Farm Energy » Wind

ELPC’s John Moore Interviewed on Policies that Encourage Wind Energy

pgray@elpc.org — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:12:35 +0000

As many states are already learning, wind energy development presents a tremendous opportunity for economic growth. Environmental Law and Policy Center Senior Attorney John Moore says that’s especially true for the Midwest.

According to Moore, several government policies have helped spur the development of wind power in rural America. Listen to the interview on the Brian Allmer Radio Network (BARN).

Community Wind Financing Handbook

pgray@elpc.org — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:06:50 +0000

ELPC’s newly updated Community Wind Financing Handbook is now available! This hot-off-the-press guide reflects new financing opportunities available from federal energy and economic stimulus legislation, the new Farm Bill, and state incentives.

Since ELPC published the first edition of the Community Wind Financing Guide in 2004, wind power has become the United States’ fastest-growing source of electricity. Community wind projects, which represent a small but growing share of the wind market, are largely owned by farmers and other local investors with a significant economic stake in the project. Such local ownership generates powerful economic and social benefits for rural areas.

The updated Handbook provides the latest information on financing community wind projects, including ownership structures, roles of financial intermediaries, sources of federal and state financial support and consultant/developer directories. Although building these projects has become somewhat easier over time, understanding and accessing financing opportunities remains perhaps the most important requirement for a successful project. Download the Community Wind Financing Handbook.[pdf file]

Wind Power Development in South Dakota

Mark — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 17:01:04 +0000

Wind power is the fastest growing source of electricity generation in the United States. In a recent report, ELPC summarizes South Dakota’s embryonic wind industry, the many benefits of the industry, and offers policy solutions to expand wind development and maximize the benefits for all South Dakotans.

Most new wind new capacity is coming from large projects of 50 megawatts or more, typically owned by strategic investors who have developed or acquired a portfolio of projects. As wind power generation continues to grow, these large projects and experienced developers will likely continue to dominate wind power development. At the same time, there has been a growing interest in community wind power development. While the notion of community wind varies, these projects are generally smaller scale (less than 20 MW), and are locally initiated and owned.

Click here to download the full report [pdf file].

ELPC’s Andy Olsen Discusses REAP on Montana Radio

John — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 17:15:25 +0000

ELPC Senior Policy Advocate Andy Olsen visited Billings, Montana in January 2009 to participate in Harvesting Clean Energy’s 2009 Conference. While there, he sat down with Kristi Pettis from the Northern Ag Broadcasting Network to discuss the new Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) (requires Windows Media Player, QuickTime or other media player). Andy emphasized the opportunities for both smaller producers and businesses and larger operations to use REAP’s grants and loan guarantees.