Innovation can eliminate dependence on the PTC

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Excerpt: This article comes from Philip Totaro, Principal, Totaro & Associates, www.totaro-associates.com. What if renewable energy technology existed that negated the need for the Production Tax Credit (PTC)? And what if this technology wasn’t being introduced to the market?  Undoubtedly, the most …

Wind Industry Influencer 2012: Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Wash.)

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Excerpt: The wind industry applauded U.S. Representatives Dave Reichert and Earl Blumenauer when they introduced legislation to extend the federal Production Tax Credit (PTC) last November. Both are members of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee. Although the act did not pass by end of 2011, su …

Wind Influencer 2012: Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) U.S. Representative

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Excerpt: A lifelong resident of Portland, Oregon, Congressman Earl Blumenauer has devoted his entire career to public service. As a student at Lewis and Clark College, he worked to lower the voting age both in Oregon and at the national level. He was elected to the Oregon Legislature in 1972, where he served …

Texas Wind holds statewide conferences in 2012

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Excerpt: “Texas Wind 2012” will bring together wind energy leaders in the heart of one of the world’s leading wind energy marketplaces for seminars, expo, and powerful business networking. Texas Wind 2012 convenes in San Antonio on Tuesday-Wednesday, July 31-Aug. 1, and is sponsored by the Texas Wind E …

Several ideas for lowing the cost of energy

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Excerpt: This article comes from The Switch As wind and solar compete as serious contenders in generating more energy for the world, the energy produced must be as cheap, if not cheaper, than that of fossil-based sources, and the quality of energy equally as high. The formula for lowering the cost …

§1603 Treasury Grants saved jobs says NREL analysis

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Excerpt: This is the executive summary from a report issue by NREL. Historically, federal incentives for renewable energy development in the U.S. largely consisted of the investment and production tax credits (ITC and PTC), the accelerated depreciation benefit for renewable energy property . The ITC and P …

U.S. Fish and Wildlife updates guidelines for wind-farm development

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Excerpt: In March, 2012, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) released its final Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines. These present a tiered approach for the consideration and analysis of potential impacts to wildlife and habitat from onshore, wind-energy development. The five-tier process and other guid …

Policy: FERC Order 1000 gives transmission planning an update

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Excerpt: In July 2011, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued Order No. 1000 on transmission planning and cost allocations. The reforms in Order 1000 should lead to more transmission investment, especially in transmission projects intended to move renewable energy resources onto the grid. …

A Canada FIT for wind farms

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Excerpt: The Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) is pleased that the Ontario Government’s review of the Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) program has made a commitment to procure all the energy required to meet its aggressive renewable energy targets by 2015 and to examine in 2013 the potential for additional ren …

Let’s see how the wind industry did: AWEA Q1 report

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Excerpt: The AWEA Q1 2012 report it out and looks like the Production Tax Credit has been effective at driving installations as expiration looms. First quarter installations jump 50 percent from 2011,  but policy uncertainty by end of year threatens 37,000 jobs. Once again proving the success of the Pr …