A new wind may be blowing in electricity for New Jersey but there are concerns it may bring a chill to ratepayers.
Gov. Chris Christie today signed an act that aims to facilitate offshore wind power generator for use in the state.
The measure offers financial aid and tax credits to attract private companies to participate in developing wind farms in the ocean. But this effort may also involve significant expense to be passed on to power consumers.
The Offshore Wind Economic Development Act was signed by Christie at a former BP Oil Company facility in Gloucester County, where a port that once held tanks of fuel oil will become New Jersey’s launching point for an ambitious renewable energy program.
Paulsboro Marine Terminal, a port on the Delaware River the state has struggled to revitalize, is envisaged under the legislation as the preferred hub for manufacturing wind turbines. Through these turbines, the state hopes to one day generate 1,100 megawatts of electricity from farms located 12 to 20 miles off the coast.
The act mandates a percentage of electrical power sold in New Jersey eventually be generated by offshore windmills, and offers a mix of financial assistance and $100 million in tax credits to lure companies to build the turbines in Paulsboro and get the project underway.
“A few months ago, I was at the Jersey Shore talking about my renewed feeling regarding no offshore drilling in New Jersey and also that I did not want liquefied natural gas off the state of New Jersey’s coast, either,” said Christie.
“That was well before the events that we saw in the Gulf Coast, and I just think that it makes sense for us to go in this direction, not only because it’s good for the environment, but because it’s going to help us create jobs.”
But even the lawmakers and environmental leaders who surrounded Christie today said the ambitious effort depends on private investment in wind farms and that small wind turbine manufacturing companies be willing to locate in New Jersey. The last turbine firm to enter the region opened in Pennsylvania.
“While there are no guarantees, those states that are most aggressive in promoting polices that promote alterative energy are the ones that will reap the benefits. … New Jersey is now in the best position of any state to benefit,” said David Pringle of the New Jersey Environmental Federation.
Since the offshore wind project materialized three years ago under then-Gov. Jon Corzine, three firms have struck agreements with the state Board of Public Utilities to conduct meteorological tests. Earlier this week, the BPU agreed to let two of them use buoy-monitors rather than erect towers anchored to the ocean floor for the tests.
But no company has yet signed on to build a wind farm. And one major concern about the project is anticipated rate hikes for electrical customers resulting when an infrastructure must be built to integrate wind-generated energy into the power grid.
“I think that every day we’re seeing that wind generators can be made more efficient and more cost effective to ratepayers,” said Christie.
“Over the long haul, what I’m really concerned about is that we continue to hold ratepayers hostage to energy creation which is much more volatile in terms of its prices. What it will ultimately cost ratepayers is open to question still, but we’re going to be working to make it as efficient and effective as we can.”
The New Jersey Business and Industry Association estimates $7 billion to $14 billion in integration costs will be passed onto ratepayers, predicting an exodus of businesses already stressed by high utility bills, high taxes and a recession.
“You not only need transmission lines from the ocean to the shore, but also additional transmission capacity to integrate the home wind turbines. Remember, wind is variable.,” said Jonathan Lesser, an economic consultant for the group.
“You get the least amount of wind in the summer, when you need the most power, so you are going to need a natural gas-fire generation system to back it up,” he said.
First, the wind power issue is the development of China’s wind power industry prominent bottleneck. According to the China Electricity Council statistics, in 2009 China’s total wind power installed capacity reached 22 million kilowatts, and the network unit is only 16.13 million kilowatts, and the network unit is not more than 1 / 4. Meanwhile, the wind load characteristics determine its difficult to maintain stable and can not synchronize with the power load changes, there must be other wind power commitment to adapt to changes in load demands, to increase power generation capacity adjustment, peak shaving capability and storage capacity. This requires optimization of the power structure, increasing investment and operation of pumped storage units, increase the peaking power construction scale.
In order to strengthen the research and wind forecast, China’s current wind observation tower built about 400 of them. However, this is not enough, but to build wind power generator forecasts and forecast system, need to promote wind power and grid companies to achieve coordination and cooperation. China Electrotechnical Society, honorary chairman of Zhouhe Liang told the reporter, to achieve this step, the national electricity access to assessment, not only the evaluation capacity. Because the installed easy, and the net hard. Once the online assessment targets to achieve power, the state of all aspects of the unit to reward, motivate, including wind farms, power companies, especially power companies. As wind power, mainly rely on power companies to promote.
