President Obama hasn’t made any indication on what he plans to say on April 30 when he reveals the fate of the Cape Code Wind Power project.

The massive wind power plan was been in the works for nearly a decade and it is now up to Obama and interior Secretary Ken Salazar whether the project will be allowed to continue.

This wind power project’s future could have far reaching ramifications for wind energy around the U.S. since there are several other big wind power projects being contemplated based on the results of whether Cape Wind gets the federal thumbs up or down.

With renewable energy like wind and solar a top priority for the Obama Administration, it seems likely that Cape Wind will get the approval it’s been seeking for so long. But, renewable energy supporters did get reason to be concerned when Obama permitted offshore natural gas drilling exploration last month while the this massive wind power project, and it’s 130 wind turbines, still sits in limbo.

The number of wind turbine parts built in the United States grew in 2008 along with the boom in the wind energy market. But despite the growth in demand for wind turbine parts, the US has continued to import the lion’s share of these parts.

Imports of wind turbine parts to the US went from $60 million worth in 2004 to $2.5 billion in 2008.
With that amount of money going to importing wind turbine parts it definitely seems like there’s a lot of growth potential for American manufacturers.

Vestas is one of the major producers of wind turbines with one fifth of all wind turbines erected in the US being built by Vestas. One of their senior vice presidents, Roby Roberts, states of the situation that, “Wind is positioned to help take a lot of those manufacturing jobs that have been lost, especially in the auto industry, and move them into the work we’re trying to do.”

Although Vestas has not made any of its turbines on American soil, Roberts stated that by 2010, they plan to build all of them in the US, with one factory currently built in Colorado and three more expected to be up and running by early 2010.

Will this be a part of growing trend that sees long term jobs popping up on a massive scale in the wind power industry. With all the incentives and investments being invested in wind energy by the Obama adiministration is seems likely that wind power, and wind power jobs, will be here to stay.

Not to be the bearers of bad news here, but scientists are saying that climate changes are occurring more rapidly than previously predicted. Scientists recently revealed that industrial greenhouse gas emissions have increased more quickly than expected, while emissions from burning fossil fuels since 2000 are much higher than previously estimated.

“We are basically looking now at a future climate that’s beyond anything we’ve considered seriously in climate model simulations,” Christopher Field, founding director of the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Global Ecology at Stanford University and member of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Professor Field also said that the rapid increase in coal-burning since 2000 presents “a real risk that human-caused climate change will accelerate the release of carbon dioxide from forest and tundra ecosystems, which have been storing a lot of carbon for thousands of years.”

Scientists also fear that the release of CO2 from melting permafrost could accelerate warming in a “loop” that would be too overwhelming for humans to control. Luckily, scientists are optimistic over President Obama’s commitment to energy issues, as well as his support for science and environmental research.

If you’ve put a bunch of cash in renewable energy, word on the street is that even during these dire economic times, you shouldn’t sell. Last year was a rough one as investors lost their asses when several prominent alternative energy stocks fell by 70% or more. However, with the change in administration, investors are hoping Barack Obama’s focus on renewable energy will give the industry the financial boost it needs. According to a new survey conducted by Waggener Edstrom,  investors are predicting that stocks in renewable energy will surpass the broader markets.

“Despite a deeply challenging business climate, the financial community continues to view alternative energy stocks with measured optimism,” Lev Janashvili, vice president of Waggener Edstrom, said.

The school of thought among investors is that expected increase in oil prices will boost renewable energy stocks. Oil prices—which have crashed down amidst the current economic crisis—will bounce back this year, creating a more mainstream interest in alternative energy sources once again.

We have a hard time maintaining our impartiality in the face of Barack Obama’s wonderful focus on renewable energy. And he’s been making it even harder with his economic stimulus plan.

The plan has plenty of funds set aside to assist the wind power industry including approximately $8 billion for power transmission. Investment in the power transmission infrastructure is a welcome relief to the wind power industry.

The investment in wind power transmission will significantly extend the reach of the of the grid to the remote areas where the bulk of the wind power is harvested while simultaneously improving its stability.

