CSE Pure Power - Fall 2008 - (Page 8)

❯❯ PURE POWER // FALL 2008 8 in the news WIND POWER’S FORTUNES GUST FORWARD IN U.S. U.S. wind power capacity grew by 46% in 2007, making it the world’s fastest-growing market in renewable technology for the third year running, according to a new report. Wind projects accounted for 35% of all new electric capacity added during the year, and more than 200 gigaW of wind power are now under development across the country. The “Annual Report on U.S. Wind Power Installation, Cost, and Performance Trends” was released by the U.S. Dept. of Energy and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. It ﬁnds that 16 states had more than 100 MW of installed wind capacity by the end of 2007, with six of those states’ totals topping 1,000 MW. The growing market is spurring both new manufacturing investments and higher project costs, researchers ﬁnd. Authors estimate new component manufacturing plants opened or announced in 2007 could create more than 4,700 new U.S. jobs, but shortages of some of those components—along with higher material prices and the weakness of the dollar—are forcing project costs upward. Overall performance continues to increase, the researchers said, driven in part by taller towers, larger rotors, enhanced siting, and other technological advancements. Additionally, the study notes that wholesale prices for wind power-generated electricity remains at or below those of energy generated by more conventional technologies. Superconducting transmission cable reaches commercialization The ﬁrst application of hightemperature superconducting (HTS) cable in a commercial power grid was commissioned this spring by the Long Island Power Authority. The 138 kV system can transmit up to 574 MW when operating at full capacity. HTS cable is seen as one potential resource for addressing today’s transmission-congestion concerns because the material can conduct up to 150 times the electricity of similarly sized copper wires, according to cable manufacturer American Superconductor Corp., Devens, Mass. The cable is installed with a liquid nitrogen refrigeration system to maintain the core at cryogenic temperatures. HTS cables provide an increase in power capacity at lower voltages, enabling easier siting and making it an ideal solution for reducing urban power bottlenecks. Proven to extend the operating life of high-load corridors, the cables also manage to maintain a low impact on the environment. The U.S. Dept. of Energy helped fund the $58.5 million project. A second phase will involve replacing one of the existing cable’s phases with a new cable from American Superconductor’s second-generation offering. The system also will incorporate the company’s Secure Super Grids technology, which is designed to suppress service-disrupting power surges. www.purepowermagazine.com http://www.purepowermagazine.com

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CSE Pure Power - Fall 2008 In the News Commissioning CHP Enhancing Emergency Lighting Data Centers for Uncle Sam Handling a Nuisance Trip Sustainable Projects and Partnerships New Products Ad Index

CSE Pure Power - Fall 2008

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