This is where you can find information about interesting happenings in the wind energy industry around the world right now.
First Power from Mill Creek
Prime Minister Key and Porirua schoolboy Jeremy Takao flicked the switch to start power flowing from Mill Creek yesterday. Six of the 26 turbines which will make up the wind farm at Ohariu Valley
site, near Wellington, have so far been installed, with two now
producing electricity.
More from the Dominion Post.
40m long turbine outside Te Papa
TV3 reported on the seventeenth NZ Wind Energy Conference, which featured a 40m long wind turbine blade outside Te Papa. 150 primary school students visited the blade and talked about the release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report.
40 years into 100 year clean energy revolution
At the 2014 NZ Wind Energy Conference Mike Eckhart of Citi provided an inspiring look at finance and investment needs in a world 40 years into a 100 year transition to clean energy. You can hear Mike on Radio NZ’s Nine to Noon show here, read the Dominion Post article about his ideas or, if you have an NBR subscription take a gander at his ideas here.
US Ecologist Expert at Wind Farm Statistics
Manuela Huso of the US Geological Survey provided a look at the scientific and statistical robustness required to properly take care of ecological concerns around wind farms at the NZ Wind Energy Conference. She was interviewed by the US Embassy while she was in Wellington and you can see that interview here.
Siemens Safety Expert Talks Human Error
Tom McDaniel, Head of Zero Harm and Human Performance for Siemens Energy examined health and safety in a context where human error is acknowledged as intrinsic but recognisable and manageable at the NZ Wind Energy Conference and on RNZ Nights.
World Energy Council Head Praises NZ Wind Power on TV
Christoph Frei, the head of the World Energy Council, appeared on TVNZ Breakfast on 6 March. He discussed the need for establishing a sustainable supply of electricity, why NZ's energy supply is at a tipping point and states that wind energy is one of NZ's greatest success stories. Check out what he had to say here.
Mill Creek Construction Feature
20 January 2014
It's a long and winding road to gain access to Meridian Energy's $169 million Mill Creek wind farm site - and few people are ever likely to get the chance to travel it. More from the Dominion Post article here.
Wind power becoming even more cost efficient
18 December 2013
The decision by Warren Buffett’s utility company to order about $1 billion of wind turbines for projects in Iowa shows how a drop in equipment costs is making renewable energy more competitive with power from fossil fuels. More at Bloomberg.
Corporates Plan on Carbon Price
Many of the USA's biggest corporates, including the big five oil firms, are planning for a future that includes a government mandated charge for carbon pollution. via The New York Times.