Wind Power News: Tennessee
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of the organizations or individuals noted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
TVA renewable energy changes prompt ‘grid parity’ debate
A recently approved makeover of TVA’s renewable energy program is aimed at developing green power while keeping prices down for its customers, officials with the public utility say. Industry observers, however, believe the federal power provider may be painting lipstick on a pig. Among the measures approved by TVA’s board at its recent quarterly meeting is to transition the Generation Partners pilot program to permanent status under the new name Green Power Providers. The program particularly targets development of small . . .
County zoning board OKs wind tower on Hwy. 77
The Dyer County Building and Zoning Board granted a permitted use on appeal to EDP Renewables to place a wind tower on Highway 77. The wind tower, which measures just under 200 feet, is part of a three-year study being conducted by EDP Renewables to see if there is enough wind in Dyer County. According to EDP Renewables’ website, the organization, also known as Horizon Wind Energy, develops, constructs, owns and operates wind farms throughout North America. Project Manager Paul . . .
Windmills can kill wildlife
Wind energy could be a good, green energy source, but requirements are needed to protect wildlife, said Bob Johns, with the American Bird Conservancy. As it is, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimated that wind turbines in 2009 killed about 44,000 birds, and government’s goal is for wind energy to increase twelvefold by 2030, he said. A corresponding increase in bird deaths “would be horrific,” he said. Bats also are killed by turbines, whose blades tip-to-tip can be the . . .
TVA may pipe in wind power
TVA is considering a power-line “superhighway” that would zip wind-generated electricity from Oklahoma to Tennessee — providing clean energy equal to about three nuclear reactors. The Tennessee Valley Authority signed a nonbinding understanding last month to continue exploring the possibility of the 800-mile project that would funnel masses of electricity into the TVA transmission system. TVA could buy the power or send it on to other regions for a fee. East Tennessee has a few turbines, but winds in western . . .
When wind dies down, cost of energy goes up
On a recent trip to West Texas, I went to the horse’s mouth on wind-powered energy and spoke with the manager of a 100-unit wind farm. He reminded me that wind, the most successful of the alternative methods of generating electricity, accounts for 2 percent of the total U.S. supply. Consider for a moment the specifics of wind farming. The latest towers stand 280 feet high, their blades approach 100 feet in length, and they cost about $3 million to . . .
Wind farms not worth the extra costs
Drive through Indiana or Illinois and you will see miles of huge wind turbines, spaced about half a mile apart. To equal a typical 1,000-megawatt power plant, you need a wind farm about 17 miles square. Seems reasonable, doesn’t it? Seventeen miles square is 289 square miles. New York City (metropolitan area) consumes 11,000 megawatts of electricity per day. To provide that much power, you need 11 such wind farms, or 3,179 square miles. That is all the rural area . . .
U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander takes dim view of propping up wind power
WASHINGTON – Public anxiety over $4 gasoline has given U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander the chance to preach about two of his favorite energy topics: wind power and electric cars. The day after Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic bill that would have eliminated about $2 billion in tax breaks for the five biggest oil companies, Alexander stood on the Senate floor and suggested subsidies for wind power should be terminated. “Why are we talking about Big Oil and not talking about . . .
Alexander slams wind energy subsidies
Senator Lamar Alexander said today that Congress should address wind energy subsidies during debate on oil company subsidies, noting that the 10-year price tag on the wind production tax credit is $26 billion—about $5 billion more than tax breaks being debated for the five biggest oil companies—despite the fact that wind is “about the least efficient means of energy production we have.” Senator Alexander said in a speech on the Senate floor: “So I ask the question: If wind has . . .
TVA announces cleaner energy plans
Tennessee can expect more nuclear and renewable energy over the next 20 years, but a lot less coal. Today the Tennessee Valley Authority announced their plan to meet rising energy needs while remaining environmentally friendly. The proposal recommends eliminating coal dependency by as much as a third. The utility’s coal use has been under the microscope since an ash spill in late 2008, but as of last year it was still the most used fuel source. Meanwhile, reliance on renewable . . .
TVA aiming for more ‘low-cost,’ clean power
NORRIS, Tenn. — With no clear national energy policy but new regulations expected, Tennessee Valley Authority executives say they’re hedging their bets, hoping to be one of the nation’s leading providers of low-cost and cleaner energy by 2020. “We know changes are coming,” including changes in emissions standards, said John McCormick, TVA senior vice president of river operations. During a recent media tour of Norris Dam, McCormick said the nation’s largest public utility wants to lead the country in providing . . .
