EWEA Blog

EWEA CEO: wind energy needs the clout of gas, coal and nuclear

Sarah Azau — Wed, 22 May 2013 09:07:44 +0000

“Gas, coal and nuclear have more political clout than the wind industry”, and the industry has to take a “more visible place in the political landscape.” So writes EWEA’s new CEO Thomas Becker in the latest Wind Directions. “The big boys did not see nice ‘alternative’ wind as a threat. Now they do. As old [...]

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A little wind power goes a long way

Guest Blogger — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:43:39 +0000

By Fran Witt, Renewable World One kilowatt may not seem like a lot – some heaters in the West use this much energy every hour. But in Songambele, Tanzania, comparatively little energy is going a long way. Renewable World, the UK based charity who work to provide renewable energy to remote communities in the developing [...]

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French and German ministers call for 2030 renewable energy targets

Philippa Jones — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:40:20 +0000

Writing in France’s prestigious centre-left daily newspaper Le Monde, Peter Altmaier, the German environment minister, and Delphine Batho, his French counterpart, underlined the need for a 2030 renewable energy target and highlighed the importance of renewables in transforming the European economy, improving energy security and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. “We want to make the energy [...]

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Last chance to win €100 Amazon voucher for quick survey!

Zoë Casey — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:12:28 +0000

Would you like to see a greater variety of stories and/or authors on the EWEA blog? Or do you think the blog’s appearance could be improved? Tell us what you think – both good and bad – about the EWEA blog, and we’ll enter you into the draw to win a €100 Amazon voucher! Click [...]

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Tell a G8 leader to switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy

Tom Rowe — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:01:41 +0000

The global temperature is rising. Freak weather events are multiplying. Climate change is happening. And yet governments are giving $6 to polluting fossil fuels for every $1 dollar that goes to clean renewables. World leaders must move now to renewable, clean energy sources like wind energy. And with the new Global Wind Day app you [...]

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“We would be very keen to have 2030 targets” – Irish EU ambassador

Tom Rowe — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:18:03 +0000

Irish Ambassador to the European Union Tom Hanney is in the throes of a six month stint at the heart of decision making in Brussels, as Ireland currently holds the EU Presidency. The Deputy Permanent Representative says holding the Presidency is “a marathon, from January to June”. We met him to find out about Irish [...]

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Seventy seven percent of Austrians favour wind power

Zoë Casey — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:06:54 +0000

A new opinion poll conducted in Austria has found that 77% of Austrians are in favour of wind energy compared to just 4% in favour of fossil fuels and 1% for nuclear power. The poll, published on 8 May by the Austrian Wind Energy Association, IG Windkraft, also found that Austrian’s are prepared to pay [...]

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Three mayors, three communities, one wind

Tom Rowe — Thu, 09 May 2013 07:00:42 +0000

In association with Global Wind Day, photographer Robert van Waarden travels to three different communities in Romania that have been inspired by wind energy. Read their stories below, and think about submitting your own wind energy inspired story and photo to the Global Wind Day 2013 photo competition which closes on 12 May! Roşu [...]

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“Companies are betting that government climate policies will fail” – The Economist

Chris Rose — Wed, 08 May 2013 09:34:40 +0000

The reason fossil fuel firms are not trying to reduce their carbon emissions could be due to uncertainty on climate and energy policy, suggests the Economist in a recent editorial. The paper cites cuts in renewable energy support schemes as one of the elements influencing investors. “Companies are betting that government climate policies will fail.” [...]

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Wind energy will help Europe’s economy set sail again

Thomas Becker — Mon, 06 May 2013 15:48:12 +0000

The 1 May celebrations in Europe last week were tainted by historically high unemployment levels, a miserable macroeconomic outlook and a battered climate and energy policy. The challenges facing Europe’s economy are many. But it is beyond doubt that a thorough modernisation of our energy supply remains an important part of the solution. Every single [...]

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Netherlands sets out plans for 6,000 MW onshore wind

Philippa Jones — Mon, 06 May 2013 10:44:39 +0000

The Dutch government recently published its draft plans aimed at better managing the growth of onshore wind power in the country to the satisfaction of the Dutch Wind Energy Association (NWEA). The plan sets out how at least 6,000 megawatts of onshore wind power can be installed in the Netherlands in the coming years. New [...]

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EWEA CEO: BusinessEurope “on another planet” on energy policy

Thomas Becker — Fri, 03 May 2013 14:32:14 +0000

Commenting on the call from BusinessEurope Director General Markus J Beyrer on EU energy policy, European Wind Energy Association CEO Thomas Becker had this to say; It sounds a little old fashioned when BusinessEurope claims that fighting climate change is not compatible with cost-competitiveness and security of supply. What have they been doing for the [...]

