Wind Today - Q4 2008 - (Page 20) Stats Investor-Owned Utilities with Wind Power on Their Systems Xcel Energy, Minneapolis, MN, and MidAmerican Energy, Des Moines, IA, top the list of investor-owned utilities that carry wind power on their systems according to the American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) 2008 Annual Rankings Report. Investor Owned Utilities (IOU) are defined as utilities that are owned by shareholders and managed as private enterprises. The AWEA report, which is based on Dec. 31, 2007 figures, ranks IOUs that purchased power or owned wind projects with the power going to their customers. Xcel Energy, reporting 2,635 megawatts (MW), remains at the top of the list. At the end of 2006, Xcel Energy reported 1,323 MW of wind power on their system. Xcel Energy is one of several utilities that are required by state and local Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) to provide a minimum percentage of wind energy to their customers. (See Wind Today, First Quarter 2008, page 55, for a list of U.S. State-Level Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards.) For example, the state of Minnesota, where Xcel Energy distributes a large amount of windInvestor-Owned generated a secondary, voluntary goal of 1,000 MW of wind generating capacity by 2010. Po From Wind Power From PP s A Southern California Edison follows MidAmerican Energy with 1,026 MW of wind power. The Rosemead, CA-based utility secures its wind power through electricity, requires the utility to secure 30% of the power they sell from renewable sources, with “at least” 25% generated from wind energy by 2020. Other electric utilities in the state must provide 25% renewable energy by 2025. The amount of wind power Xcel Energy carries on its system is more than twice the amount provided by the next highest ranking IOU, MidAmerican Energy, based in Des Moines, IA, which provided 1,201 MW. In AWEA’s Five Investor-Owned T op Five Investor-Owned Utilities with 2007 report, MidPo Sy Wind Power on Their Systems American Energy Luminant Energy PPA For Customers ranked third with (formerly TXU) Owned & Used for Customers 861 MW. Iowa’s RPS Pacific Gas & Electric requires investorowned utilities to Southern contract a comCalifornia Edison bined total of 105 MW of their MidAmerican Energy generation from renewable Xcel resources. In 2001, Energy Iowa’s thengovernor Tom Vilsack established Source: AWEA 500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 1000 500 0 Utilities are owned by shareholders and managed as private enterprises. power purchase agreements (PPAs). California utilities operate under a legislative mandate to increase the percentage of renewable retail sales by at least 1% per year to reach at least 20% by the end of 2010 with a goal of 33% by the end of 2020. Pacific Gas & Electric, San Francisco, CA reported 878 MW; and Luminant (formerly TXU), Dallas, TX, reported 704 MW. Both of these utilities provide wind generated electricity through PPAs. Texas’ RPS required 2,280 MW by Jan. 1, 2007, increasing to 5,880 MW by Jan. 1, 2022. Texas’ standards note a target of at least 500 MW from renewables other than wind. Of these top five IOU’s with wind energy on their systems, only Xcel Energy and MidAmerican Energy own any of the wind farms providing power to their customers. Other top-ranking IOUs (in MWs): • Puget Sound Energy 378 • Portland General Electric 125 • Oklahoma Gas & Electric 120 • Kansas City Power & Light 101 • Otter Tail Power 41 • Energy Northwest 64 20 WIND TODA Y Fourth Quarter 2008
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