Texas Renewables

It's no secret that Texas has become a leader in the renewable energy industry. Texas has the most MWs of installed wind capacity in the nation and industry leaders are working to make Texas a leader in solar development as well. The Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association (TREIA) recently celebrated the state's success at their 25th annual renewables conference, but they did more than celebrate 25 years of statewide progress with renewable energies. Industry professionals gathered to look toward the future for renewables in Texas and discuss how we get there.

There were three topics that stuck out to me at the conference and I just thought this would be the best venue for discussing them. I encourage anyone with comments or any insight into any of these topics to leave comments, please!!

Topic #1: Governor Perry's Keynote

This was my first time to ever hear Governor Perry speak in person and I was intrigued; apparently so much so that I didn't realize the local news station's camera crew that was obviously there. Check out this video posted on KXAN.com; and no you won't see me in the video, I checked!



You can find out more about Gov. Perry's luncheon address here.

Governor Perry was clear in stating that he thought the rest of the nation should look at what Texas has done with renewables as an example. He also noted that should a cap and trade bill make it through congress it would negate the progress that Texas has had, saying that an energy tax would cause all products that use energy to become more expensive. Perry voiced his concern that this new regulation would place our country at an unfair advantage. His suggestion was for the federal government to study the success that Texas has had and encourage entrepreneurs to be innovative.

Check out this article for more information:
Texas Gov. Perry tells renewable energy industry that cap-and-trade would hurt state

Topic #2: Looking at Solar

Now I am sure it is apparent from our association's name, but just in case you didn't notice our association focuses on promoting our area for WIND energy development. Over the past week I believe that I, as well as our board, may have seen the light (excuse the pun) when it comes to solar development and the potential it offers our area.

We all know that the wind resources in the Panhandle of Texas are good, but turns out the solar resources are pretty good as well! Who knew?! The TREIA renewable conference helped me to understand that an integration of both renewable sources is really the ideal situation because (to put it very straight forward) the sun shines when the wind tends not to blow.

I could talk more about the benefits of solar, but I think I will leave it up to the experts as its a fairly new topic to me and I feel like I should do some more research before I try to talk about it intelligently. I recommend this article in Solar Today Magazine ~ Texas: The Next Solar Superpower?


Topic #3: PUCT Docket # 37567

This topic probably wasn't one that got a lot of attention from many attendees at the conference and really there was only a brief mention of it during one of the breakout sessions, but it was directly related to wind development in the Panhandle of Texas so, of course, it got my full blown attention. A representative from the PUCT brought up the recent CREZ proceedings and the new petition that has been filed by the commission which is meant to determine whether or not there is sufficient financial commitment by developers in Panhandle A and Panhandle B CREZs to justify the PUCT's granting of CCN's to transmission service providers. In English, before the new transmission lines in the panhandle area are going to be built the PUCT wants to make sure that developers in the area are serious about going forward with wind developments that merit the build out of transmission to the Panhandle.

After doing a little research on the topic when I got back to the office last week I found that as of the PUCT's latest schedule developers must submit an intent to file collateral by December 4th and then there will be a hearing at the commission on January 21st.

You can find all filings relevant to this particular PUCT proceeding by going to PUC Interchange, clicking on login and entering 37567 as the control number.

Of course they were many more topics discussed at the conference and many great industry contacts available to network with; if you attended the conference and have anything to add about what you learned at the conference please feel free to post your thoughts in a comment.

Until next time...

Events to Attend

I just wanted to share with everyone some upcoming events that I think will be worth attending. Most of them I will be attending myself! And if I miss something please feel free to leave a comment with event details.

This Month:

TREIA - Texas Renewables 2009
November 8th - 10th
OMNI Hotel Austin Southpark
Austin, Texas

Texas Wind Energy Clearinghouse
November 12th - Noon
Texas State Technical College
Sweetwater, Texas
Monthly Luncheon - Bureau Veritas
"A refresher course on wind project development"

AWEA Fall Symposium
November 18th - 20th
Orlando, Florida

Coming up Dec - Feb.

Oklahoma Wind Energy Conference
December 2nd - 3rd
Oklahoma City, Ok

Transmission Summit 2010
January 14th - 15th
Sweetwater, Texas

Southwest Energy Summit
February 11th - 12th
Sweetwater, Texas

A Proposed West Texas Wind Farm

I recently received this news release and although there are numerous stories concerning the proposed West Texas development that have come out recently I felt it was appropriate to post this release. I do have a couple questions though and if you know the answer I would appreciate it if you left a comment or contacted me directly.

#1 Has the land for this project already been leased?
AND
#2 Where exactly is the location in which the project is being planned?

Here's the release...

U.S. RENEWABLE ENERGY GROUP AND SHENYANG POWER GROUP ANNOUNCE LARGEST PRIVATE CHINESE-AMERICAN INVESTMENT EVER IN U.S. RENEWABLE ENERGY

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Renewable Energy Group (US-REG) and Cielo Wind Power LP today announced a partnership with the Shenyang Power Group (SPG) to construct a $1.5 billion, 600 megawatt, wind energy plant across approximately 36,000 acres in west Texas. This is the largest joint investment by American and Chinese companies ever made in the U.S. renewable energy sector, and will be the country’s second largest wind energy plant. In total, the project is expected to produce enough electricity for 180,000 homes, create hundreds of American jobs, and generate millions in revenue for local communities.

