London (Platts)--12Feb2009

Private wind energy projects in the US that aim to take advantage of
financing available through the proposed economic stimulus bill under
consideration by Congress will not be affected by the bill's so-called Buy
American provision, a spokeswoman from the American Wind Energy Association
told Platts on Thursday.

"There's a lot of confusion there," said AWEA representative Christine
Real de Azua. The association is the leading US trade association for the wind
energy industry.

The Buy American provision requires that only US-made materials and
manufactured goods be used in government programs or projects funded by the
stimulus bill, including iron and steel for infrastructure projects.

But this measure would apply only to public works programs, she said, and
not to private initiatives, such as wind farm construction.

One section of the bill would provide grants to wind energy developers
that are unable to take advantage of existing tax credits for renewable energy
generation.

As a result, private wind-farm developments could use turbines
manufactured with foreign steel or by foreign companies. Several European
wind-power equipment makers, including Spain's Gamesa and Italy's Brevini,
have set up US factories in recent years to tap the world's leading wind
energy market.