Wind Turbine Failure Photos

Power producing wind turbines are exposed to significant material stresses. Wind turbines have been known to fail in the gearboxes, generators, and rotor blades. Overheating is a constant concern and one that will have to be addressed by the next generation of wind farms.

Offshore Wind Farm Finds Investors

The world's largest planned offshore wind farm has found new investors in the form of an Abu Dhabi investment fund.

The future of the proposed London Array wind farm has been in doubt since Shell pulled out of the project in May after estimated costs more than doubled.

Eon and Danish based DONG Energy had been seeking a new partner in the offshore wind energy farm.

The Masdar Initiative, which is funded by the Abu Dhabi government, announced that it will take a 20 per cent stake in the project.

Renewable Energy Investing Incentives

The Senate is set to vote on Wednesday on a version of financial rescue plan that includes approximately $78 billion in renewable energy investment incentives and extensions of expiring tax breaks.

This comes as welcome news to investors in the wind and solar energy sectors who have been looking to Congress for action since the tax credits were not renewed earlier this year.

The alternative energy investment tax credits are currently slated to expire on December 31.

T. Boone Pickens Plans $10B Wind Farm

T. Boone Pickens, a legend of the Texas oil industry, is planning a $10 billion wind energy project.

Pickens and his company Mesa Power plan to produce 4,000 megawatts of electricity via the vast wind farms. Mesa is expected to complete a contract for 2,700 wind turbines by May 2008. This investment is anticipated to produce the first 1,000 megawatts of electricity.

Although Pickens states that alternative energy profit margins are not equal to those of the oil and gas industry, he does expect a 25% margin on the energy produced by the wind power project.

"When I go into these markets, I expect to make money on them," Pickens said. "I don't expect to lose."