1. Home
  2. Articles posted by: Rona Fried (Page 2331)

Three-Year Wind Tax Credit Advancing Attached to Senate Bill

A full 3-year Production Tax Credit (PTC) extension (through 12/31/06) may advance through the U.S. Senate as part of a package of energy tax incentives now attached to a corporate tax bill (S. 1637). Momentum began to pick up on Wednesday, April 7, when Senate Republican leaders chose to separate the energy tax provisions from long-stalled energy policy legislation (S. 2095) and attach them to the corporate tax bill. "This is a significant step forward," said AWEA legislative director Jaime Steve. "It creates a realistic opening for the PTC to be in effect again, possibly as early as June of this year." The corporate tax bill-seen by Republicans and Democrats as legislation that must pass this year-would repeal a tax break for exporters that has been deemed an illegal trade subsidy by the World Trade Organization (WTO). The European Union has imposed a 6% penalty payment on some U.S. exports, and the penalty is set to increase by 1 percentage point a month, up to a maximum of 17%. The penalty would be removed when the bill becomes law. An agreement announced late on Thursday, April 8 between the Senate's Republican leader, Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), and its Democratic leader, Tom […]

Read More

Manufacturer Opens Wind Power Component Facility in Wisconsin

On April 5, Global Energy Systems, a new company headquartered in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, announced plans to build and operate North America's first fully automated facility for manufacturing a variety of components for utility-scale wind generators. Manufacturing operations will be housed in an existing facility and a new 200,000-square-foot fabricating center to be built on the same property. When fully operational this fall, the facility will have about 100 employees, including 75 skilled labor positions. In its first full year of production, Global Energy expects to generate between $50 million and $75 million in orders, producing such component as towers, flanges, gearboxes, bedplates, and hubs. The centerpiece of this venture will be the wind tower fabricating operation in the new facility. Global Energy aims to produce more than 200 towers a year. Towers will range from 210 to 300 feet in height, depending on the order, with each weighing between 120 to 200 tons apiece. Earlier this week, Global Energy placed orders with Sweden-based ESAB and Italy-based DAVI to manufacture and install the automated fabricating equipment. "This move will elevate Wisconsin to the forefront of wind power component manufacturing in North America," said William Stone, director of business development for […]

Read More

Fedrizzi Takes Helm at U.S. Green Building Council

Rick Fedrizzi, founder and president of Green-Think, Inc., and the founding chairman of U.S. Green Building Council, has been named acting president and chief executive officer of the Council, replacing Christine Ervin, the Council's first president and CEO. The change is part of the organization's planned transition to a management team based in the organization's Washington, D.C. headquarters. Ervin announced plans to step down from the leadership post effective April 30, 2004, to remain in Oregon. "While I have relished the Board's flexibility in this cross-country arrangement, it is time for full-time leadership in Washington, D.C., as we move into the next phase of our growth and development," said Ervin, who lives in Portland. "Rick is the perfect person to take that on." Fedrizzi's appointment occurs as the Council's board is moving into the next cycle of its three-year strategic plan. Implementation of that plan will focus on five key strategies that are designed to continue to build the staff infrastructure of the rapidly growing organization, enhance and expand its ground-breaking LEED programs into all phases of building, further develop local chapter programs, and broaden financial development. Fedrizzi's background demonstrates he is up to the task. A native of Syracuse, […]

Read More

FPL Group Ranked #1 for Environmental Performance by Innovest

For the third consecutive time, FPL Group, Inc. (NYSE:FPL) is ranked first among 26 U.S. electric utilities in the latest Innovest Strategic Value Advisors report that compares environmental performance within industries. Innovest is an internationally recognized independent investment research firm specializing in environmental finance and investment opportunities. The report analyzes the performance of 26 utilities in areas including corporate governance, environmental risk and management, environmental business performance, carbon profile, environmental strategy and air emissions improvement. The report says, "FPL has below average risk, above average environmental management capacity, and above average engagement in environmentally-favorable businesses." Since its inception, Innovest's reports have demonstrated that environmental leaders, as a group, consistently outperform in the stock market by three to 30 percentage points a year. "As environmental issues are having a growing financial impact on firms, we project that FPL will most likely outperform the sector going forward," said Carla Tabossi, senior analyst at Innovest. In a separate report issued by Innovest, the Intangible Value Assessment report, FPL Group ranked number two of 26 electric companies. This study ranks companies based on drivers related to sustainability, which include corporate labor relations, emerging market strategy, products and services, and overall corporate governance. FPL Group […]

Read More