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Coal’s hidden health costs: 40 billion euros a year

Chris Rose — Fri, 03 May 2013 10:37:32 +0000

Coal-fired power stations cost the European Union up to €42.8 billion a year in health costs associated with coal-fired power stations, a new report says. The study — ‘The Unpaid Health Bill: How coal power plants make us sick’ — also found that EU-wide impacts amount to more than 18,200 premature deaths, about 8,500 new [...]

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Wiping the slate green

Guest Blogger — Thu, 02 May 2013 11:35:26 +0000

This week, as part of the Global Wind Day wind energy stories series, photographer Robert van Waarden takes readers to the UK’s first wind farm in Cornwall. Delabole is famous for its hole in the ground. Well, to be more accurate, it is famous for its slate mine. The hole is visible from the backyard [...]

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IEA Chief Economist: governments “stealing money from the poor”

Sarah Azau — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 10:08:01 +0000

By subsidising fossil fuels, governments are “stealing money from the pockets of the poor, who would get money otherwise for schools and hospitals”. So says Fatih Birol, Chief Economist of the International Energy Agency, in the latest issue of Wind Directions. Fossil fuels get over half a trillion US dollars – six times more than [...]

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Cost of renewable energy is falling, reports say

Zoë Casey — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:19:30 +0000

Wind energy costs are falling and some companies involved in wind are seeing a rise in profits, according to evidence which has appeared in the world’s media this month. In Europe, insurance firm Allianz was quoted by Reuters as saying last week that “renewable energy production and infrastructure are gaining investor appeal as they become [...]

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A wind farm for all seasons – Estonian turbines inspire photographer

Guest Blogger — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 07:00:02 +0000

By Tuuliki Kasonen, Estonian Wind Power Association Janne Põlluaas is an Estonian woman who has had a passion for photography and nature since spending her childhood summers at a beach called Laulasmaa, a 30 minute drive from the Estonian capital, Tallinn. As a child Janne would sit with her father in the darkroom and watch [...]

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Wind power growth expected to slow in 2013, but recovery predicted

Philippa Jones — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:42:16 +0000

Strong markets in China, India and Brazil, and new markets in Latin America, Africa and much of Asia will drive growth in the wind industry over the next five years, according to a new report from the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), which warns that investment in Europe could falter if renewables policies fail to [...]

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Wind energy is bright light in an otherwise grim report

Chris Rose — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:45:22 +0000

The continued expansion of wind power, coupled with a decrease in costs for the emissions-free electricity-generating technology, was one of the few positive notes in a new International Energy Agency (IEA) report on efforts to create a low-carbon world. The IEA report, which was presented in India last week to the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM), [...]

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A hat-trick is the goal in the football and energy fields

Tom Rowe — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 09:53:17 +0000

Football fans know the value of a hat-trick – the triumvirate of goals that prove success for any striker. Though difficult to achieve, the hat-trick is worth striving for. The European Renewable Energy Council (EREC) also wants to score a hat-trick. Their new publication proposes three targets to drive EU energy policy after 2020: renewable [...]

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Keeping it safe – how do wind workers avoid danger?

Sarah Azau — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:33:28 +0000

While the wind industry will never face the equivalent of a Deepwater oil spill or a Fukushima nuclear catastrophe, its spectacular growth rates over the last decade do mean there are more health and safety hazards. An electrical fire can occur; heavy parts can fall from great heights; lifting huge unstable loads with cranes could [...]

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Massive wind power installations could help New York cast off fossil fuels

Chris Rose — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 09:24:31 +0000

Wind energy could play a major role in providing all the power needed for the entire state of New York by 2030, according to a new academic study. New York’s power demand for all sectors in 17 years time could be met, in part, by 4,020 onshore 5-megawatt wind turbines and 12,770 offshore 5-MW machines, [...]

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Future of shale gas challenging, cost of renewables falling

Zoë Casey — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:47:36 +0000

A report published by Citibank, a major international bank, has found that the future of shale gas in Europe is shrouded in uncertainties and the energy technology may not be as viable as had been previously claimed. The same report found that renewables will cost the same as conventional fuels (including gas) in many parts [...]

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EU climate policy in crisis after MEPs vote

Zoë Casey — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:05:33 +0000

Yesterday the European Parliament voted against a proposal to delay the auctioning of 900 million tonnes of carbon allowances in the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) – a move proposed by the European Commission to rescue the ailing ‘cornerstone’ system of Europe’s climate legislation which puts a price on carbon emissions. As a result, the [...]

