Top 10 AWEA Blogs from 2013
AWEA is ringing in the New Year by providing you with a list of our Top 10 blogs from 2013. Records were broken and good news was shared to all as wind power had another great year.
1) U.S. Department of Energy report: Wind power costs near record low
August 6, 2013 by Liz Salerno, Vice President of Industry Data & Analysis
The U.S. Department of Energy released its Wind Technologies Market Report 2012, with some exciting findings concerning the cost of wind power.
Read More: https://acpqa.wpengine.com/blog/post/us-department-of-energy-report-wind-power-costs-near-record-low
2) Independent grid operator study confirms wind power’s economic, environmental value
October 29, 2013 by Michael Goggin, Senior Electric Industry Analyst
New research released by an independent grid operator confirms that wind energy is drastically decreasing both the price of electricity and emissions of harmful pollutants. The study was led by PJM, the independent grid operator for all or parts of 13 Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes states (Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia) and DC.
3) The top 5 signs that wind is becoming America’s most affordable energy choice
August 28, 2013 by Liz Salerno, Vice President of Industry Data & Analysis
We already knew American wind power benefits our economy, since it supports over 80,000 American jobs, adds billions of dollars into local, state, and national economies, and keeps our air clean by displacing harmful carbon emissions. But recent news adds to the evidence that wind costs have declined significantly and the savings are being passed onto everyday utility ratepayers like you and me.
4) Wall Street Journal highlights cost competitiveness of new wind projects
August 1, 2013 by Liz Salerno, Vice President of Industry Data & Analysis
Already established as the “cleanest” source of readily-scalable electricity, American wind power is rapidly on its way to taking the title as the most affordable source as well.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has taken notice, as a recent article by reporter Ryan Tracy, using data from the 2013 U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA) Annual Energy Outlook report, highlighted that newly built wind generation is cost competitive with all forms of electricity–currently second only to natural gas.
5) Xcel Colorado sets U.S. record with over 60% wind
November 1, 2013 by Michael Goggin, Senior Electric Industry Analyst
It's been a while since this happened (May 24, actually), but it's never been previously reported, and impressive enough that we don't want to let it go without a mention: Xcel Energy's Colorado system has topped its old hourly penetration record for wind (56.7%), reaching 60.5% between 1 and 2 a.m. local time on that date.
During that hour, wind power supplied 1,874 megawatts (MW) of a total load of 3,100 MW, according to an e-mail we just received from an Xcel Energy official.
Read More: https://acpqa.wpengine.com/blog/post/xcel-colorado-sets-us-record-with-over-60-wind
6) Boosting renewable energy to 25% of electricity supply in western U.S. would cut pollution, save consumers billions
September 24, 2013 by Michael Goggin, Senior Electric Industry Analyst
The Western U.S. could reap huge benefits in pollution savings and reduced spending on fossil fuels by installing more wind and solar power plants, according to a comprehensive new analysis released today by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The study found that obtaining 25 percent of electricity in the Western U.S. from renewable energy will reduce carbon dioxide pollution by up to 34 percent and save $7 billion annually in fossil fuel costs.
7) MidAmerican energy announces $1.9-billion investment in additional wind generation capacity
May 8, 2013 by Tom Gray, AWEA Communications Consultant
MidAmerican Energy Co. today said it will add up to 1,050 megawatts (MW) of wind generation, consisting of up to 656 new wind turbines, in the state of Iowa by the end of 2015. The wind expansion will enhance economic development and provide more than $360 million in additional property tax revenues over the next 30 years, the company said, and payments to farmers and other landowners totaling $3.2 million per year are also expected as a result. In addition, the expansion is planned to be built at no net cost to the company’s customers and will help stabilize electric rates over the long term by providing a rate reduction totaling $10 million per year by 2017, starting with a $3.3 million reduction in 2015.
8) Fact Check: Wind power benefits consumers and environment, in Germany and U.S.
September 20, 2013 by Michael Goggin, Senior Electric Industry Analyst
Several recent press articles, including one in the New York Times, have misrepresented the consumer and environmental benefits wind energy is producing in Germany. These articles have misleadingly looked at small snapshots in time that miss the large consumer savings and pollution reductions wind energy is producing in Germany. Moreover, wind energy’s benefits for consumers and the environment are even larger in the U.S., where wind resources are typically 50% more productive than those in Germany.
Read More: https://acpqa.wpengine.com/blog/post/fact-check-wind-power-benefits-consumers-and-environment-in-germany-and-us & https://acpqa.wpengine.com/blog/post/correcting-fossil-fuel-industry-misinformation-about-germanys-success-with-renewable-energy
9) The Nocebo Effect, and why it’s much more dangerous than wind turbines
August 22, 2013 by Dr. David Perry (via Renew Economy’s blog)
Anti-wind energy activists have shifted the goal posts over the years, with aesthetic, birdlife, carbon abatement and even economic issues getting a run. But by far the most cutting attack has been around noise, and the supposed health impacts that result.
10) Postcard from the future: 122% wind power in Denmark
December 12, 2013 by Bentham Paulos
According to data from Energinet, the national grid operator, wind power has produced 30 percent of gross power consumption to date in 2013. This includes over 90 hours where wind produced more than all of Denmark’s electricity needs, peaking at 122 percent on October 28, at 2 a.m.
Read More: https://acpqa.wpengine.com/blog/post/postcard-from-the-future-122-wind-power-in-denmark
