Wind Generated Power

[REWahoo]

I checked my electrical provider's website today and discovered that the rate for wind generated power is now less than the rate for gas/coal generated. The utility co. provides an option to sign up to purchase a fixed amount of wind generated power each month or to have all your needs supplied via windmill. I signed up for 100% wind power (no snide remarks, JG ).

Although the savings is small (probably only $5 a month), the wind generated rate is fixed while the gas generated rate fluxuates with fuel costs. With natural gas prices soaring, I think this is the most cost effective way to go for the next few months. I can change back to fossil fuel power with 30 days notice to the utility.

Guess it never hurts to hug a tree once in a while...

 

[Martha]

That's cool, but I don't get it. How do they know what electricity is going over the lines to you.

 

[brewer12345]

Its just an offset. The power company knows you use X kwh in a month, so they buy X kwh from the windmill and feed it into the distribution grid.

 

[REWahoo]

That's cool, but I don't get it. How do they know what electricity is going over the lines to you.

The wind generated electrons have a fresh, outdoor smell...

No, the utility company buys a certain amount of wind generated power from "wind farms" each month based on how many of their customers sign up to use it. The power is pooled with traditional fossil generated electricity and what actually comes out of my outlets at home is a blend from all sources.

 

[REWahoo]

It might surprise some of you that Texas (yes, Texas ) is second only to California in the amount of wind generated electircity produced and sold in the US.

 

[BigMoneyJim]

It might surprise some of you that Texas (yes, Texas ) is second only to California in the amount of wind generated electircity produced and sold in the US.

But in the past 5 years production has dropped off...projections are for a resumption in another 3 years.

 

[Martha]

So you can chose to buy all your needs via wind for less money, why doesn't everyone say sell me all wind generated electricity? (Or maybe they will, now that the price has dropped).

We have a fair amount of wind power in Minnesota, all based in the southern part of the state (we don't have enough wind up here). One of our lawyers is employed almost entirely full time on wind generation projects. Wind generation for electricity has grown tremendously in Minnesota. This is despite the fact that electrical power is fairly cheap here anyway.

 

[REWahoo]

But in the past 5 years production has dropped off...projections are for a resumption in another 3 years.

What? Has global warming cause a reduction in wind speeds? :

 

[REWahoo]

So you can chose to buy all your needs via wind for less money, why doesn't everyone say sell me all wind generated electricity? (Or maybe they will, now that the price has dropped).

Accoriding to the graphic I posted, Minnesota does rank 4th in wind power. Have you looked into buying wind generated power from your electrical supplier? Since Texas deregulated electrical utilites a couple of years ago, consumers here have a lot of options on who they buy from and what they buy.

 

[TromboneAl]

What's the downside?  In other words, why wouldn't everyone sign up for 100% wind power when it's rate is lower?

 

[REWahoo]

What's the downside? In other words, why wouldn't everyone sign up for 100% wind power when it's rate is lower?

The supply is limited to the amount my electrical utility contracted for at the beginning of the year. First come, first serve when signing up. And although it may be hard to digest, when you're out of wind, you get gas...

 

[retire@40]

One of our lawyers is employed almost entirely full time on wind generation projects. 

I took the test to get a job like that.  I failed the parts on electricity and generators, but I passed wind.

 

[Martha]

Accoriding to the graphic I posted, Minnesota does rank 4th in wind power. Have you looked into buying wind generated power from your electrical supplier? Since Texas deregulated electrical utilites a couple of years ago, consumers here have a lot of options on who they buy from and what they buy.

We can't. We live in the northern half of the state and most of our power is hydro and coal. The wind is the south half--Xcel Energy. Maybe Cut Throat and DanTien can buy wind. Now my husband, he wants to make his own wind. Seriously. He wants to move to the country and live off the grid.

 

[REWahoo]

Now my husband, he wants to make his own wind. Seriously. He wants to move to the country and live off the grid.

Probably willing to do dang near anything to get out of that basement...