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Poland’s true wind energy potential is 13 GW by 2020

Guest Blogger — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:55:49 +0000

Poland is the biggest wind energy market in the EU’s newer Member States, but wobbles in government support have made investors nervous. We spoke to Ewa Kurdyła, Director of the Polish Wind Energy Association, to find out what’s going on… Poland’s National Renewable Energy Action Plan indicates that cumulative wind capacity should increase by an [...]

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Win a €100 Amazon voucher by telling us what you think of the EWEA blog!

Zoë Casey — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:35:29 +0000

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Wind dreams in Nepal

Guest Blogger — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 09:31:00 +0000

Continuing with the series of “wind energy stories” from around the world, in association with Global Wind Day, Robert van Waarden travels to Nepal to meet Amrit Singh Thapa in Kathmandu. Amrit points it out as we zoom past on his motorbike. If you look closely, past the Nokia sign, past the other motorbikes, over [...]

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80% of Irish people support wind power in Ireland

Guest Blogger — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 07:00:15 +0000

By Caitríona Diviney, Chief Operating Officer, Irish Wind Energy Association 80% of the Irish public support wind power, an opinion poll from Ipsos MRBI conducted on behalf of the Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA), the national wind energy association in Ireland, has revealed. This is a clear indication that there is widespread support for wind [...]

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Wind energy: empowering entrepreneurs in Africa

Guest Blogger — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 07:00:03 +0000

Last month the EWEA blog brought you the story of a small wind energy project in Tanzania and how it has helped to change the fortunes of some African farmers. Today, in this project update by Fran Witt from Renewable World, we look at how wind-powered electricity is connecting remote communities to the knowledge economy. [...]

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It’s time to step up the campaign for wind

Guest Blogger — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 09:36:33 +0000

In an editorial published by Recharge, Morten Albæk, Senior Vice-President of marketing at Vestas, argues that claims made by anti-wind campaigners can verge on the ridiculous, but they are powerful. Wind power, meanwhile, is not doing enough to promote its positive message… Birds are 19,200 times more likely to die from flying into a building [...]

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Is German offshore wind under threat?

Zoë Casey — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:57:30 +0000

Headlines in the German media have said recently that Germany’s offshore wind sector could be facing support cuts, on top of suffering from the already costly grid connection delays. So what is the future of German offshore wind power? We spoke to Andreas Wagner, CEO of the Offshore Wind Foundation (Stiftung Offshore-Windenergie) and part of [...]

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Turbine blade in Vienna city centre marks start of Austrian wind art contest

Guest Blogger — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:35:31 +0000

With Global Wind Day just over two months away, the Austrian Wind Energy Association has decided to place a mini wind turbine right in the centre of Vienna. Lukas Pawek, coordinator of Global Wind Day in Austria, explains why… This week the Austrian Wind Energy Association placed a small wind turbine in the centre [...]

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70% of Europeans think renewables “should be prioritised”

Zoë Casey — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:19:44 +0000

Overall, 70% of EU citizens think renewable energy should be prioritised as an energy option for the next 30 years, a Eurobarometer has found. The survey, “attitudes of Europeans towards air quality” published earlier this year found that the 70% compares to just 9% for unconventional fossil fuels like shale gas, and 8% for conventional [...]

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Fossil fuel power sources cost more than renewables in Germany

Zoë Casey — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 08:57:11 +0000

If all the costs of fossil fuel power generation were detailed in German power bills they would exceed the costs of renewable energy “by a wide margin”, a study by Greenpeace Energy Germany and the German Wind Energy Association (BWE) says. Currently German power bills clearly outline the cost of the EEG – the support [...]

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Birds and Turbines: an Ornithologist in Poland

Guest Blogger — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 07:37:48 +0000

Spring is finally approaching, and that means just one more month to submit your entry to the Global Wind Day photo competition which closes on 5 May, and potentially win a €1,000 Amazon voucher! In the latest of the ‘wind energy stories’ series, photographer Robert van Waarden tells and shows the story of Krzysztof Pietrzak, [...]

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71 per cent of Americans want to see more wind power development

Chris Rose — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 08:57:35 +0000

More than two-thirds of Americans want the US to place more emphasis on generating domestic energy using wind power, according to a new Gallup public opinion poll. Published 27 March, the poll results noted that 71% of those surveyed said the nation should put more emphasis in the future on developing wind power. When broken [...]

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Global fossil fuel subsidies amount to $1.9 trillion – IMF

Zoë Casey — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 20:00:06 +0000

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has just published a report showing that almost 9% of all annual country budgets are spent supporting oil, natural gas and coal industries through direct subsidies, consumer rebates and avoided taxes on pollution. The report estimates that worldwide subsidies to fossil fuels total $1.9 trillion [€1.5 trillion] – the equivalent [...]