At an event held today in Washington, DC, Chinese leaders, U.S. leaders, and top executives from US-REG, SPG, A-Power Group, and Cielo Wind Power, LP gathered for a signing ceremony to finalize the largest private Chinese-American investment ever in renewable energy in the United States. The ceremony included the Vice Mayor of China’s Municipal People’s Government Yang Yazhou, SPG Chief Operating Officer John Lin, US-REG Managing Partner Cappy McGarr, US-REG Managing Partner Ed Cunningham, and Cielo Wind Power, LP Vice President of Finance and Business Development Joe Stark.

The ceremony was hosted by US-REG (www.US-REG.com), a U.S.-based private equity firm that mobilizes and facilitates the participation of international financing and investment in utility-scale renewable energy projects within the United States. US-REG provides American businesses with access to international investment options and works with strategic partners to identify domestic-based clean energy projects.

“US-REG, Shenyang Power Group, and Cielo Wind Power are combining investment, expertise, and resources to bring clean, reliable, and affordable renewable technologies to the marketplace,” said Cappy McGarr, US-REG Managing Partner. “This historic $1.5 billion investment in wind energy will spur tremendous growth in the renewable energy sector and directly create hundreds of high-paying American jobs.”

Shenyang Power Group is based in Shenyang, China, and through its partnership with the A-Power Group, is China’s largest provider of distributed power generation systems focusing on energy-efficient and environmentally friendly projects. SPG’s $1.5 billion investment is China’s largest investment to date in American energy, underscoring the enormous potential and attraction of the U.S. renewable market.

“Today, we demonstrated our commitment to clean, renewable energy with the largest private Chinese-American investment ever made in a U.S. renewable energy project,” said Vice Mayor Yang Yazhou, who oversees all environmental protection and economic growth and development of the city of Shenyang. “We all share the common goal of bringing cost effective and environmentally responsible renewable energy to millions of homes across the world, and this project will greatly benefit both the Chinese and American economies.”

“The Shenyang Power Group is committed to renewable energy and we are excited about the growth potential of American renewable energy,” said John Lin, Chief Operating Office of Shenyang Power Group. “We are proud to partner with the U.S. Renewable Energy Group and Cielo Wind Power to make this major investment in American wind energy.”

“Though some will describe this project as a large-scale, U.S.-China venture, it is in fact a cooperation, based on respect and friendship, between the best and brightest women and men from both countries working together for a new energy future, addressing the global climate crisis and creating new high-paying jobs on both sides of the Pacific,” said Ed Cunningham, Managing Partner of US-REG.

Cielo is one of the most successful wind farm developers in the United States, accounting for over 1,100 megawatts of wind energy. Cielo is committed to developing, owning and operating the most cost-effective and environmentally responsible wind power facilities for many load-serving entities throughout the southwestern United States. Texas is the American leader in wind energy and produces over 7,118 megawatts of electricity.

“A $1.5 billion wind energy project that produces 600 megawatts of renewable electricity will be one of the largest undertaking of its kind anywhere in the world,” said Cielo CEO Walt Hornaday. “Cielo is excited to be part of this historic partnership that will not only generate clean, homegrown, renewable energy, but also create a robust economy with new jobs and revenue.”
Earlier this year President Obama and the U.S. Congress created the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to promote innovation and investment in renewable energy. This legislation is clearing the way for increased capital formation and significant clean energy investment. By opening doors to global investment, America is positioning itself as the leader in developing innovative, renewable technologies and bringing clean energy to market.

“It is important to give credit where credit is due,” said Joe Stark, Vice President of Finance and Business Development with Cielo. “Without the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, this joint venture with SPG would not be possible. Never has there been a more favorable outlook for wind energy investment in the United States.”

US-REG’s mission is to integrate renewable and environmentally sound energy technologies into the American marketplace, while generating tremendous returns with a range of smart and strategic investments in clean energy. US-REG is devoted to strengthening America’s energy independence, environmental quality, and economic vitality through investments in utility-scale projects in wind, hydro, geothermal, solar, and bioenergy.

For More Information Or To Schedule An Interview, Please Contact Bill Riggs at (202) 429-4929 or BillRiggs@Rational360.com.

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About US-REG: The United States Renewable Energy Group mobilizes and facilitates the participation of international financing and investment in renewable energy projects within the United States. By facilitating the expansion and development of business strategies through managing risks and complexities associated with foreign financing and investment, USREG provides American businesses with access to international investment options, fosters economic development of the U.S. renewable energy industries and generates new high paying jobs for Americans. To learn more about US-REG visit www.US-REG.com.


About Cielo Wind Power, LP: Cielo is a privately held company based in Austin, Texas, that provides services to develop, own and operate wind power facilities in the southwest. Wind RanchTM is a registered trademark licensed to Cielo and represents the ideals the company embraces in taking necessary steps to minimize the impact of wind projects on farming, ranching and natural uses of the land. To learn more about Cielo Wind Power, LP visit www.CieloWind.com.

About Shenyang Power Group: Shenyang Power Group (SPG), through its partnership with the A-Power Group, is the largest provider of distributed power generation systems in China, focusing on energy-efficient and environmentally friendly projects of 25MW to 400MW. In 2008, A-Power entered the wind energy market and has built China's largest wind turbine manufacturing facility, located in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, with technologies licensed from German FUHRLANDER AG and Denmark-based Norwin, and a total annual production capacity of 1,125MW. In March 2009, A-Power entered into an agreement to establish a Joint Venture partnership with GE Drivetrain Technologies to produce wind turbine gearboxes in Shenyang. A-Power also has strategic relationships with Tsinghua University in Beijing and the China Academy of Sciences in Guangzhou to develop and commercialize other renewable energy technologies. To learn more about Shenyang Power Group visit www.APowerEnergy.com.