Class 4 Winds

AJ Swope's contributions to Class 4 Winds, our region, his colleagues, friends, & family will be fondly remembered. Truly a remarkable man with a unique legacy.

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Spot on editorial in the AGN regarding Google's investment in the Texas Panhandle's Spinning Spur Wind Ranch. Google's interest in wind energy says big things about the industry, especially in the C4W region.

http://amarillo.com/opinion/editorial/2013-01-10/editorial-google-wind-money-helps-texas-panhandle-many-ways

Editorial: Google wind money helps Texas Panhandle in many ways Considering the Texas Panhandle area's lack of trees, describing the region as a hotbed for "green energy" may not make a lot of sense.

Google invests $200M in Oldham County Wind Farm.

http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/09/google-makes-200m-equity-investment-in-texas-wind-farm/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29

Google Makes $200M Equity Investment In Texas Wind Farm | TechCrunch Google just announced yet another major investment in renewable energy. The company says that it has made a $200 million equity investment in an existing wind farm in Oldham County Texas. The Spinning Spur Wind Farm currently produces about 161 MW and uses 70 Siemens turbines to generate enough po..

Great article in the Globe News about the extension of the PTC.

http://amarillo.com/news/local-news/2013-01-06/dusting-projects

Dusting off projects: Wind tax credit renewal aids region The U.S. Congress helped the wind energy industry start the new year with hopes of continued expansion by passing a tax incentive in legislation meant to keep the country from going over the fiscal cliff.

It came later than many industry professionals would have preferred, but the Production Tax Credit has been renewed for another year. Interestingly, companies that start construction in 2013 will qualify for the PTC, compared to previous years that projects had to be complete and producing power to qualify.

http://members.class4winds.org/news¬es?mode=PostView&bmi=1170545

Class 4 Winds & Renewables, Inc. - News & Notes Renewable energy advocate for a region offering the most desirable renewable resources in the world.

The PTC seems to be faring well in the Fiscal Cliff discussions, but here's how some developers plan on making their projects work if the incentive isn't renewed.

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/28/an-industrys-future-blowing-in-the-wind/

An Industry's Future, Blowing in the Wind The expiration of the wind production tax credit on Jan. 1 will bring the nation's turbine-building business to a standstill. Will it be revived?

Interesting article from Bloomberg about the number of wind farms installed domestically in 2012.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-21/wind-power-generation-beating-natural-gas-in-u-s-in-2012.html

Wind Power Generation Beating Natural Gas in U.S. in 2012 Wind-turbine installations are poised to exceed natural gas-fueled power plants in the U.S. for the first time this year as developers race to complete projects before a renewable energy tax credit expires.

News Channel 10's story on the Production Tax Credit: http://www.newschannel10.com/story/20310631/wind-energy-tax-credit-expires-dec-31

Wind energy tax credit expires Dec. 31 Amarillo, TX -- The Production Tax Credit, an incentive for wind energy production, expires at the end of the year and its future is uncertain.

Be sure to catch News Channel 10 in Amarillo this evening as we'll be on discussing the importance of the PTC to the American Wind Industry.

http://lubbockonline.com/business/2012-10-27/west-texas-offers-some-greatest-wind-energy-potential-us?v=1351396245 #.UI7eoMWCmdh

West Texas offers some of the greatest wind energy potential in the U.S. Texas Tech, TSTC partner to meet educational needs of emerging wind energy field

As Texas grows, so does its demand for electricity. Interesting article in the Globe News. http://amarillo.com/news/local-news/2012-10-24/lawmakers-plan-now-avoid-shortages

Lawmakers: Texas must plan now to avoid energy shortages AUSTIN - The city of Lubbock suffered at least two power outages last year, but they were minor compared to other regions of the state, according to state Rep. John Frullo.

Great article in Renewable Energy World on the different standards that renewables are held to compared to other forms of generation: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2012/08/free-market-hypocrisy-why-do-we-hold-renewables-to-different-standards-than-fossil-fuels-and-nuclear

Free Market Hypocrisy: Why Do We Hold Renewables to Different Standards than Fossil Fuels and Nuclea Now that renewables are receiving some of the same incentives that fossil fuels have enjoyed for nearly one hundred years, we're suddenly being inundated with calls for a purely "free-market" approach to energy development from politicians on the right and companies concerned