Ricoh will erect a sign in New York City's Times Square that will be 100 percent powered by solar and wind power. The electronic billboard, the first ever to be totally powered by natural resources in Times Square, will be located at 3 Times Square at the corner of 7th Avenue and 42nd Street.

The sign, which is 47 feet high by 126 feet long, will be illuminated by floodlights and powered by 45 solar panels and 4 turbines for wind generation. By using all natural energy sources, Ricoh will reduce the amount of CO2 usage by 18 tons per year. If there is not enough solar or wind power, the Times Square sign will not be illuminated. Ricoh also currently has a similar eco-powered sign in Osaka, Japan, that uses 100 percent solar and wind power.

Wind power is capable of becoming a major contributor to America’s electricity supply over the next three decades, according to a report released today by the U.S. Department of Energy. The groundbreaking report, 20% Wind Energy by 2030: Increasing Wind Energy’s Contribution to U.S. Electricity Supply, looks closely at one scenario for reaching 20% wind energy by 2030 and contrasts it to a scenario of no new U.S. wind power capacity.

Included in the report are an examination of America’s technological and manufacturing capabilities, the future costs of energy sources, U.S. wind energy resources, and the environmental and economic impacts of wind development. Under the 20% wind scenario, installations of new wind power capacity would increase to more than 16,000 megawatts per year by 2018, and continue at that rate through 2030.

Research and Markets has announced the addition of Offshore Wind Power Market Potential to their offering.

Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into useful forms, such as electricity, using wind turbines. In windmills, wind energy is directly used to crush grain or to pump water. At the end of 2007, worldwide capacity of wind-powered generators was 94.1 gigawatts. Although wind currently produces just over 1% of worldwide electricity use, it accounts for approximately 19% of electricity production in Denmark, 9% in Spain and Portugal, and 6% in Germany and the Republic of Ireland (2007 data). Globally, wind power generation increased more than fivefold between 2000 and 2007.

Research and Markets has announced the addition of Canada Wind Power Markets and Strategies, 2007-2015 to their offering. After more than doubling in size in 2006, the Canadian wind market will see unprecedented growth over the next decade adding 1,400 MW annually through 2015. Moving up from the seventh largest wind power market in 2006, Canada is in position to break the top five global wind power markets in 2009, according to EER forecasts.

Canada Wind Power Markets and Strategies, 2007–2015 is the most in depth market study available on this fast growing market. EER’s new study provides comprehensive analysis of Canada’s national and provincial wind power market environments and the strategies of key players competing in this growing market.

Research and Markets has announced the addition of US Wind Power Markets and Strategies, 2007-2015 to their offering. The US wind power market, the world’s largest in terms of annual MW additions for the past two years, will see unprecedented growth over the next decade. With installed wind capacity expected to grow from 11,600 MW in 2006 to nearly 49,000 MW by 2015, the US wind market will average over $5 billion per year during the forecast period.

US Wind Power Markets and Strategies, 2007–2015 is EER’s third annual study analyzing US wind markets, and is widely considered the most in-depth and authoritative market study available on this fast growing market.

UPC Wind commemorated the first year of full commercial operations for Mars Hill Wind at a one-year anniversary event. In its first year of operation, the site has generated enough power for more than 19,000 New England homes.

At the an event hosted by UPC Wind and the Maine Department of Conservation at the Big Rock Ski Area in Mars Hill, Maine Governor John E. Baldacci spoke about the project and provided insight into the future development of wind power and other renewable energy in Maine.

Since beginning commercial operations on March 27, 2007, Mars Hill Wind has generated more than 133,500,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of clean electricity and a corresponding number of Green-e certified Renewable Energy Certificates. RECs are credits that individuals, institutions or businesses can buy to compensate for the amount of nonrenewable, greenhouse gas-emitting fossil fuels – such as coal, oil and natural gas – used in their vehicles, homes, offices or other facilities.

