A New Financing Handbook and More... Ways to Get Community Wind Turbines Up and Turning The Environmental Law & Policy Center, based in Chicago, has released two new tools to support renewable energy development and policy advocacy, especially in the Midwest and Great Plains regions. http://www.elpc.org/energy/windhandbook2004.pdf">The Community Wind Financing Handbook explains the options for structuring and financing community-based wind power projects and should be of particular interest to community leaders, wind developers, farmers, clean energy advocates and businesses. The handbook

• describes various models for community wind power ownership including municipal, school district, rural cooperative, investor group and individual;
• examines sources of equity and debt financing;
• identifies state incentives and federal grant and loan programs including 7 sources from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and two options from the Small Business Administration;
• reviews federal tax incentives for wind power;
• explores power purchase agreements and the value of green tags to community wind power projects and
• provides a resource guide that includes contact information for consultants, banks and financial firms with expertise in wind energy systems.

The second tool is a Midwest/Great Plains Wind Power Project Map which shows the locations of all existing and planned wind power projects of 10 megawatts or more in the region as of May 2004. ">Home Energy Loans Energy Statistics mailto:energy1%40mail%2estate%2ene%2eus"> State of Nebraska Home disclaimer.htm"> Disclaimer feedback2.htm">Webmaster