information, including a list of speakers, and the summit agenda, visit www.ress2013.com.

Dominion Virginia Power, a subsidiary of Dominion, on September 4 bid $1.6 million to win the lease for 112,800 acres of federal land approximately 23.5 nautical miles off the coast of Virginia to develop an offshore wind turbine farm capable of generating up to 2,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for 700,000 homes.

“Offshore wind has the potential to provide the largest, scalable renewable resource for Virginia if it can be achieved at reasonable cost to customers,” said Mary C. Doswell, senior vice president-Alternative Energy Solutions with Dominion Virginia Power. “We will now proceed with the BOEM timetable for development of the commercial wind energy area while advancing our research proposal and looking for ways to lower the cost of bringing offshore wind generation to customers.”

BOEM has several milestones that Dominion must meet to keep the lease. The lease will have a preliminary term of six months during which Dominion must submit a Site Assessment Plan to BOEM for approval. A Site Assessment Plan describes the activities (e.g., installation of meteorological towers and buoys) the lessee plans to perform for the assessment of the wind resources and ocean conditions of its commercial lease. After a Site Assessment Plan is approved, Dominion will have up to four and a half years in which to submit a Construction and Operations Plan (COP) for approval, which provides a detailed outline for the construction and operation of a wind energy project on the lease. If the COP is approved, the lessee will have an operations term of 33 years.

Dominion expects the first turbine to be installed in about 10 years pending project approval by state regulators.

The sale follows a July 31 auction of 164,750 acres offshore Rhode Island and Massachusetts for wind energy development that was provisionally won by Deepwater Wind New England, LLC, generating $3.8 million in high bids. 

“This year’s second offshore wind lease sale is another major milestone in the President’s all-of-the-above energy strategy and demonstrates continued momentum behind a robust renewable energy portfolio that will help to keep our nation competitive and expand domestic energy production while cutting carbon pollution,” said Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. “Today’s sale is the result of a great deal of collaboration and planning with the Commonwealth of Virginia, which has been a leader in advancing offshore renewable energy for the Atlantic coast and an enthusiastic partner in this effort.”

“Today’s renewable energy lease sale offshore Virginia is another significant step forward in the President’s call for action to address climate change and the Administration’s all-of-the-above energy strategy,” said Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Tommy Beaudreau. “I congratulate (Dominion Virginia Power) and we look forward to overseeing their development of the Virginia wind energy area, which will create jobs, increase our energy security and provide abundant sources of clean renewable power.” 

Eight companies, including Dominion, were approved to bid, but only two firms participated. The auction lasted six rounds.

Others that BOEM had approved to bid were Apex Virginia Offshore Wind LLC of Charlottesville, Va; Energy Management Inc. of Boston; EDF Renewable Development Inc. of San Diego; Fishermen’s Energy LLC of Cape May, N.J.; Iberdrola Renewables Inc. of Portland, Ore.; Sea Breeze Energy LLC of Philadelphia; and Orisol Energy U.S. Inc. of Ann Arbor, Mich.

Dominion is involved in other offshore wind research projects. Dominion and its team was one of seven projects selected to receive $4 million each in federal matching funds to undertake initial engineering, design, and permitting for a demonstration facility of two six-megawatt turbines with a goal of finding innovative ways to lower costs of offshore wind. The Department of Energy will select up to three of the projects for follow-on phases to move forward with the final design, permitting, and ultimate construction of these demonstration projects. The projects must be in operation by the end of 2017.

BOEM is expected to announce additional auctions for Wind Energy Areas offshore Maryland, New Jersey, and Massachusetts later this year and in 2014.

EDF EN Canada Inc., a subsidiary of EDF Energies Nouvelles, has announced that the second phase of the Lac-Alfred Wind Project (150MW) in Quebec was declared for commercial operation on August 31.
Lac-Alfred represents one of the seven wind energy projects in total awarded to the company in 2008 and 2010 through Hydro-Quebec Distribution calls for tenders. By the end of 2015, EDF EN Canada will have developed and built a total of 1,003.2 MW in the province.

The Lac-Alfred Wind Project is located in the municipalities of Saint-Cléophas, Sainte-Irène, Saint-Zénon-du-Lac-Humqui and the unorganized territory (UT) of Lac Alfred in the MRC de La Matapédia and in the municipality of La Rédemption and UT Lac-à-la-Croix in the MRC de La Mitis. The 300MW project was constructed in two phases, 150MW each, comprising of a total of 150 wind turbines supplied by REpower and made with regionally-manufactured blades, towers and converters. Lac-Alfred Phase 1 was commissioned in January 2013.

The project created more than 350 jobs during the construction phase, and will provide 15 permanent operations and maintenance jobs. Enbridge Inc., participates in Lac-Alfred (phase 1 and phase 2) as a co-owner through a 50 percent investment.

EDF EN Canada Inc.’s operation and maintenance affiliate, EDF Renewable Services Inc. will provide long-term operations and maintenance (O&M) services. Hydro-Quebec will buy the power under 20-year power purchase agreements (PPA).

For more information, visit www.edf-en.ca.