Terra-Gen Power has just received the financing needed to build the next four wind farms in the largest wind energy project on US soil. The company can now build another 570 MW of the gigantic 3,000 MW Alta Wind Energy Center, in the same energy-rich Tehachapi region of California where former Governor Jerry Brown jump-started the US wind industry back in the early ’80s with 55% tax credits. Back then, because of those policies, California led the nation in wind and solar.

Since those far-sighted and visionary days (Governor Brown was called Governor Moonbeam for crazy ideas like that) California has long since ceded its wind energy leadership to Texas.

But California’s next Governor could be the same man who started the US wind industry, that 30 years later has led to this wind farm in California, along with energy-efficient fridges, energy-efficient windows, 55% solar tax credits and California’s Title 24 energy-efficiency building standards that has kept Californian carbon footprints down to European levels ever since.

That same former Governor, Jerry Brown, now California’s Attorney General, is running for Governor, again. California is getting a second chance. In the same way, with this project built, California will once again have the largest wind energy project in America, overtaking the largest wind farm in Texas. A second chance at wind power leadership.

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Google is currently working to develop breakthrough solar thermal technology (which it expects will be ready in 1-3 years). It has also gotten into the smart metering game with its innovative PowerMeter technology. In addition, there has been speculation of Google getting into the utility business (focusing on renewable energy, of course) since Google has officially created a subsidiary company titled Google Energy and gotten permission to buy and sell wholesale electricity.

Now, Google has taken one more step in this direction. It just invested $38.8 million in two wind farms in North Dakota.

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“Mixed use” development is an exciting term in city planning. Mention it to a planner and chances are their eyes will widen, they will stand up straighter, and they will start talking with you in an excited tone about all the benefits of mixing land uses. When it gets down to it, these places are just more efficient, more vibrant and create a real sense of place.

Now, mixing wind and solar projects with landfills and brownfields may not create a great “sense of place” or make the place “vibrant” with life, but it can surely achieve that first benefit — more efficiency.

Thus, some are looking into the potential of such “mixed use” projects. A UK engineering firm is looking into invest £100 million ($152.5 million) to install up to 80MW of wind energy capacity at UK landfill sites. And the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is targeting former brownfields for solar, wind and other renewable energy projects.

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Joint New Zealand-U.S. project begins harvesting steady Antarctic winds on Ross Island.

Besides the heavy snow, unrelenting wind, and bone-chilling temperatures, what’s the most difficult part of building a wind farm in Antarctica? The lack of daylight in the winter means construction can only take place in the summer months. And with only one supply ship a year, you better not forget any parts.

On Saturday, the $7.4-million Ross Island Wind Farm in Antarctica began feeding electricity at full power for the very first time. The new wind farm can generate up to one megawatt of electricity and will cut diesel use at New Zealand’s Scott Base and the U.S.’ McMurdo Station by 120,000 gallons and reduce carbon dioxide output by 1,370 tons annually, according to New Zealand’s state-owned Meridian Energy, the project’s developers.

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The London Array, the world’s largest wind farm now being installed in the Thames Estuary, is taking another major step closer to completion.  The project has just signed a 100 million euro contract with global cable leader Nexans to supply the high voltage undersea power cables that will transmit power from the array to the U.K. grid.

Once online, the London Array will house up to 341 turbines and generate up to 1,000 megawatts of electricity.  That is enough wind power to supply 750,00 homes or about a quarter of Greater London, adding a big chunk of sustainable energy to the U.K. government’s current goal of achieving 15.4% renewable energy by 2015.

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What would have been the Southern Hemisphere’s largest wind farm, a $2 billion NZD ($1.4 billion USD) and 630 MW wind farm in New Zealand, is not happening because New Zealand’s Environment Court says that it would ruin the surrounding landscape.

This project would have powered over a million homes and made a huge dent in New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions. It is not happening now because of a group of NIMBY activists and the Environment Court’s ruling.

This is a huge blow, in itself, to renewable and wind energy proponents, but it also brings concerns for future wind energy projects.

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A couple weeks ago, I wrote about China’s new policy to focus on buying (almost entirely) “China-grown” wind turbines and wind turbine technologies with Chinese patents. That policy wasn’t a big hit internationally and China is back-tracking.

However, is it changing its stance out of international moral pressure or a major financial incentive (recent deal) in the US? And who is to benefit the most from this shift?

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The largest US-China joint investment in renewable energy to date is slated to take form in Texas. This 600 MW wind power project is a joint venture by the U.S. Renewable Energy Group (US-REG) and Cielo Wind Power LP along with China’s Shenyang Power Group, a power industry alliance.

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European energy giant E.ON “turned on” what is reported to be the largest wind farm in the world this week, in Texas.

The farm contains 627 wind turbines on almost 100,000 acres of land near Roscoe, Texas.

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Take part in the “weight loss” challenge from Native Energy and you can lose 30 pounds while helping to build the greenest town in America.

“Our ‘weight-loss’ challenge is a simple, fun way to get people thinking about how
they can easily join in the fight against global warming.”

-Regina Farrell, Native Energy

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