We have been in hiatus for a while, but there are a number of interesting developments in the area of wind power that have garnered our attention.  Our wind power stock coverage is going to be expanded in the short term to cover a number of interesting companies that have surfaced in the space.

A-Power Energy Generation Systems, Ltd (APWR)

GC China Turbine Corp (GHCT.OB)

Vestas Wind Systems (VWSYF.PK)

Broadwind Energy, Inc. (BWEN)

In wind energy news in the past week, there were a number of announcements in the sector that show the wind energy market is alive and well

• PG&E announced that it has contracted with Iberdrola Renewables, Inc., the U.S. arm of the world’s largest provider of wind power, to purchase and operate a major wind generating plant to be built in Southern California to serve the utility’s electric customers.    The proposed Manzana Wind Project, with a power capacity of up to 246 megawatts, would be the first wind project owned by PG&E. It follows a proposal by the utility in February, 2009 to develop and own 250 MW of solar photovoltaic power.
• Duke Energy Corp. has begun producing electricity from its Campbell Hill WindPower Project in Wyoming. The 99-megawatt operation near Casper, Wyo., will supply wind energy to PacifiCorp under a 20-year agreement. Duke says Campbell Hill’s 66 wind turbines will produce enough electricity to power about 30,000 homes per year.
• The Criterion wind project on Backbone Mountain will be sold by Clipper Windpower Inc. to Constellation Energy Group Inc. for $140 million, the buyer reported this week.
  Constellation will purchase 28 wind turbines manufactured by Clipper that are capable of producing 70 megawatts of power and powering 23,000 homes. Projects with production capacities of more than 70 megawatts have to navigate much tougher scrutiny from the Maryland Public Service Commission.