American Wind Energy Association advises use of wind energy in

Daily Reporter (Milwaukee), Feb 22, 2006 by Paul Snyder

The American Wind Energy Association says national developers could be ready to invest billions in Wisconsin infrastructure. And it's not a bunch of hot air.

AWEA issued a statement Monday, applauding the support behind SB 450, the Energy Efficiency and Renewables Act, which went up for discussion in the Senate Tuesday.

Wind energy developers across the nation are eager to invest in states that demonstrate a commitment to renewable energy, said Tom Gray, the AWEA's director of communications, in the statement. By establishing an aggressive, yet achievable, renewable portfolio standard, Wisconsin is inviting wind developers throughout the country to take a closer look at investing in Wisconsin's infrastructure and economy.

Gray noted the act's requirement that 10 percent of the energy sold in the state must come from renewable sources by 2015 and said that using wind to reach that quota could prove lucrative for the state.

If wind energy were used to reach that requirement, that could mean nearly 2,000 megawatts of additional wind energy built at appropriate locations within the state, which translates to as much as $2 billion invested in Wisconsin's infrastructure and economy, he said.

Lee Cullen of Cullen Weston Pine & Bach LLP and the chairman of the task force said the announcement was encouraging, and that Wisconsin should continue pursuing the option.

The idea that wind energy is expensive is an old view, he said. The price has come down in the past few years, and turbines are taller and more efficient. With the unpredictability of fuel costs and rising coal costs, it makes sense to make an investment in wind power.

One of many sources

Cullen added, however, that it should be just one of a number of avenues the state explores.

Wind can't be the exclusive source of energy for the state, of course, he said. There's a certain unpredictability to wind as well, but it's definitely an option for the state, and both public and industry attitudes toward wind is changing for the better.

Nino Amato, past president of the Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group, said that Wisconsin will have to compete against other areas more geographically inclined to harness wind but that wind could still be a more reliable form of energy than sources the state currently utilizes.

If you look at the power plants here, there have been 62 outages in a couple of years, he said. It's cheaper to run wind than it is for those plants to buy back that power off the market.

Michael Vickerman, executive director of RENEW Wisconsin, also said he was encouraged by the association's announcement and that wind power could mean good things for the state and country's economy.

Wind power has been demonstrated worldwide to be a viable option, and it's too bad that the United States hasn't taken advantage of it in the same way that countries like Germany and Spain have, he said.

Vickerman explained that the United States' energy policies are created in short-term fashions, since all forms of energy are subsidized and tax credits lapse on energy every biennium. While Wisconsin saw a record year in 2005 for wind energy installation projects and should again fare well in 2006, the tax credit expires at the end of 2007, which might trigger a lapse in installation and construction.

You can't build a business in the United States around revolving good years and bad years, he said. In other countries you can, but here you can't.

Still, Vickerman said wind power should mean good things for the state, especially the construction industry.

You're going to see construction of wind farms through the rest of the decade, he said. There's going to be a big demand for construction cranes, foundation builders and interconnection work. This is a very positive thing for our economy.