Wind energy resource-rich areas are mostly small wind turbines local power system, electricity load less, the news on the assimilative capacity of wind power inadequate. To solve this problem, the key is to increase the intensity of cross-network construction.
Zhou Heliang that the development of wind power to the grid and network synchronization with both non-development, the formation of diversified, balanced development pattern. In the wind energy resource-rich areas, construction of wind power base, building a large network, but also small and medium sized wind farm construction according to local conditions, to meet the remote and inaccessible areas of the electricity demand.
Second, the wind power industry, machine wind generators manufacturers still excess capacity, lack of equipment reliability issues. At present, many domestic fans machine manufacturers, hundreds of family traditions, national electric machine has been assembled, manufacturing companies. The market share of 60% of the total concentrated in the gold wind, sharp and East China Steam hands. The three have an annual output of domestic enterprises with more than 2 million kW, and the remaining 40% of the market share of family property to lower the machine nearly a hundred works by intense competition. To prevent redundant construction, the Ministry of Industry in March 2010 issued a wind power equipment manufacturers access to draft standards to improve the access threshold for wind power equipment, reduce excess capacity. Meanwhile, National Grid is also studying the development of relevant technical standards and network specifications.
In this regard, Zhou Heliang that reduce excess capacity should aim at capacity, but also to improve equipment quality, performance, level of direction.
In recent years, Zai policy strongly, supported by technical Yin Jin, China mastered the group Zhizao MW wind turbine technology, and initially formed blades, gearboxes, generators and control systems Zhuyaobujian the wind Dian equipment Chanye chains, You Yu Da Duoshu windmill power businesses once Zhi Zao, light innovation, Chong Yin Jin, light Xishou, Shi wind power for critical equipment and core Jishu subject Guowai, wind power technology independent innovation capability as weaknesses, in particular, key components of quality of equipment Urgent Improvement of Quality . Coupled with the rapid development of China’s wind power industry, launched a large number of fans rushed the equipment from the research and development to the actual running time is shortened, so that lack of preparation as a result of R & D fan is running a series of problems emerged.
Zhou Heliang that equipment reliability issues will affect the development of wind power in China a huge worry. China’s wind power equipment manufacturers need to focus on wind power main and auxiliary machine optimization and matching, to improve equipment reliability should make great effort.
In the rapid growth of wind power against the background of a few years, most enterprises focus Yu make and the wind power industry R & D platform and public technical service system is far from the pace of development of the industry does not , efficient production, learning and research combined technology R & D system still in a primitive being.
The third is the wind farm’s operation and management level is too low. A lot of attention to installed capacity of wind power projects, while ignoring the run. A lot of wind, whether maintenance, repair capability, or maintenance, management capabilities are to be improved.
m NextEra the next 20 years for data center power supply.
Less than 3 months ago, this Silicon Valley Internet wind turbines search giant just NextEra development and construction of North Dakota, two wind farms invested 38.8 million U.S. dollars, the two wind power generating sites for 55,000 household electricity.
Google senior vice president of operations Etzler (Urs Hoelzle), said the official blog, Google energy companies starting from July 30th’s Lova from NextEra wind to the proportion of pre-arranged to purchase wind power.
He also said: “Wind power generator will be so much into the company’s power supply portfolio is a tricky thing, but these power supply sufficient number of data centers.”
Google, through its charitable arm Google.org in addressing climate change has made some progress. This often made surprise at the end of 2007 the company had said that the next few years will invest in R & D companies and through its own production of cheap renewable energy.
Google’s energy sector was established in December last year, companies from the wholesale electricity market by the department to purchase a large number of renewable energy.
French power company (RTE) has released data show that total installed capacity of wind power in France in June for the first time this year, more than 5,000 MW of electricity consumption in France accounted for 1.7%.
French electricity transmission network published monthly show in June this year, the wind is relatively small, the average wind generating capacity in France is only 798 MW, accounting for 16% of installed capacity.
This year in June, the French national electricity consumption grew 1.5%, while industrial use of electricity from the first time since November 2009, declining 0.3%. Over the same period, France from March 2009 for the first time since the continuous output power abroad, mainly France, the power output increase of 10.7% year on year, of which 37.4% growth in wind power generation.
