Iowa Blazes Trail From Cornfields to Wind Fields

Iowa innovation and leadership moving wind energy toward next stage of transmission frontier

Iowa's leadership in wind energy continues to gain momentum as the state looks to ramp up efforts to export wind energy beyond its state lines – all while moving toward exceeding national goals of the amount of energy produced from wind. With 14 percent of Iowa's in-state energy produced by wind, the state is looking to make significant strides in transmission infrastructure policy as the industry matures in the United States.

As a result of Iowa's efforts, regions looking to increase their renewable energy portfolios, like the Tennessee Valley Authority and WE Energies of Milwaukee, can tap into wind energy from Iowa to meet their renewable energy standards. The next frontier will be efficient transmission of wind power across multiple state lines to East Coast population centers that need wind power most.

"As wind energy matures from a revolutionary idea into a dependable and pivotal resource for our nation, it only makes sense to ensure its availability where energy demand is greatest," said Iowa Gov. Chet Culver. "In the last five years, eight wind manufactures have relocated to Iowa, further demonstrating our state's strength in the industry.

"TPI Composite's plan for an additional facility in Sioux City is the most recent example of increased momentum and continued growth of Iowa's wind manufacturing capacity," Culver added.

In fact, Iowa leads the nation in wind industry manufacturing facilities and workers employed in wind industry manufacturing, and the state comes in second in the nation in wind industry construction and operations management jobs. More jobs are on the horizon, with approximately 14,569 more megawatts of generating capacity projects planned.

In keeping with the world's growing demand for wind power, Iowa has unveiled a new, aggressive plan to generate 50 percent of its electricity from wind, using 20 percent within state lines and exporting the additional 30 percent to other states. To meet the infrastructure demands of this goal, Iowa's government, economic development department and business leaders have focused efforts to attract wind turbine production companies and the accompanying logistics support to the state.

The results include up to 10,000 jobs in the wind energy sector, supported in 2009 with annual property tax payments by wind project owners of $16.5 million, and annual land lease payments of $11 million.

Iowa's educational system has also ramped up to meet the demand for skilled workers. The first and only two-year training program in wind energy and turbine technology in the country is offered at Iowa Lakes Community College. The first-of-its-kind Iowa Alliance for Wind Innovation and Novel Development (IAWIND) connects Iowa's three Regents universities, seven of its community colleges, the state government, and the wind energy industry to offer options ranging from certifications to bachelor's and master's degrees that support wind energy companies and their research and training needs.

All of these efforts are building on the momentum from nearly three decades of pioneering efforts in wind energy policy. Iowa was one of the first states to enact a renewable energy standard by passing the Alternative Energy Production Law in 1983. The law requires investor-owned utilities to purchase a shared total of 105 MW of in-state renewable generating capacity and associated energy production.

Today, Iowa has a wealth of wind energy to sell. In 2009, Iowa produced more wind energy as a percentage of overall production than any other state and was second only to Texas in total amount of energy produced from wind, with 3,670 MW of installed capacity.

Iowa generated 14.2 percent of the state's overall electricity from wind in 2009, far ahead of the nation's figure of 1.8 percent. The U.S. Department of Energy established a national goal of generating 20 percent of the nation's energy from wind by 2030 and Iowa is well on its way of exceeding that goal.

"Iowa's standard for wind energy propelled the industry into the robust economy it is today and is helping to fuel future growth," said Bret Mills, director of the Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED). "Consumers want more renewable energy sources, and Iowa leaders in the private and public sectors are making that happen."

Follow the latest news from the Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED) on Twitter (@IowaWind) and Facebook (Facebook.com/IowaWind) before and during AWEA's 2010 WINDPOWER Conference & Exhibition. For more information visit www.IowaLifeChanging.com

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Global Clean Energy Investments Exceed $27.3 Billion

Global investments in clean energy reached $27.3 billion in the first quarter of 2010 according to an analysis issued by Bloomberg New Energy Finance on April 12.  This represents a 31% increase over the first quarter of 2009, but is 13.6% lower than the 4th quarter of 2009.

The figures include asset financing of wind farms, solar, biofuel production facilitiees plants, as well as public and private investments in clean energy companies.  China was the leader in clean energy asset financing in the first quarter of 2010 with investments of $6.5 billion, compared to $3.5 billion in US.

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Inventor Seeks Licensee for Gulf Stream Turbine Patents

Gulf Stream Turbines LLC is seeking a suitable company or group of investors that will license an invention that can produce continuous low-cost electricity from the constantly flowing Gulf Stream.

Unlike the intermittent energy that is in the winds, tides, and waves, the Gulf Stream's kinetic energy is relatively steady because it is produced by a Coriolis force that results from the earth's eastward rotation. It is because of the Gulf Stream's greater steadiness that the Gulf Stream Turbines can continuously generate power at near their theoretical capacities, making it possible for them to produce from two to six times the electricity that can be produced by the wind turbines and at one-half to one-sixth the cost.

"Because these submersible power plants will be in the ocean, they must be able to operate for long periods without requiring servicing," said John Robson, the inventor. "This is made possible by relying on the unchanging laws of physics – rather than on mechanical systems that can fail."

Robson said, "A free-floating submerged object will always float with its center of gravity directly under its center of buoyancy. This fact not only can provide great inherent stability but also permit a machine's depth to be easily changed by transferring ballast water between the front and rear compartments of the buoyancy tank to adjust the hydrofoils' lifting forces. It also can make the machines much easier to install and recover."

Companies that generate electricity from renewable energy are eligible for a government production tax credit of 2.1 cents per kilowatt-hour for the first ten years of a renewable-energy facilities' operation. The Gulf Stream's more consistent kinetic energy not only will produce from two to six times the revenues from the sale of the electricity, but also from that subsidy.

The Gulf Stream Turbines will also produce proportionally larger reductions in the emissions of greenhouse gases. A single Gulf Stream Turbine that is equipped with two 600-kW generators will theoretically generate 8,941,300 kilowatt-hours per year, operating at 85% of its theoretical capacity. If that electricity were to replace the electricity produced by a coal plant, the CO2 emissions would be reduced by about 13,000 tons. If that electricity were to replace the electricity produced by burning natural gas, the emissions would be reduced by 5,900 tons and gas consumption by 52.85 billion Btu.

Because the earnings produced by the Gulf Stream Turbines will substantially exceed those of the other renewable energy generating systems, thousands of these machines could soon be generating electricity from that current is just off the coast of South Florida.

Gulf Stream Turbines LLC was formed in 2009 for the purpose of getting the invention into production.

For additional information, visit www.gulfstreamturbine.com.

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