Distributed Energy Systems has received an order for its advanced Northwind 100 gearless wind turbines from Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, the fourth largest utility company in Canada.

Three Northwind 100 turbines will be installed in Ramea, a small remote island on the south coast of Newfoundland and one of 22 isolated communities served by Hydro. Ramea is the site of a five-year innovative research and development project for an isolated wind-hydrogen-diesel generation system, one of the first of its kind in the world. This project is focused on developing an environmentally-friendly energy solution to be used in small, isolated electrical distribution systems. The project builds on the existing, successful wind-diesel system that has been operating in Ramea since 2004.

NACEL Energy has accepted membership in the American Wind Energy Association, the nation’s foremost wind industry trade and advocacy organization. NACEL Energy is developing a growing portfolio of utility scale community wind power generation infrastructure and will bring 80 megawatts of new wind energy online by 2010 – enough energy to supply the power requirements of 25,000 American homes.

NACEL Energy President Brian Lavery stated: “The American Wind Energy Association has achieved tremendous success promoting the adoption of wind energy in the U.S. and around the world. We are proud to be associated with the AWEA and excited to take our place among the key players in the U.S. wind energy industry.” As a member of the AWEA, NACEL Energy will be able to network, forge relationships and advocate for policies and legislation affecting the wind energy industry’s long-term growth.

Gaz de France has just signed the acquisition of Nass & Wind Technologie, specialised in developing, building and operating land-based wind farms in France. Founded in 2001, Nass & Wind Technologie, a subsidiary of the Nass & Wind Group, is an electricity producer that develops wind farms on its own behalf and for third-parties in France, and anchored in Brittany.

Nass & Wind Technologie operates installed capacity of 34 MW. The company received all the necessary construction permits for 150 MW in the short term and owns a project pipeline totalling approximately 1 500 MW.

This acquisition is fully in step with the Group’s strategy in electricity production generated from renewable energies, in particular wind energy. Gaz de France already owns the largest wind farm assets in France, with installed capacity of almost 145 MW at the beginning of 2008.

After years of watching the world's fastest growing energy business from the sidelines, big oil companies are playing catch-up and investing billions developing new wind power projects.

Shell is developing a $4 billion wind power project in the Texas panhandle. When complete it will surpass Florida Power & Light's "Horse Hollow" wind energy facility to become the biggest in the world.

Not to be outdone, legendary oilman T. Boone Pickens announced his own wind project in the same Texas panhandle area a project even larger than Shell's and costing $10 billion.

TransAlta plans to design, build and operate a 66-megawatt wind power project in southern Alberta. The capital cost of the project is estimated at $115 million. Commercial operations are expected to commence in the fourth quarter of 2009.

Located four kilometres from Fort Macleod, the wind farm will incorporate 22, three-MW wind turbines. Once complete, the Blue Trail wind farm will provide an annual average of 195,000 megawatt hours per year - enough electricity to meet the needs of approximately 29,000 homes.

Delivery of the V90 turbines from Vestas is scheduled to begin mid-2009. TransAlta will work with local firms during construction. The project is subject to regulatory and environmental approvals.

As another global record was set in 2007 with the installation of 20,000 MW of new, emission-free wind power, Canada's total installed capacity grew to 1,846 MW with the addition of 386 MW of new wind energy projects, its 2nd best year ever. Wind energy now produces enough electricity in Canada to meet the needs of 560,000 homes. The North American market experienced the strongest growth globally in 2007, with more than 5,200 MW of new wind energy capacity installed in the United States alone.

Canada currently ranks as the world's 11th largest nation in terms of installed wind energy capacity. With an anticipated minimum installation of another 800 MW in 2008, representing well over $1.5 billion in investment, Canada is poised to set a new record for annual installed wind energy capacity. These 2008 installations have already begun with the commissioning of Sky Generation's 10 MW Ravenswood project in January. This project is the first to be constructed under Ontario's Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program.