In recent years, the French government through subsidies and other means to vigorously promote wind power. In 2003, France was only 239 MW of wind turbines . According to this year
May 18, long-awaited, delayed several times the first batch of offshore wind power concession tender exercise launched. The tender of the four projects, all in Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province, with a total installed capacity reached 100 million kilowatts, equivalent to 10 East China Sea Bridge wind farm, close to 20 billion yuan investment.
But large parts of planning than reported, this is only drop in the ocean. According to reports, only Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, Fujian Province, several offshore wind power by 2015, the total installed capacity planning is about 10.1 million kilowatts on up, while other provinces are also targets more than one million kilowatts.
With such a large offshore wind power generator market than businesses generally agreed that land-based wind power has been completed enclosure.
“Development of the local land resources have been depleted, so now is to go offshore development on land unless it is to the original units are removed, or else you have to go to the sea development.” Xue told reporters .
Germany ENERGY EFFICIENCY consultant Meike Waechter told our reporter, Germany 5 MW turbines are mature and become mainstream, the main reason is to save the sea to develop more land.
In fact, in addition to abundant resources, offshore wind power compared to land-based wind power is also expected to have a higher gross margin.
It is learned that the price of domestic wind turbine has been presented from 2007 downward trend, by the end of 2009 reached 5,000 yuan / kW. News said the companies now offer generally lower than 5,000 yuan / kW. Business people have said, “The price has been close to the bottom line.”
The land-based wind power equipment market compared to the fierce competition, offshore wind power to show some advantages, such as the entry barrier higher, more expensive equipment, and because close to offshore wind power centers, the Internet is also a higher price. With such consensus, the land of wind generators manufacturer equipment manufacturers are willing to enter the offshore wind power Xiaojiannaodai “Arena.”
“China in the East China Sea Bridge wind farm sharp 3-megawatt installation, has used the country’s top ship.” Xue explained, no matter how much capacity the unit is to spend the same effort to install, the greater capacity, Cost-sharing units will be down, so suitable for large offshore wind power capacity of the fan unit. “If you can do 20 megawatts of fans, it better.”
June 7, the World Bank released its latest research results, “China’s large-scale offshore wind and onshore wind power base in the challenge: Implementation Guide”, which suggestions for offshore wind power development in China specialized in supporting laws and regulations promulgated to meet the Chinese Future offshore wind power development.
In addition, the report believes that China’s construction of offshore wind power is essential, and recommended that the intertidal zone in China for wind power generator development pilot.
In recent years, China’s achievements in the development of wind power significantly more than expected and planned targets, by 2009, China ranked third in the world wind power installed capacity, while the speed of market growth is expected to rank first in the world in the next few years 1.
Bureau of Energy Director of the World Bank of China Li Zhuo Shi said: “China has achieved remarkable success, to expand the scale of the strategy is correct.”
However, the rapid development of wind power, more room for development of future offshore wind power are facing many of the potential problems.
Report, have developed or are developing for offshore wind generators countries, their development of laws and regulations in many have flaws, these problems is particularly evident in the project approvals, as many cases, existing laws and regulations is Zhendui as oil, gas or shipping requirements, these laws are used offshore wind power development activities on the approval, would seriously hinder the development of offshore wind power, and to examination and approval procedures are very complicated, and with uncertainty, thereby increasing the project cost , resulting in time delays and wind turbines ultimately increase the risk of failure.
China in the development of offshore wind power will be faced with such laws and regulations during the defects, the report that the Chinese government should establish an appropriate set of laws and regulations, dedicated to offshore wind power development.
According to the experience of other countries, laws and regulations, volatility, complexity, and excessive restraint, will result in harm to the confidence of investors; as in the Netherlands, to encourage wavering policies, has become the country’s wind power market development, a major problem.
The other essential for offshore wind power online, the report that should be considered approved the construction of demonstration projects to provide free Internet access, and new specialized agency responsible for construction of offshore wind power, or expansion of existing business network, offshore wind power is responsible for the Internet.
In addition, because the inter-tidal wind farm development costs may be lower than in the deep waters offshore wind power, reported that China wants to become a pioneer in the need for learning and innovation in practice, starting the relevant experiments, and demonstration projects have put fully estimated.
