From: Tom Gray <tgray@igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: sci.energy
Date: 01 Oct 92 10:20 PDT
Subject: --Utility to Buy Windpower
Nf-ID: #N:cdp:1466300086:000:3071
Nf-From: cdp.UUCP!tgray    Oct  1 10:20:00 1992


From: Tom Gray <tgray>
Subject: --Utility to Buy Windpower

/* Written  9:37 am  Oct  1, 1992 by tgray in cdp:en.energy */
/* ---------- "--Utility to Buy Windpower" ---------- */
PUGET SOUND POWER & LIGHT
HAS PLANS FOR 28 MW OF WIND

Puget Sound Power & Light Co. announced recently that it is
negotiating with U.S. Windpower (USW), of Livermore, Calif., to buy
power from a 28-MW windfarm to be installed on a long mountain
ridge west of Richland, Wash.

Although the wind power plant would be modest in scale compared to
the hundreds of megawatts of wind capacity installed in
California's mountain passes, it would still be the Pacific
Northwest's first major wind project.

The USW project is one of several using renewable energy and
conservation that were selected during Puget's recent resource
acquisition.  The utility is also planning to purchase power from
a 5-MW biomass facility fueled by "wood liquor" (a pulp mill
byproduct) and from a 20-MW landfill gas project, according to the
Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper.

The average annual wind speed at the site, called Rattlesnake
Ridge, is 16 mph (7.1 m/s), and USW would install 275 turbines
there, the article said.

According to the article, PacifiCorp., another major utility based
in Portland, Ore., has said it plans to acquire up to 200 MW of
wind energy capacity by the year 2001, if wind is cost-effective.

The debate over cost has hampered wind's penetration in the
Northwest, with gas turbines still enjoying a price advantage in
many areas.  However, even with gas, there is concern about air
pollution and global warming, the article said.  One public-
interest group spokesman was quoted as saying his organization will
fight in the future to prevent utilities from recovering costs for
carbon dioxide emissions controls for gas if those controls turn
out to be needed.

There are signs that the Rattlesnake Ridge project may also
stimulate debate in the environmentally-conscious Northwest. 
According to the June 7 Tri-City Herald newspaper, the city of
Kennewick, Wash., has adopted a resolution opposing the wind power
plant on environmental grounds.

===============================

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) has authorized me to offer
an electronic edition of its newsletter, _Wind Energy Weekly_, from
which the above article is excerpted, at no cost.

For those of you who have not previously seen excerpts from back issues
on Usenet or Bitnet, the _Weekly_ reports on the outlook for renewable
energy, energy-related environmental issues, and renewable energy
legislation in addition to wind industry trade news.  The electronic
edition normally runs about 10kb in length.

If you would like a free electronic subscription, send me an e-mail
request.  Please include information on your position, organization,
and reason for interest in the publication.

*******************************************************************
Tom Gray                                 EcoNet/PeaceNet: tgray@igc
Internet/Bitnet: tgray@igc.apc.org    UUCP: uunet!pyramid!cdp!tgray

From: curry@hplred.HP.COM (Bo Curry)
Date: Fri, 25 Sep 1992 19:22:53 GMT
Subject: Re: Nuke Stupidity Rebuttal
Organization: Hewlett Packard Labs, Palo Alto CA