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MidAmerican Energy to Double Wind Energy

MidAmerican Energy Company, already a national leader in terms of installed wind energy capacity among rate-regulated utilities, received approval Tuesday from the Iowa Utilities Board to build up to 545 megawatts of additional wind-powered electric generation in Iowa. MidAmerican currently owns and operates 360.5 megawatts of wind energy facilities in northwest and north central Iowa that have the capability to produce enough electricity to power 100,000 homes. The new projects, utilizing improved wind turbine technology, would have the capability of generating enough electricity for up to 200,000 more customers. The ultimate project size, cost and locations have not been finalized. The first phase of the expansion is scheduled to be completed in 2006. The 99-megawatt project, being constructed by Invenergy Wind Development Iowa LLC, will use 66 GE Energy 1.5-megawatt wind turbines. If the full 545 megawatts of wind generation are added by the end of 2007, MidAmerican would own or have under contract, in Iowa, more than 1,000 megawatts of wind, biomass and hydroelectric energy. Based on American Wind Energy Association information, Iowa currently has more than 830 megawatts of installed wind energy capacity, making it third in the country, behind California and Texas, in the production of wind […]

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GE Energy Financial Services Expands Renewables Unit

To accelerate the growth of its global renewable energy holdings from a nearly $1 billion base, GE Energy Financial Services announced it has significantly expanded its team of experienced finance and technical professionals serving this market. The team, aligned with GE’s ecomagination initiative to expand its cleaner energy products while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, provides structured project finance from debt to equity as well as construction and lease financing, and also considers late-stage project development and technology investments. With more than 20 dedicated professionals, the renewable energy team draws upon Energy Financial Services’ expertise and decades of experience as an investor in the sector worldwide. Estimates of annual global renewable energy investment requirements range from $20 billion-$30 billion, excluding large hydroelectric plants. Energy Financial Services is seeking to grow its renewable energy investments to more than $3 billion by 2008. “We’re expanding our renewable energy team to take advantage of a perfect nexus of positive developments in relative costs, technology, regulations and public opinion,” said Kevin Walsh, Managing Director and leader of GE Energy Financial Services’ renewable energy team. “This nexus propelled our renewable energy portfolio growth during 2005 by 40 percent, to nearly $1 billion.” Energy Financial Services’ growth […]

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NREL Releases RFP to Build Research Facility

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) today issued a request for proposals for design and construction of a state-of-the-art office building for the laboratory’s South Table Mountain campus in Golden, Colo. NREL’s vision is to design and build 210,000 square feet of research support facilities that would house approximately 780 staff who currently work in leased space at the Denver West Office Park. The facilities would integrate high performance design and building practices and showcase the latest renewable energy and energy efficiency technology advances. “We envision this facility as one that will capture the public’s imagination for the renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies that NREL develops,” said Dan E. Arvizu, NREL’s director. The laboratory plans call for a multiphase approach, with the first phase being the design and construction of the first building in 2006 -2007. Ten million dollars in funding for this phase was appropriated by the Energy and Water Development Subcommittee of the U.S. Congress in FY2006. The research support facilities are another step in developing NREL’s 327-acre campus on South Table Mountain just west of Denver, Colo. The Laboratory has a multi-year vision for the site that includes construction of several […]

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Germany: Prime Solar to Set up ?425 million Silicon Wafer Manufacturing Facility

Prime Solar Pty Ltd, based in Australia, is setting up a silicon manufacturing facility in Germany with annual production capacity of 680 MW, at a cost of ?425 million. The facility will operate 24 hours a day and offer over 1,000 full time employment opportunities. The silicon wafers commonly known as silicon chips are the base components for the fabrication of solar cells and the wafers produced by Prime Solar will be used in the manufacture of silicon solar cells by Q-Cells of Germany. “The first phase of the project of 50 MW per annum capacity will be set up at Thalheim, Germany’s “Solar Valley” approximately 50 km North of Leipzig in 2006-07 with a total project cost of ?36.5 million”, Mr John Carstairs, Chairman of Prime Solar said. The German Government will provide up to 45% non-refundable grants. Negotiations are being held with the Commerzbank for debt funding and working capital. Prime Solar recently entered into an agreement with Q-Cells to supply up to 100% of its wafer production for ten years. Q-Cells is the world’s second largest manufacturer of mono and multicrystalline solar cells. In 2005, Q-Cells produced 165.7 MW of solar cells. This represents an incredible 118% […]

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