 

[laurence]

We can't. We live in the northern half of the state and most of our power is hydro and coal. The wind is the south half--Xcel Energy. Maybe Cut Throat and DanTien can buy wind. Now my husband, he wants to make his own wind. Seriously. He wants to move to the country and live off the grid.

Sounds like my dad. He's even turned his backyard into a small organic farm. Is there a way to just stick your own windmill on the roof of your house? I wouldn't care about the 20 years to get back the cost, I'm just thinking tree hugger here.

 

[soupcxan]

Right now, new wind energy installations in the US aren't viable without a production tax credit from the government. Currently $0.019 per kWh, extended through 2007. Without that, you won't see any new wind turbines being sold until the cost to produce and operate them comes down.

 

[Calgary_Girl]

What's the downside?  In other words, why wouldn't everyone sign up for 100% wind power when it's rate is lower?

Because in Canada, I would actually have to pay MORE to have some of my electricity come from green. This is due to the higher capital costs involved in constructing wind turbines.

 

[Martha]

Right now, new wind energy installations in the US aren't viable without a production tax credit from the government. Currently $0.019 per kWh, extended through 2007. Without that, you won't see any new wind turbines being sold until the cost to produce and operate them comes down.

Some states, like Minnesota, offer credits as well.

 

[Martha]

Sounds like my dad. He's even turned his backyard into a small organic farm. Is there a way to just stick your own windmill on the roof of your house? I wouldn't care about the 20 years to get back the cost, I'm just thinking tree hugger here.

Laurence: You probably can't if you live in the city. The windmills are usually deemed' unsightly,' and they do make a significant amount of wind noise which would upset any neighbors--even the nice ones. Think 'commune,' UncleMick, HaHa, me, and other like-minded individuals' if you really want to make it happen socially.

--DH, also dba Alexander Haig.

 

[REWahoo]

--DH, also dba Alexander Haig.

Uh Oh. Control issues again, Greg? Better get back down in the basement. Someone under the bed wants to talk with you...

 

[Gone4Good]

Because in Canada, I would actually have to pay MORE to have some of my electricity come from green.  This is due to the higher capital costs involved in constructing wind turbines.

Yup, wind turbines are very expensive to build but very low marginal cost. To get an adequate return on investment company's will typically have to charge more for wind power than for fossil fuel plants just to recover the up front capital.

However, Texas made the brillant decision to deregulate its power so all the low marginal cost coal and nuclear power plants are now able to price their power based on the marginal cost of the highest cost power plant in the state - which in Texas are natural gas plants. With 12 month forward gas prices at $12, even wind is cheaper.

So in Texas you can buy green power less expensively then "dirty" power, it is only because you are paying more than most other people on the planet for electricity.

 

[REWahoo]

So in Texas you can buy green power less expensively then "dirty" power, it is only because you are paying more than most other people on the planet for electricity.

$0.079 per Kwh

 

[Gone4Good]

$0.079 per Kwh 

I have to call bluff - who is your provider and in what area? The local REPs are all around 11 cents or so - Reliant and TXU just put in for big rate increases. Pre-increase request I think the biggest discount I've seen in TX was around 20% to the REPs (which would be about 9 cents) and that wasn't any of the green providers.

If you got 7.9 cents for power (including delivery charges) that is pretty amazing. I'd be interested to know who is making that offer.

 

[REWahoo]

I have to call bluff - who is your provider and in what area? The local REPs are all around 11 cents or so - Reliant and TXU just put in for big rate increases. Pre-increase request I think the biggest discount I've seen in TX was around 20% to the REPs (which would be about 9 cents) and that wasn't any of the green providers.

If you got 7.9 cents for power (including delivery charges) that is pretty amazing. I'd be interested to know who is making that offer.

I don't bluff...

http://www.bandera-ec.com/choose_to_renew.htm

 

[Gone4Good]

My bad - the Co-ops aren't part of the deregulation scheme that is sending everyone elses rates in the state to 14 cents +.

Congrats on the low cost power.