Since he never set foot in this country it is a dubious honor, but any excuse for a day off is good.
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Go there and read. More tomorrow.
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Happy Columbus Day – What a guy
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Category Archives: spain
Wind Offshore When – Maybe soon, maybe manana
This has an interesting storage system however so read the rest of the article.
http://www.green-energy-news.com/arch/nrgs2011/20110012.html
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February 13, 2011 – Vol.15 No.48
OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY MEETS OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY STORAGE.
by Bruce Mulliken, Green Energy News
Eventually the United States will get its first offshore wind farm. No one is taking bets as to when it will go online. There have been many proposals, but so far resistance onshore has kept those projects from being built.
Still, wind resources are much better offshore than on and those windy resources are often near heavily populated areas that will be able and willing to consume electricity generated by those reliable ocean breezes.
As with many relatively expensive technologies it’s not such a bad thing to be a late adopter. Early adopters make and have to correct mistakes at a high cost. Early adopters too have only earliest versions of the technology to work with. Late adopters, on the other hand, learn from the mistakes of early adopters and need not repeat them. Late adopters also get to use newer, more sophisticated versions of the technology in question.
Offshore wind is one of those relatively expensive technologies that it’s OK to be a late adopter.
When U.S. offshore wind builders finally get around to planting the first turbine in the ocean bottom (or perhaps floating turbines in deep water over the horizon) they’ll have a better idea of the costs, know exactly how to install them and they’ll have access to far more powerful turbines than those used in the first offshore wind farms in Europe. The U.S. will benefit by being slow to adopt offshore wind, but the time has come to embrace the technology; wind developers know this, so does the U.S. government.
Even as dollars are being pinched in Washington, the Department of Energy has put aside $50.5 million for projects that support offshore wind energy development. The Department of the Interior too, in its Smart for the Start program, has given a hand to offshore wind development by designating four areas along the Mid-Atlantic coast to be on the fast track for regulatory approval.
The funding being offered by DOE can be used for the development of innovative wind turbine design tools and hardware to provide the foundation for a cost-competitive and world-class offshore wind industry in the United States (up to $25 million over 5 years); for baseline studies and targeted environmental research to characterize key industry sectors and factors limiting the deployment of offshore wind ( up to $18 million over 3 years); and for the development and refinement of next-generation designs for wind turbine drivetrains (up to $7.5 million over 3 years).
The Department of the Interior has chosen areas on the Outer Continental Shelf offshore Delaware (122 square nautical miles), Maryland (207), New Jersey (417), and Virginia (165) to receive early environmental reviews that will help to lessen the time required for review, leasing and approval of offshore wind turbine facilities.
Government isn’t alone in seeking to develop offshore wind.
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More manana.
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Chicago Media Shun The Wind Power 2009 Conference – Oh the bankrupt Tribue ran an op/ed piece about government intervention
But you would think that a convention/conference that brings 15,000 participants, represents the future and is in a city with a mayor, Richard Daley, who wants to be the greenest governor in the US, that there would be some coverage of “The Latest In Wind Technologies” or “Where Does Chicago Fit Into The New Energy Future” or at least an address by the Mayor. NADA Zilch Nothing. Other people noticed however:
May 04, 2009 07:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time 
World Business Chicago Facilitates International Networking at WINDPOWER 2009 Conference
WINDPOWER 2009
CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–World Business Chicago (WBC) and its Chairman, Mayor Richard M. Daley, in conjunction with other key public, private and non-profit partners, tonight hosted a VIP networking reception as part of the American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) WINDPOWER 2009 Conference and Exhibition at Chicago’s McCormick Place.
The reception, with more than 200 people in attendance, was presented by a collaboration of organizations including the AWEA (Organizer/Sponsor), WBC (Organizer/Sponsor), MEGA (Sponsor), the City of Chicago (Organizer), the State of Illinois (Organizer) and the Illinois Finance Authority (Organizer).
The wind power industry is a top economic development priority for WBC, based on the industry’s high growth potential, profitability, job creation/diversity, and wage levels. Chicago offers wind industry companies locational advantages including a skilled labor force, proximity to markets and supplies, natural sources of wind in Illinois and the Midwest, available real estate, access to airports, rail and highway systems and strong public sector commitments to wind industry use and production.
“The WINDPOWER Conference provides World Business Chicago with a wonderful opportunity to showcase Chicago’s position as a prime location for wind power companies,” said Rita Athas, executive director of World Business Chicago. “By hosting this event, we are facilitating dialogue between visiting and local wind power companies, Chicago area companies that may do business with them and our local leaders, in order to foster growth and new opportunities.”