At present, the Chinese Government plans to wind power resources in the domestic land-based wind power-rich areas to expand the scale of the intertidal zone of wind power to carry out pilot projects, and start in deep water areas offshore wind farm development.
The face of wind power equipment by the National Development and Reform Commission included in the list of six major overcapacity in the industry background, Shanghai, the main force of the wind power equipment manufacturers – Shanghai Electric Wind Power Equipment Company to speed up product upgrading, R & D capabilities, and strive to achieve Shanghai wind power generators new breakthroughs.
It is understood that the national wind power equipment company has more than 80, including 39 central enterprises, 23 private enterprises, others are joint ventures and wholly foreign-owned enterprises, resulting in low power products in an increasingly competitive land-based fans. The first echelon of the industry is currently in Sinovel, Dongfang Electric and other occupied first-mover advantage and scale of the whole network; while there are many new entrants to the central level, adequate financial strength, deep customer relationships.
Sea fan is a fan of the next development, Shanghai Electric R & D earlier, Shanghai is also more suitable for the establishment of local sea wind. At present, the Shanghai Electric Wind Power companies are stepping up R & D has fully achieved self-designed 3.6MW of sea fans. The first prototype for the first half of next year, offline, to seize the initiative in the sea fan market. Shanghai Electric wind generators manufacturing base in the port basically completed by the end of the layout, form 1000, the annual production capacity of 1.85 million kilowatts.
Fans in the land area of Shanghai Electric also accelerated the pace of product updates. End of last year successfully developed with independent intellectual property rights of 2MW fan, with 87 m and 93 m wind round the standards, has completed the low temperature resistance, anti-dust type, highland type, anti-spray type, intertidal zone type, anti-typhoon offshore-based and other series of design and product development. With the 2MW onshore fans in Jiangsu after a successful trial run, firms have been wind turbines awarded contracts with hundreds of 2MW fan, Shenhua, Datang, State Power, Huadian Power and other major companies have become a major customer. Next year, more than 800 fans in production, 2MW fans over 1.25MW fan, a leading products to meet the growing domestic construction of large scale wind farm the size of demand. Shanghai Electric Group also used industrial advantages, self-critical components, focused on creating fan chain. Generator, inverter, have been used in fan production, hydraulic station, the main controller, in prototype in a large bearing.
2020 total installed capacity of wind power in China will reach 150 million kilowatts, released in 2007, “Renewable Energy and long-term development plan” target 5 times. National Energy Board to determine the 10 million kilowatts of wind power base in planning, to ensure planning of 10 million kilowatts in wind power base is completed, China in 2020 could reach 100 million kilowatts of installed capacity.
According to the plan, China will in Gansu, Xinjiang, Hebei, Jilin, Inner Mongolia, Jiangsu and six provinces to create 7 million kilowatts wind power bases. Jiuquan wind power generators base of 10 million kilowatts of total installed capacity building programs 35.65 million kilowatts; Xinjiang Hami planning 20 million kilowatts; Inner Mongolia plans to build 50 million kilowatts, of which 20 million kilowatts West Inner Mongolia and East 30 million kilowatts; Hebei planning in coastal and Construction of the northern region of 10 million kilowatts; Jiangsu Province plans to build 10 million kilowatts, of which offshore 7 million kilowatts; Jilin west, mainly in the loose source and Baicheng City, planning to reach 23 million kilowatts by 2020.
Jiuquan, Gansu Province
Jiuquan wind power base is the planning and construction of our first 10 million kilowatts of wind power demonstration bases, is also the country following the West-East, West, East oil transportation, electric power, and the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the western region development is another sign of project. National Energy Board for approval in accordance with the plan, 10 million kilowatts of Jiuquan wind power base in the “Eleventh Five-Year” weekend installed capacity of 5.16 million kilowatts built; “12 5″ at the end and then add installed capacity of 7.55 million kilowatts, the cumulative installed capacity of 12.71 million kilowatts.
Jiuquan wind energy resource reserves of 150 million kilowatts total, the volume can be developed more than 40 million kilowatts, can use an area of nearly 1 million square kilometers. 10 m height of the wind power density of 250-310 watts per square meter more than the average wind speed at 5.7 meters per second or more, the annual number of hours full-load power generation up to 2300 hours, non-destructive wind speed, wind energy use on extremely favorable, suitable for building large-scale grid-based wind farms.
