August 14, 2006—Wind power is increasingly taking root in the US, judging by recent sales agreements for wind turbines, says a report from the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
- Airtricity, an Irish wind developer, has agreed to buy more than 500 megawatts (MW) of wind turbines from GE Energy. Airtricity will buy more than 300 1.5-MW wind turbines for more than $550 million in order to meet its plans for the US in 2008. The company is currently planning to develop 4,500 MW of wind power in Colorado, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas.
- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., is selling 443 of its 1-MW wind turbines to Babcock & Brown for installation in 2006 and 2007. The wind turbines will go to a 38-MW project in northern California, a 90-MW project in New Mexico, a 135-MW project in Texas, and a 180-MW project in Colorado.
- The Vestas Group is selling 107 MW of wind turbines to John Deere Credit. John Deere plans to use the wind turbines in community-based wind projects in the Midwest in 2007.
- Gamesa is selling 132 of its 2-megawatt wind turbines to Shell WindEnergy for use in 2007.