The Chicago area’s locational advantages for the wind industry are evident in recent additions of notable wind power companies include:
Area Headquarters
- Acciona N. America HQ
- E.ON N. America Climate & Renewables HQ
- Nordex USA Inc. HQ
- Suzlon Wind Energy Corporation N. American HQ
- Invenergy LLC HQ
- Midwest Wind Energy LLC HQ
- Trintek Energy Consulting HQ
- Wind for Illinois HQ
Area Non-Headquarter Offices
- Vestas America
- Horizon Wind Energy
- Siemens Energy & Automation
- Winergy Drive Systems Corporation – subsidiary of Siemens
WINDPOWER 2009, the largest annual wind conference and exhibition in the world, takes place May 4th – 7th, 2009. The show features more than 18,000 attendees and 1,200 exhibitors and is expected to generate an economic impact of more than $33.3-million to Chicago, according to the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau (based on the initial estimated attendance of 14,000). Approximately 80 Illinois companies will exhibit at the conference.
The 2009 show was originally set for Minneapolis and moved to Chicago to accommodate a 20% increase over expected attendance, which doubles last year’s show in Houston. WINDPOWER is one of the 50 fastest-growing shows in North America according to Trade Show Weekly. Chicago hosted AWEA’s convention in 2004, when it drew 3,000 attendees.
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Everything you need to know to get there:
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/events/view?id=45803
Siterra Booth 5580 at Wind Power 2009
| Company: | Siterra Corporation |
| Start date: | May 4, 2009 |
| End date: | May 7, 2009 |
| Cost: | see AWEA.com |
| Location: | McCormick Convention Center, Chicago IL |
| Website: | Visit event website |
Siterra will have a booth (5580) at the AWEA Wind Power 2009 Expo in Chicago May 4-7.
WINDPOWER 2009 Conference and Exhibition is the largest annual wind conference and exhibition in the world featuring over 15,000 attendees and over 1,200 exhibitors. Each year, wind energy professionals gather at this event to learn about the latest industry developments and technologies, review new products and services in the expansive exhibit hall, and network with leading industry decision makers. Join us for what promises to be another exciting event taking place May 4th – 7th, 2009, at McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Directions:
McCormick Place Convention Center
Welcome to Chicago’s McCormick Place, a premier convention facility in North America. Located just minutes from downtown Chicago, McCormick Place is owned and operated by the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA) and attracts close to 3 million visitors each year. McCormick Place is comprised of four state-of-the-art buildings: the North and South Buildings, the West Building and Lakeside Center. Together, they form what many consider to be the economic engine that powers the entire convention and tradeshow industry. McCormick Place is committed to creating a great experience for every person, every time!
For a map of McCormick Place Convention Center: http://www.mccormickplace.com/floorplans/map_index.html
For more information: http://www.mccormickplace.com/index.html
Exhibitors: For information on exhibiting in Chicago, FOCUS One utilities, and guidelines and services, visit http://www.mccormickplace.com/exhibitor/exhibitor_01.html.
Guest Services: Click here to open a .pdf document outlining some of the guest services at McCormick Place Convention Center.
Accessibility Map: Click here to open a .pdf map showing the location of all elevators for wheelchair access.
For additional disability services at the convention center, visit http://www.mccormickplace.com/facilities/disabilities.html
Meeting Room Rentals: Interested in renting a meeting room at the convention center or connected Hyatt Regency McCormick Place hotel? Contact Stefanie Brown at sbrown@awea.org to receive additional information and a meeting room request form.
Parking at the McCormick Place Convention Center: There are several parking lots nearby to the McCormick Place facility including, South, North and West Buildings, Lakeside Center, Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, and Soldier Field South Lot. The parking rate is currently $19 per day (one time access). Or exhibitors may order a parking permit that allows for in-and-out privileges for $23.75. Click here to visit the parking & directions part of the McCormick Place website for more information. Please note – the parking information is subject to change and listed here as helpful information for conference attendees.