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Wind power costs UK consumer just 18 pounds a year

Zoë Casey — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 07:50:36 +0000

While debate in the media rages on whether the UK’s green energy policies will raise electricity bills or not, Ed Davey, UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, has said that onshore and offshore wind power together cost householders only £18 a year in total, according to a Guardian article. Moreover, Davey said [...]

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Sustainable energy in rural Czech Republic

Guest Blogger — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 08:00:29 +0000

Photographer Robert van Waarden reports on wind energy in rural Czech Republic, as part of the Global Wind Day “wind energy stories” series. “I tried to change things on a national political level but I had to recognise that it wasn’t possible,” says Petr Pavek, leaning against his straw bale house. He gazes out on [...]

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China’s wind power production grew more than coal in 2012

Chris Rose — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 10:49:05 +0000

Hot on the heels of the news that Chinese wind power produced more electricity than nuclear last year, comes the announcement that China’s wind power production grew more than coal power production for the first time ever in 2012, according to statistics from the China Energy Council. Thermal power using mostly coal increased by only [...]

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Dramatic changes in wind industry over last two years

Guest Blogger — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:04:41 +0000

As EWEA CEO Christian Kjaer prepares to step down and hand-over to Thomas Becker on 1 April, he gives his thoughts on how the industry has changed over the past two years to Gail Rajgor, Managing Editor of Renewable Energy Focus… Market over-capacity and the financial crisis A dramatic shift has taken place for the [...]

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Powering Africa out of poverty

Guest Blogger — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:45:21 +0000

By Fran Witt Renewable World Did you know that 1.3 billion people in the world have no electricity? That’s the same as the entire population of the EU (500 million) twice over and the US (300 million) combined. While wind energy in Europe is providing energy solutions on a large scale, in some of the [...]

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France moves to bolster wind sector

Philippa Jones — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:42:04 +0000

After a gloomy couple of years for the wind industry in France, a few glimmers of light have been spotted in recent weeks led by the adoption by the National Assembly of a bill proposed by the Socialist government to simplify measures that have been stymieing the development of the sector. To boost the production [...]

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Wind powers over 10% of UK electricity needs

Zoë Casey — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 15:59:56 +0000

Wind power generated enough electricity to power four out of 10 UK homes last week – and that during a freezing March day and at a time when gas prices were at a seven year high. From 9.30pm last Thursday night for the rest of the night and day, wind power generated 5 GW of [...]

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Turbines represent modernity in Thailand

Guest Blogger — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 14:27:21 +0000

Today, photographer and wind power enthusiast Robert van Waarden reports on wind energy in Thailand, as part of the Global Wind Day “wind energy stories” series. “A wind turbine represents modernity. So, they want this in their community. Hey we are modern, they say. This is latest technology and we are independent, from Burmese gas [...]

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How much energy will a wind farm produce?

Zoë Casey — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 15:11:50 +0000

Estimating how much energy a planned wind farm will produce – the so-called resource assessment – with as much accuracy as possible is vital to gaining financing for that project, but forecasting energy output is fraught with difficulty. We spoke to Mike Anderson, Technical Director at RES, to unpick the issues. What exactly is resource [...]

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What can corporations do to help our climate? Invest in renewables!

Guest Blogger — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 16:08:26 +0000

By Angelika Pullen, WindMade It was predictable, but still disappointing: The Doha climate negotiations confirmed that the multilateral process to save our climate has stalled. We are not likely to see much movement from governments for many years to come. Unfortunately, though, the climate can’t wait for international negotiators to get their acts together. So, [...]

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Anti-wind lobby makes people think they’re ill, study shows

Chris Rose — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:08:46 +0000

Health warnings from anti-wind power activists about wind power are likely to be causing some people to think they are getting sick, a new study from an Australian academic shows. Simon Chapman, one of the study’s contributing authors, said health complaints in Australia about so-called ‘Wind Turbine Syndrome’ began to appear after “scare-mongering groups began [...]

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Wind energy and farming come together in the Netherlands

Guest Blogger — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 11:24:55 +0000

The Global Wind Day “wind energy stories” series continues as photographer and wind power enthusiast Robert van Waarden travels to Flevoland to meet Stephan and Ralph de Clerck who successfully combine wind power and farming. Cycling along the country roads of Flevoland, you can’t help but notice the wind. If you’re lucky, it is behind [...]

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Technological progress brings Europe-wide electricity grid closer

Philippa Jones — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 16:08:18 +0000

Recent technological advances by leading engineering companies to improve the integration of renewable energy, especially wind energy, within Europe’s power grid by 2020, will bring a pan-European electricity grid closer to reality. Last year, the Swiss-based engineering company ABB announced the development of the world’s first circuit breaker for high voltage direct current (HVDC). “This [...]

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