Freiburg (Platts)--3Aug2007

Wind power generation could save consumers Eur2 billion in 2007,
according to calculations by the German wind energy association BWE Friday. 

     During the first half of 2007, wind power units in Germany generated
22TWh of power--equaling almost 9% of total German power demand. By the end of
the year, BWE expects about twice that amount from wind units.

     BWE chairman Ralf Bischof said power prices at the German power bourse
EEX were lower than last year despite economic growth and unplanned outages at
nuclear power plants. 

     "This is largely due to wind energy," he said in a statement. Under
Germany's renewables law, any power produced by wind units has to be fed into
the grid by energy suppliers, therefore the supplies of generation increase
significantly.

     As a consequence, expensive conventional power units, for example old and
inefficient gas and coal plants, were almost not needed to cover power demand,
said the BWE. The increased amount of wind power therefore reduces
conventional generation and with that the price of power at the EEX.