China to supply turbines and funding for $1.5bn Texas wind farm

[Joanne98]

Source: Business Green

A Sino-US consortium yesterday announced plans for a US$1.5 billion, 600MW wind farm in Texas, with China supplying all the turbines and most of the funding. The 36,000-acre wind farm ...is a joint venture between state-backed Chinese firm Shenyang Power Group, US wind farm developer Cielo Wind Power and private equity firm US Renewable Energy Group. Most of the funding for the project will come from Chinese banks, with loan guarantees and grants provided by the US federal government's economic stimulus package.
October 30, 2009 by Yvonne Chan in BusinessGreen
600MW utility-scale wind farm to be among the largest in the US
A Sino-US consortium yesterday announced plans for a US$1.5 billion, 600MW wind farm in Texas, with China supplying all the turbines and most of the funding.

The 36,000-acre wind farm, set to be one of the largest in America, is a joint venture between state-backed Chinese firm Shenyang Power Group, US wind farm developer Cielo Wind Power and private equity firm US Renewable Energy Group.

Most of the funding for the project will come from Chinese banks, with loan guarantees and grants provided by the US federal government's economic stimulus package, the consortium said.

The wind farm will comprise 240 2.5MW wind turbines that will be manufactured in the Chinese city of Shenyang by NASDAQ-listed turbine maker A-Power Energy. The company, which uses licensed foreign technology, including a turbine patented by Germany's Fuhrländer and General Electric-designed gear box, said that shipments to the US were expected to begin in March next year.

China-based A-Power owns 60 per cent of Shenyang Power Group, a government-backed industry alliance comprised of Shenyang-based companies that range from power equipment makers to engineering service providers.

The alliance, formed in May with a $44m investment from the Shenyang municipal government, targets large-scale alternative energy projects in China and overseas.

Shenyang vice mayor Yang Yazhou said the project "would demonstrate for the first time Chinese capital, manufacturing and engineering expertise exported to the US".


Read more: http://www.windaction.org/news/23869

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We can thank the Republicans for this. The party of NO blocking any stimulis to alternative energy.

And the brain dead STOOPID teabaggers.

[WriteDown]

1. Ugh, so we're getting alternative energy...

but this is the price?

[endless october]

37. build them in the states.

there is no jobless recovery.

[krispos42]

2. And now we can't even produce our own wind turbines

:-(

[KansDem]

7. That's the irony....

With so many community colleges in the US, why can't some of their vo-tech programs teach turbine construction? Why can't out-of-work auto workers, folks with mechanical aptitude, be given the opportunity to learn new renewable-energy technology skills? Hell, we've got educated workers! Why not tap into their talent?

It's like we're just shooting ourselves in the foot...over and over. While FOX "News"-types scream about "ObamaCare" and calling him a "socialist," we're turning the future economic stability of this nation over to communist/capitalist China...:crazy:

I just don't understand all this...it's like we're all standing around just waiting to be invaded by China, Russia, Brazil, India, et al, who have the savvy, knowhow, and enthusiam to take the lead in the 21st economy. and who aren't afraid of new challenges and innovation.

I mean, just how long can we wag war as our raison d'etre?

[WriteDown]

10. It's fairly easy to understand...

Because labor and material costs will never be as cheap as they are in China. Great example is furniture workers. In the US, the average is 15$ per hour. In China, it is 15 cents per hour. Couple that with the fact that they do not pay the costs associated with environmental regs and there you have it.

[Hansel]

13. Oh they will be as cheap. Just as soon as China has

accumulated as much wealth, control and power as they can in the world's manufacturing industry. Then they will raise their wages to the level of our minimum wages to make more money for their military industrial complex. By then, we will all be working at minimum wage and America will pretty much be a very weak 3rd world country.

China, the same country that took one of our military jets hostage the 1st year Bush was in office. Our complacent government hand-in-hand with our very short sighted corporate wizards have laughed all of the way to the bank while helping to destroy this country and make China the future number one military power.

Our Congress has been completely asleep at the wheel. They have had many opportunities to revoke their favored nation trade status. They have poisoned our children with lead and pets with their food, and now our new homes are rotting from the inside out from their poison and faulty products. Yet Congress sits there clueless with their thumbs up their asses. There has been no accountability, no sanctions against US Corporations for bringing this poison in. And not ONE American has been out on the streets raising hell.

