Renewable energy tax credits extended

Production tax credit (PTC) and investment tax credits are extended up to the end of the year, the American taxpayer Relief Act by 2012, by the Congress adopted on January 1, 2013. The extension of the PTC, included in the Bill to stave off the so-called "fiscal cliff" applies to all US wind projects in the year 2013 start construction. The Bill includes investment tax credits for community and offshore wind energy projects in addition to the PTC. The measure now moves on President Obama for his expected signature into law.

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) said that the incentives for wind energy will continue to allow growth. Last year included the amount of wind energy installed in the United States a record 44% of all new U.S. electric generation plants, according to the energy information administration and AWEA. See the White House blog and the White House American taxpayer Relief Act Factsheet AWEA press release.

The measure is the tax advantage biodiesel for 2012 and 2013 that expired on December 31, 2011. The $1 a gallon biodiesel tax credit was implemented first in 2005. According to a study by Cardno ENTRIX, a consulting firm, bio-fuel industry would 2013 with the tax credit in place compared some 112.078 jobs in the year to 81.977, without requiring it support at the national level. See press release National Biodiesel Board.

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Germany extended research and forms wind network of experts

The new group, consisting of more than 400 scientists, engineers and administrators, will network with other research institutes in the country's wind energy industry. After his "Wind energy 2020" initiative, the group plans several projects for the development of systems and infrastructure that expands the use of wind energy in cost-efficient, sustainable and competitive way.

The move Germany is renewable energy, in particular wind energy, in the course of the Fukushima nuclear accident gives greater priority. The goal of the Federal Government is using renewable energy sources by 2020 just to produce electricity at least 35 percent of the country.

ForWind combines the wind energy research programs at German State universities of Bremen, Hanover and Oldenburg. IWES Fraunhofer is made up of some 60 institutions focusing member of the Fraunhofer Society, on different fields of applied research. The research agency receives about 30 percent of its funding from the German State with the rest of the work.

Combined infrastructures of German universities and Fraunhofer IWES together with more than 30 networked research institutions is equipped to support both basic and applied research projects. This infrastructure includes a supercomputer for flow simulations, the world's largest wave Flume and a test system for rotor blades, the up to 90 metres in length. The planned scope of the research is extensive and ranges blades meteorology and rotor energy to the drive train and supporting structure.

"By combining our research activities, we are able to keep pace with international research collaborations, which set the tone in Denmark and the United States", said Andreas Reuter, Director of Fraunhofer IWES.

ForWind and Fraunhofer working already together to organize a wind power cluster of more than 300 research institutes and wind energy companies in Northern Germany in a business and research network.

Joint programme on wind energy in the European Energy Research Alliance and the wind energy technology platform have participated together in projects of two major European initiatives, both partners.

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