Jiuquan wind turbines base of 10 million kilowatts is the planning and construction of the first office in China, the world’s largest wind power project of great significance and far-reaching effects, is destined to be stored in the new history of China’s energy industry. 1,200 billion in total investment.
According to the latest news, Jiuquan wind turbine generators equipment, high-tech industrial country of bases listed on the 12th of this month.
Hami
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is the country’s most abundant wind energy resources in one region of Hami in eastern Xinjiang, the eastern end of the Tianshan Mountains, with a total area of 139,000 square km, the wind power density ≥ 150W/m2 an area of 45,664 square kilometers, wind energy technology exploitation amount to 64.988 million kilowatts. According to wind engineering geology, access to electric power systems, transportation, construction and installation, natural environment, land, and the progress of the preliminary work of wind power, Hami Hami 2020 preliminary planning and construction of the southeast, Santanghu and nom 3 large-scale wind farm, planning to reach 10 million kilowatts of capacity or more.
Inner Mongolia
Abundant wind energy resources in Inner Mongolia is China’s wind power industry, one of the fastest growing regions, wind energy technology development capacity of the region more than 150 million kilowatts, accounting for land-based wind energy resource reserves more than 50%. Grid wind power installed capacity of the region has been for 6 years to over 100% growth rate, the current wind power capacity of about one third of the country’s total, ranking first in the country.
As of March 31, Union City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has five wind power installed capacity of more than 1 million kilowatts, becoming the first nation has five million kilowatts of wind power base in the provinces. Inner Mongolia Electric Power Industry Association, according to data provided by: the current installed capacity of wind power in Inner Mongolia reached 7.3089 million kilowatts, has been ahead of schedule and exceeded this year’s wind power installed capacity to 700 million kilowatts of planning objectives, capacity ranks first in the country bit. Among them, the Inner Mongolia Wind Power and net installed capacity of 1,408,400 kilowatts, is the installed capacity of wind power in Inner Mongolia up to the Union City, and four more than 1 million kilowatts of Union City, Xilin Gol League, respectively, Bayannur City, Chifeng and Tongliao, and network capacity is 1,323,600 kilowatts, respectively, 1.2364 million kilowatts, 1,208,300 kilowatts and 1,088,100 kilowatts.
National Energy Secretary Zhang pointed out, and Inner Mongolia have the building “wind of the Three Gorges” conditions. To the “Eleventh Five”, Inner Mongolia, wind power installed capacity will reach 8 million kilowatts, to the “12 5″ at the end, will reach about 20 million kilowatts. 2020, eastern Mongolia, the western region together will exceed the planned total installed capacity of 50 million kilowatts.
Project approved by the SASAC, the State Long Yuan Electric Power Group Co., Ltd. invested 3.0 billion wind energy wind power plant construction settled Lai’an, in April to complete planning and design work is now under construction.
Wind power stations in the North Down area Lai’an Yang Ying township and the surrounding territory of the four forest within the building by the provincial Bureau of Meteorology wind tower test, the amount the township’s geography and wind conditions are suitable for building wind power generators plants. In October 2009 in Beijing, and the State Government in Daqing City Power Group signed a cooperation agreement investment and construction. Six phases of the project construction, total investment of 3.0 billion, by the end of 2010 to complete five, building flight 133, the completion of 2 billion yuan investment, installed capacity of 200 MW. Measuring point has been completed and the base of geophysical, ground exploration work, the first wind turbine is expected by the end of September 2010 test run power generation, l2 was officially put into operation, annual capacity 200 000 degrees. The implementation of this project in the region and tourism development of tertiary industry played a significant role in driving.
In line with the national strategy document drafting group to work in emerging industries, Energy Agency for a new energy symposium.
It was agreed that in order to wind power, solar energy industry, represented by the new state of strategic and emerging industries, with high technology, market potential, growth speed, industry driving the strong features. Accelerate the development of the Mainland to actively adjust energy structure, speed up the transformation of energy growth, etc., is of great strategic significance.
Now, the mainland wind power, solar wind turbines industry has to have some industrial base, with speeding up, should be a strategic important area of new industries. Suggested that the state actively to implement the new energy industry revitalization plan, expanding and new energy equipment manufacturing, integrated use of fiscal, taxation, credit policies, and speeding up the development of new energy industries.