While the idea of building out the wind power transmission infrastructure is nothing new, the projects that are currently in the works would not see fruition for another 6 years or so. Too long for most investors in the current economic climate, making the money from the economic stimulus plan that much more important right now.

Coming off of record growth in the wind power industry in 2008, this will be an immense help in keeping that momentum going in 2009.

Barack Obama spoke at Cardinal Fastener, a Bedord, Ohio factory that produces parts for wind turbines.

Obama vowed to put a half million people to work, building wind turbines and solar panels, creating more jobs in the renewable energy industry.

“Renewable energy isn’t something pie-in-the-sky,” Obama said. “It’s not part of a far-off future. It’s happening all across America right now. With all the bad news going on out there, with all the news of jobs lost and businesses shuttered, jobs were created right here.”

President Barack Obama faces a real political bind. Senator Edward Kennedy, who was an early backer of Obama and who suffered a seizure at his inauguration, is on the opposite side of the fence when it comes to a Cape Cod wind farm, Cape Wind.

Kennedy, a resident of Nantucket, has fought against the wind farm for eight years, arguing that it will cause radar interference to boats and planes, hurt wildlife and hinder the ocean views from Cape Cod, and has sued to stop the project. Kennedy owns an oceanside home that would have a direct view of the proposed 125 wind turbines that would stand 440 feet above sea level. However, Kennedy maintains that his spoiled view is not why he opposes the project.

However, a strong advocate for Cape Wind is Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, a close friend of Obama. Patrick believes that this wind farm will be instrumental in making  his state a leader in alternative energy.

Obama has made it known that he is also a strong supporter of wind power. Obama pledged that the nation would “harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories” in his inaugural address. He also visited an Ohio wind turbine factory.

“There would have to be some extraordinary reason to not make a favorable decision, aside from deference to Ted Kennedy,” a project ally told the media. “And if deference to Ted Kennedy is what delays this project, this means that deference is being paid by the president himself—and [that he’s] doing so at the expense of his pledges on energy policy.”

She’s big on energy issues gosh darn it. But last we heard her mantra was, “Drill, baby, drill!” It seems her tune has changed and now Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has released a new, and very ambitious, renewable energy mandate for Alaska. Sarah Palin now intends to get half of Alaska’s electricity from renewable energy sources like wind power.

The plan has environmental groups voicing approval. Kate Troll, executive director of the Alaska Conservation Alliance called it a “very forward-thinking energy plan.”

Is this about-face from Palin connected to the Obama administrations strong push for more reliance on renewable energy? Maybe Palin just knows which way the wind is blowing.

It’s official: The next big thing is looking to be wind power, folks. Can we get a hoo raah? Amongst the grim economic news comes the silver lining that one million people will be employed worldwide by the wind-power industry by the end of the decade, despite the impact of the financial crisis.

“It has been another record year for the industry. People say these growth rates can’t go on forever, but they keep on going on,” said Steve Sawyer, secretary general of the Global Wind Energy Council.

Although wind and solar power companies have faced financial difficulties caused by the continuing economic crisis due to the lack of available financing for wind and solar projects, it is unclear how profoundly it would reduce or delay demand and profitability. However, grid connections remain key to the future of wind energy in all parts of the world and newly elected U.S. president Barack Obama is looking to the current financial crisis to invest in this area.

“Renewable energy isn’t something pie-in-the-sky,” Obama told workers at an Ohio plant that produces wind turbine parts. “It’s not part of a far-off future. It’s happening all across America right now. With all the bad news going on out there, with all the news of jobs lost and businesses shuttered, jobs were created right here.”

Barack Obama is now officially the 44th President of the United States.

“Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real,” Obama said in his inaugural speech. “They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.”

Over 1.4 million people crowded onto the National Mall to watch Obama become America’s first black president.  The overwhelming supoprt for Obama, who currently holds an 80 percent approval rating, is primarily due to America’s distaste for Bush, who has left office with the lowest ratings in presidential history.

Obama has just taken the weight of the multiple woes of American (and much of the world) upon his shoulders, and has pledged to do his best to help curb the economic crises and bring an end to the war in Iraq.

Obama also has plans to turn to renewable energy for the clean technology sector, planning to add 20 gigawatts or more of wind power by 2012. Welcome, Barack Obama!