Archive for April 8th, 2008

Minnesota No. 2 and 3 in wind power generation % and capacity

Tuesday, April 8th, 2008

I didn’t realize there was so much wind power capacity in MN and Iowa!

According to the 2008 AWEA wind ranking report, Minnesota has overtaken Iowa to become #3 in total MW of wind power capacity. MN is also #2 in the % of electricity generated by wind turbines – just behind Iowa. Both MN and Iowa tail California and Texas in total wind capacity.

To put the amount of electricity produced by wind farms in perspective, the current TOTAL US wind capacity is 16,800 MW and the capacity of the 24 proposed new nuclear units is 32,064 MW according to the US EIA. The current installed nuclear capacity is 99,209 MW, also according to the EIA (2004).

Q: Why is there so little wind power in the south?
A: It’s not very windy in the south. There is quite a bit of hydro though, esp. in AL and GA.

windpctmap

MN No. 2 in % wind capacity
Minnesota now No. 3 for wind power – TwinCities.com

Iowa No. 1 in % wind capacity
Radio Iowa: Iowa tops in wind energy production

windutilities

Xcel No. 1 in wind capacity among utilities
Xcel leads U.S. in wind power : Energy : The Rocky Mountain News

windstatescap

Texas No. 1 in wind capacity & No. 1 in new capacity
Texas sails to top in wind energy – Fort Worth Business Press

windstatescapadd

AWEA press release

Wind Energy Leaders Remain Dominant in Latest U.S. Market Rankings
“Studies indicate that an expiration of the tax credit will place $19 billion in renewable energy investment and 116,000 American jobs at risk.”

If wind power is so dependent on tax credits to be competitive, is it really a cost effective power source?

windmanagers

Posted in Minnesota, Wind Power | 2 Comments »

32 inches of snow in April? Apparently, it’s possible

Tuesday, April 8th, 2008

While we got a few flurries in MSP Monday morning (no accumulation), parts of northern Minnesota received record April snowfalls – over 2 1/2 feet in Virginia, MN, from Sat. night through Monday!

snow

32 inches of snow in April? Apparently, it’s possible

Iron Range Digging Out After Winter Blast

April really is the cruelest month this year

Posted in Minnesota, Snow | No Comments »

Westinghouse To Build 1st US Nuclear Plants Since ’78 at Plant Vogtle in Georgia

Tuesday, April 8th, 2008

Georgia Power signs contract for two new nuclear units

vogtle

Nuclear power may be making a comeback in the U.S., as Westinghouse Electric Co., a unit of Japanese Toshiba Corp., said Tuesday it has signed a deal with Southern Co.’s Georgia Power unit to build the first nuclear power plants in the U.S. since 1978.

Tellingly, that was the year before the Three Mile Island accident, which is largely credited with souring the U.S. public on nuclear power.

The deal underlines the growing demand for new power sources because of the skyrocketing price of traditional carbon-based fuels, such as coal and oil.

“Agreements like the one announced with Georgia Power will also ensure that the United States will have the power it will need to support long-term economic growth,” said Westinghouse Chief Executive Steve Tritch in a statement. The company added that the deal “further proves” a “nuclear renaissance has moved beyond the planning stage.”

Under the deal, Westinghouse, in partnership with the Shaw Group Inc., would build two AP1000 nuclear power plants near Waynesboro, Ga. The town bills itself as “The Bird Dog Capital of the World” on its Website. Already the site of two nuclear reactors, it had a population of 5,800 in the year 2000.

Westinghouse previously announced it is in talks to build four nuclear reactors in the U.S. The other two would be built in South Carolina.

Posted in Nuclear, Power Grid | No Comments »