New Shetland Wind Farm to be the Most Productive in the World

Major changes to Ontario’s rules on green energy projects will give municipalities a greater say over the location of new wind and solar farms, and a chance to get a slice of the revenue, Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli said Thursday. “There’s a lot more incentive for municipalities to want to participate,” said Mr. Chiarelli. “They actually now can participate as joint venture partner or a minority partner, and their participation creates a higher likelihood of the project being approved.”

<p>Today heralds the opening of the world’s largest offshore wind farm off the coast of Cumbria in the UK. The 367 megawatt wind farm, called Walney Farm, consists of 100 wind turbines and will power up to 320,000 homes.</p> <p>Not only is it the world’s largest, but according to the British power company SSE and Denmark’s Dong Energy it is also the fastest built and cheapest offshore wind farm in the world today.

India’s wind-power company Suzlon Energy, one of the world’s largest, is planning a $1.3 billion project in regional South Australia. The wind farm, if built, will generate enough electricity to power 225,000 homes annually.

Duke Energy has announced its intention to build a large-scale wind farm in Willacy County. When the 200-megawatt facility comes online, it will generate enough electricity to power roughly 60,000 homes. Duke Energy’s Los Vientos I wind power project, roughly 20 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico, will sell its electricity to San Antonio-based CPS Energy, the nation’s largest municipally owned energy utility. Duke Energy Renewables will start construction later this year and bring the project online by December 2012, The Brownsville Herald reported.

Germany's Siemens said Tuesday it has won two orders in the United States and Canada to supply wind turbines that experts said were worth around 800 million euros (1.1 billion dollars).Siemens will supply wind turbines capable of producing 600 megawatts of electricity, enough for 240,000 households, in Ontario. It will also provide 98 turbines for an Oklahoma wind farm, enough for 227 megawatts.Market prices for land-based wind turbines are around one million euros per megawatt, meaning the orders are worth around 800 million euros for Siemens, industry specialists said.

CALGARY — Enbridge Inc. says it will invest $170 million to acquire a 50 per cent stake in the 150-megawatt Massif du Sud wind farm in Quebec. The investment is in partnership with EDF EN Canada, a company involved in renewable energy development. It is Enbridge’s second wind project in the province following its co-investment with EDF in the 300-MW Lac Alfred wind farm. The Massif du Sud farm consists of 75 wind turbines. Construction began in November 2011, and is expected to be completed later this month.