Kansas has great potential to export wind energy

Kansas has the potential to produce 19 gigawatts of wind-generated electricity, according to a recent Forbes article.

The problem is what to do with all the electricity?

To export it to states to the East would require massive investment in grid and delivery infrastructure.

At the current cost of building wind generators, the projects are prohibitive. However, if the cap on carbon emissions goes through, or some other federal assistance comes on line, this could become a reality.

The Forbes article is based on a report from the American Council on Renewable Energy. It says the Kansas economy could reap benefits of $400 million per year by 2018 and $800 million to $900 million annually from 2020 to 2030.

However, the council says that wind energy investments have been slow in coming to Kansas after the state agreed not to build wind towers in the picturesque Flint Hills. The power industry has come away with the impression that Kansas is "anti-wind."

As a stubborn Missourian living in Kansas, I would like to see at least something positive come out of this state, so here's hoping that the Kansas wind generation industry can take off.

Trouble in the wind

Along with some of the titans of American industry, now the nation's largest wind turbine manufacturer is laying off 20% of its workforce at three plants.

D.M.I. Industries is powering back at plants in Tulsa, Okla., Fargo, N.D., and Stevensville, Ontario, according to this post at Green Inc., a New York Times blog.

It's not looking good for other manufacturers either, according to the blog:

L.M. Glasfiber, a Danish turbine company, also announced 150 layoffs last week at a blade-making plant in Arkansas. And Gamesa, a Spanish turbine maker, said it was initiating layoffs at an Eastern Pennsylvania factory — though it was expanding a factory in the western part of the state, which can make larger blades.

The troubles of turbine manufacturers are mirrored in the solar industry, which has also suffered manufacturing layoffs recently.

This is troubling for the small towns that had seen these factories as a beacon of hope for the future. Like many other manufacturing woes, this has its genesis in the banking fiasco.

The wind business, which requires an enormous amount of capital investment, has been hit especially hard by troubles in the banking sector. Experts say that the number of big banks willing to invest in projects through the production tax credit has fallen sharply. Many wind-farm developers, from NextEra (formerly F.P.L. Energy) to the Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens, are cutting back on plans to expand their farms.

The wind industry hopes that the incoming administration and Congress will change the tax structure to make the production tax credit refundable, which would allow more companies to invest in it.

Thanks to Alexis Madrigal of Wired.com for passing along the news in his tweet.