Learn Chinese. We're all going to need it.

[Grinchie]

19. Yeah, that sawdust sure is bad stuff

Actually, it's because the Dollar is backed by nothing, and is nothing more than Monopoly money.

The Yuan can actually buy stuff, like food.

[WriteDown]

26. Thank goodness the dollar isn't worth anything...

The only thing that is going to fix the trade deficit is a low dollar.

[krispos42]

12. Oh, we know how to build them

It's just cheaper to build them in China. Or, as a requirement of the financial agreement, they had to be Chinese-made turbines before they Chinese money would flow.


Dammit, why are we the only country afraid to be economically nationalist???

[Grinchie]

18. We sold off the precision machinery needed to China years ago

But we have really well equipped Auto Shop's with $250,000 computerized Analysis machines!

[KoKo]

39. We need to keep China buying our Debt...if they pull out...much goes down...

So...China builds...we install and it's jobs and money to prop up Goldman-Sachs and the rest of Wall St.

Bargain to keep us from going under while we fight two wars...building schools and providing health care to those we invade...to keep the world safe from terrorists.

[Romulox]

3. Turns out there's nothing to keep "green" jobs from being outsourced. Ooops. nt

[KansDem]

4. Energy is a national-security issue and should not be left in the hands of private concerns

It has become apparent that "private concerns" have absolutely no regard or hold any value for the average American.

I'm getting tired of constantly being under the heel of corporatists...

[sofa king]

5. Try telling that to George and Dick.

From the very beginning their objective was to start an oil war, in part to drive up prices to the point where it became profitable to crank up all our domestic wells, which sit dormant while oil is cheap. That reserve--our real strategic petroleum reserve--was pumped up for the sake of a quick few billion in private profits.

And when we really need it, it won't be there.

[Grinchie]

21. When the chinese decide to drop it like a hot potato, then maybe they'll realize it.

[amandabeech]

23. Many, many manufacturing and service jobs are matters of national security.

Just pick up a book on WWII. We wouldn't have won that one without the manufacturing and knowledge base that we had right here.

If we start having problems with China or Japan over resources, we will be hampered in our ability to defend ourselves or to keep going without imports from them.

Even now, we're having trouble making enough bullets for Afghanistan, Iraq and the home front.

I don't understand why there's a constant drum beat about the fact that we import some of our oil from the Middle East.

I think that it's just as important that we import an enormous amount of computers and steel, for example, from China and countries very close to it.

[Psephos]

30. Nationalize ALL energy-related manufacturing. Govt. has PROVEN how adept is.

And why stop there?

Just at look at the bang-up job that Congress has done with keeping the deficit low, Social Security and Medicare well-funded, Amtrak profitable, Veterans Administration hospitals the envy of private industry, the US Postal Service growing by leaps and bounds, NASA cranking away with cutting-edge rockets like the Shuttles at a billion a ride, FEMA on top of its game, state governments from coast to coast balancing their budgets and not playing politics with taxpayers' futures, ensuring that US manufacturing stays competitive, conducting brilliant foreign policy and forming strong allegiances around the globe, the military outsmarting all comers, the stimulus bill creating millions and millions of jobs as promised, the Treasury Dept. secretly funneling trillions into buying esoteric credit swaps, derivatives, and other toxic assets sure to turn a profit, TARP and other funds keeping the zombie corpses of GM and Chrysler "alive" so they will (really, really) pay all that money back, all while keeping printing presses running 24/7 printing more and more Monopoly "money" to "pay" for it all, and ensuring that the US dollar will soon take its place alongside the Zimbabwe dollar.

Yes, nationalize it NOW! Put the PROVEN geniuses in government bureaucracies and corruption-proof politicians in charge of our future. Because, unlike private business, government can never be fired, can never be disciplined by competition, can never feel the consequences of inefficiency and bloat, and can never admit it does anything wrong, ever.

Big government is what corporatists wish they could become in their wettest dreams. It's corporatism made bullet-proof.

[AllentownJake]

6. Green Jobs that can't be outsourced

Fucking morons will fall for anything.

[Hansel]

14. There are green jobs that cannot be outsourced.

Granted, we should not be importing turbines from China and wouldn't be if Bush hadn't been handed two elections.