Driving Directions and Additional Parking Information for the McCormick Place Convention Center: http://www.mccormickplace.com/maps_direct/maps_dir.html
Contact:
Barbara Martin
barbara.martin@siterra.com
415-875-7114:}
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Juche – a simple name for a nasty idea. Kim Il Sungism
Jodie Foster, Pregnant Man, Iran, Prince Philip, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, American Idol, Obama, China, Beyonce, Rolling Stones. (sorry for the deception but please read below)
Normally I wouldn’t bother to cover this but since it’s on the list I felt I needed to “dis” it as much as I could. I even took the time to get Buzzes top searches for the week to punch it up a bit. I even checked every category Energy Tough Love has to publicize this human indignity. The list of “Religions” that I used to start this meditation on the relationship between Religion and the Environment placed Juche well down on the list but with 18 million adherents that still alot of folks. I had never heard of it before and I even asked a couple of people if they had heard of it. Imagine my suprise when I typed it into a search engine and up popped this Prick who claimed he was god:
During his lifetime he forced millions of people in North Korea to worship him. Can you imagine anything more degrading or disgusting then a man who points a loaded gun at your head and demands that you treat him like a god. You must pray to him. Oh most Divine Leader. Makes me want to puke. But then he is followed by this buffoon:
Now they are “worshiping” something no better than a trained monkey. If they had an ENVIRONMENTAL group in North Korea, I wish them the best of luck but I ain’t gonna publish it. I ain’t even gona type it into a search engine. If anybody ever deserved to get a nuke shoved up his poop shoot. This would be it.
What Do Windsor, Co. and West Branch Ia. Have That Springfield, Il. Doesn’t
The answer to that is a Wind Turbine Blade manufacturing plant. Poor Galesburg, Illinois (pop. 25,000) must consider itself star crossed. First it loses manufacturing jobs because plants like Amana close and then it loses Acciona’s proposal to retrofit a new plant for Blade Production, which could have replaced those jobs. But at least they competed. Where was a town like Springfield when all this was going on? Nowhere to be seen.
West Branch, Ia is a city with a population of 2,500 and boasts to be the birth place of President Herbert Hoover. Winslow, Co. is a town with a population of 15,000 that doesn’t boast about much. So what do they have in common? They have seen the Energy Future and it is Green.
Horizon Wind Energy
• Corporate headquarters: Houston.The parent company, Enegias de Portugal, is the largest utility in Portugal. EDP has more than 1 million customers worldwide.
• More than 200 U.S. employees with regional offices in Illinois, California, Oregon,Colorado and Minnesota.
• Wind farms operating or under construction in Illinois, Texas,New York, Iowa, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Minnesota.
Jack Dempsey/The Associated Press
A wind turbine blade is displayed Wednesday during the opening of a Vestas factory in Windsor, Colo. The world’s largest wind-turbine maker, based in Denmark, opened its first plant in Colorado in 2007.
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Which is about the same time that Acciona announced that they had chosen West Branch as their site to build their plant. See these guys are in a competition to be the next world economic leaders while Springfield continues to sprawl uselessly and gears up to medically treat the aging baby boomers. What happens after the boomers die? Who cares.
http://windintell.blogspot.com/2008/01/usa-manufacturing-begins-for-spains.html
Acciona Windpower’s
West Branch plant in
production
By David DeWitte
The Gazette
WEST BRANCH — Iowa Gov. Chet Culver got a look at Acciona Windpower’s first American-made wind turbine and an invitation to the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, here Thursday.
The new wind turbine plant turned out its first AW-1500 wind turbine last month, less than seven months after work on the company’s first North American factory here began.
At a dedication ceremony Thursday, Acciona Windpower Director General Pedro Ruiz said the plant’s ability to meet its rapid startup timetable “gives us great confidence for the future.”
Ruiz also discussed the company’s plans for a second round of investment in the plant after it reaches full production. The company plans to use the 36-acre West Branch site to begin assembling its larger 3-megawatt AW-3000 wind turbines that are now under development. A timetable for launching the product has not been announced.
The plant is the fourth worldwide production facility for Acciona Windpower, a division of Pamplona, Spain-based Acciona Energy. It is scheduled to turn out 200 turbines in 2008, and 400 units at full capacity.
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The thing that continues to frustrate me is that they erect those wind farms here in Illinois. So why can’t they build the parts here as well? Oh the 2 winning town have another thing in common, the two companies are from the Spanish Pennsula, that is Portugal and Spain. Where are Commonwealth Edison and Ameren when you need them?
I have posted Acciona’s website and what I could about their North American affiliate before but not for Horizon or Energias de Portugal:
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About Horizon Wind Energy
Horizon Wind Energy develops, constructs, owns and operates wind farms throughout
the United States. Based in Houston, Texas with regional offices in New York, Oregon,
Illinois, California, Denver and Minnesota, Horizon has developed more than 2000 MW
and owns over 1300 MW of operating wind farms. Horizon is currently developing a
portfolio of more than 10,500 MW in over a dozen states. Horizon is owned by Energias
de Portugal (EDP), the largest Portuguese utility. For more information, please visit
www.horizonwind.com
http://www.edp.pt/EDPI/Internet/EN/Group/AboutEDP/default.htm
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Their motto – Feel our energy