Winergy is a German company long known for its quality and innovation in gearboxes and drive systems for wind turbines.

At the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) Windpower Conference and Expo last month, Winergy introduced its new 3 MW HYBRIDDRIVE technology, which combines a 2-stage gearbox and a (more…)

I attended the American Wind Energy Association’s 2011 Conference & Expo in Anaheim last week where I was able to see a lot of technology for turbines both large and small.

On the small side, at 3.5 and 7.5 kW, was Sonkyo Energy’s WINDSPOT turbine. (more…)

Whenever I’m at a party and someone hears that I work at a utility they usually begin grilling me on wind. Why doesn’t it make up a bigger portion of our energy mix? Why aren’t we doing more? Don’t you guys care about the environment? Whoah! By this time I feel like I’m in the ring with Mike Tyson during his prime. (more…)

The WINDPOWER 2011 Conference & Exhibition, which kicked off on Monday in Anaheim, California, and folded yesterday, started with the presence of CNN founder Ted Turner, known for his advocacy of renewable energy.

Turner took part of the opening session, which (more…)

New rule approved by Obama administration could speed up offshore wind projects by up to a year.

Identifying that it needs to speed up the regulatory process for permitting offshore wind farms, the U.S. Department of Interior announced last November that it would be streamlining the approval process for (more…)

Think of it as the Autobahn of wind power.

Critics of renewable energy often point out that the best place for wind farms is often the middle of nowhere. Unfortunately, the middle of nowhere is so-called because no one chooses to live there. And even more unfortunately, its the places where people live (more…)

By 2020, the Chinese government plans to generate 15 percent of the nation’s total energy consumption by increasing the use of alternatives to fossil fuels, such as wind and solar power. Today, China is the largest wind power market in the world, but this rapid growth is experiencing a backlash on several fronts. (more…)

In a previous post, I wrote about a lawsuit between GE and Thomas Wilkins, a former GE employee, over the rights to certain wind turbine technology.

In that suit, GE has accused Wilkins, an electrical engineer who had worked for Enron Wind and then GE after it acquired Enron, of breaching his (more…)

In April, California made another big leap ahead in the clean energy race. At a solar panel factory in Milpitas, with Dept of Energy Secretary Steven Chu joining him on stage, Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation making the 33%-by-2020 Renewable Portfolio Standard(RPS) the law of the land. (Watch a video of the bill signing here.) (more…)

The competition in cleantech between the U.S. and China is heating up. In a press release issued last month, China’s state owned State Grid Corporation of China estimated that accommodated wind power will exceed 90 GW by 2015 and 150 GW by 2020.

As part of China’s wind energy growth, China’s (more…)