But you cannot outsource green energy installation jobs. You cannot outsource the jobs that are going to be needed to make all of our businesses and homes green. These are the jobs Obama is currently focusing on. And he is trying hard to get small business loans out to small companies so that they can start manufacturing our own innovative green products. I doubt very much those huge turbines are going to be the wave of the future. They are going to come of with less conspicuous and smaller wind power sources which will come from American innovation. That's, at least, if we can get the money out to the small green businesses.

We are behind not quite dead yet. But Obama needs to pick up the pace and start getting tougher with Congress. The Repulicans love China making these turbines because they probably are heavily invested in their companies. That is why they keep trying to stop green jobs in America.

[amandabeech]

20. You can insource installation jobs if you want.

And if it is cheaper, I assume that it will happen.

[Grinchie]

22. Can't outsource Cable Guys either, and that was their point.

Those jobs that can't be outsourced are Solar Panel installers, which is about the best that Americans are capable of.

[amandabeech]

24. We're capable of plenty more.

It's just that we insist on being paid a decent wage, working in safe factories, and cleaning up after ourselves.

China does none of the above, so we cannot compete against them in manufacturing.

Oh, yes, and about now, they've passed us in greenhouse emissions.

[avaistheone1]

25. The installation jobs will pay what? $10 to $15 per hour?

That is not a living wage in many parts of our country.

[izquierdista]

8. So when does Texas become a colony of China?

Not that I would put up much fuss, they can have it as far as I care. It would be fitting karma for those redneck Republicans to be owned lock, stock, and barrel by the Chinese. And to the Texas Duers, now are you ready to throw in the towel and leave?

[blogslut]

32. No

Texas leads the nation in Wind Energy production and we house 40 different projects. The plant mentioned in the OP is just one of them.

[Beavker]

9. You'd think this super "Free Market"

Supply and Demand economy would see the demand and meet it...since it's infallible.

Too Busy building oil rigs that can fly to the moon with pools and spas on them...our Big Pig oil companies could be using those massive profits to branch out and build them. Instead they pay their lobby whores to keep us sucking down the crude.

USA! USA!

[Psephos]

31. The US does not have a free market economy...where did you get that idea?

The US has a corporatist economy.

Meanwhile, the largest sector by far in the economy, consuming roughly a third of GDP, is government (at all levels).

There are your two villains.

[peace13]

11. This is just stupid!! n/t

[vinylsolution]

15. Instead of bailing out Chrysler....

.... we could have used the money to reconfigure the failed automaker into the world's biggest producer of wind turbines and solar panels.

But that would have required political vision and a bold new approach.

The Greatest Generation was good at that kind of thing. We, apparently, are not.

[onethatcares]

16. let me get this one straight in my haid.

we're gonna buy green energy technology and parts from a country that is polluting the entire planet with its' use of coal, and its' spurning of any kind of ecological cleanup for itself.

Ah, hell, that makes a lot of sense. I should have thought of that.

[Grinchie]

17. Thanks God for the Buy American provisions!

[boomerbust]

27. One Word

TEXAS

[WriteDown]

29. At least they're attempting to put in windfarms...

Many places are not even making the effort.

[blogslut]

33. You mean the state with

...more wind farms and wind energy production than any other? That would be Texas.

The wind farm in my county has turbines built by Siemens and was created by companies based in Austin and California. There's 39 other wind farm projects here. Buffalo Gap's turbines are from Denmark. Horse Hollow's are Siemens (Germany). Sweetwater Wind Farm's turbines come from Japan. King Mountain's are Siemens. Brazos' turbines = Mitsubishi. Desert Sky's = GE. Trent's = GE...

Now, what were you saying about Texas?

[glinda]

28. This makes me really angry

[nc4bo]

35. You and me both. nt

[Vidar]

34. I hope the blades don't fall off.

[nc4bo]

36. Hit Unrec by mistake. This is outrage worthy

and more people should know about it, imho.

All, if not most of our alternative energy products should be manufactured here and put some people back to work FFS.

[Jack_DeLeon]

38. God Bless Texas

I'm not overly thrilled that the Chinese are involved, but atleast we will get a few more jobs and hopefully cheaper and sustainable energy out of this venture. Which will continue to keep us in a better position compared to many other states.

[Pavulon]

40. Yet we sell them Westinghouse 1000AP reactors

they are unable to make them and the people currently working at nuclear facilities are paid much more than some dude picking birds out of a wind turbine.