"Citizen Power" Conference to be held in Historic Chamber Where World's First Feed-in Law Was Enacted

11th World Wind Energy Conference WWEC2012 "Community Power - Citizens' Power" Set for 3-5 July 2012 in Bonn, Germany

51% of German Renewables Now Owned by Its Own Citizens

By Paul Gipe

Germany, a country where 51% of the renewable energy generation is owned by its own citizens, will be hosting an international conference on community power 3-5 July, 2012 in Bonn, the former capital.

The conference will be held in the historic chamber where the world's first feed-in law was enacted, the former home of the Bundestag, Germany's parliament. The Stromeinspeisungsgesetz, literally the "law on feeding in electricity" (to the grid) was introduced by conservative Bavarian farmers frustrated with their utility's intransigence to connecting their small hydro plants with the grid.

The "feed-in" law was passed overwhelmingly by the conservative government of Helmut Kohl, and quickly ushered in a revolution in the way electricity was generated in Germany, spreading rapidly from Bavaria in the south all the way to the Danish border in the north. 

3rd World Summit for Small Wind WSSW2012
"New Standards - New Concepts"
Husum, Germany, 15&16 March 2012

Call for Papers Extended Deadline: 23 January

We invite you cordially to the 3rd World Summit for Small Wind WSSW2012, taking place in Husum/Germany on 15 and 16 March 2012, during the New Energy 2012 trade fair.

New Energy Husum has become the leading event for small wind, with more than 50 small wind exhibitors in 2011. New Energy Husum will host the WSSW2012 together with the World Wind Energy Association WWEA, and in cooperation with the German Wind Energy Association BWE as well as the German Small Wind Association BVKW.

Again top international small wind experts and participants from all over the world will discuss latest developments and achievements of the small wind sector.
 
Whereas the focus of the 2nd World Summit for Small Wind in 2011 was on policies, the next World Summit will focus on "New Standards – New Concepts". International experts from different nations – including African countries, China, Denmark, Germany, India, Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the USA – will discuss technical innovations and new standards in small wind.

WWEA Secretary General Stefan Gsänger receives International Community Power Award

Ontario Minister of Energy delivers keynote for Community Power Awards

Toronto/Bonn (WWEA/OSEA), 16 November 2011 – The OSEA 2011 Community Power Awards were presented earlier this week on the occasion of the 3rd Community Power Conference in Toronto (Canada). The award winners are individuals who have made significant contributions to the Community Power movement in Ontario and globally. WWEA Secretary General Stefan Gsänger was honored as an International Community Power Leader for his contribution to the worldwide promotion of community power.

The award presentation followed a keynote speech by Chris Bentley, Ontario’s Minister of Energy. The awards were presented by Kristopher Stevens, the Executive Director of the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association OSEA. In his reply, Stefan Gsänger dedicated the Award to all friends, colleagues and supporters who have helped to advance community power all over the world, and he thanked especially his colleagues in Ontario for their groundbreaking work.

The World Wind Energy Association, the Egyptian Wind Energy Association and the German-Arabic Chamber of Commerce welcome the presence of those more than 500 participants attending this conference, from wind and all other renewable energy technologies. The conference took place at a time which has brought fundamental political and social change in the host country and in the whole region, also opening the doors for an urgently needed and fundamental transformation of the energy supply.

The conference covered all aspects of wind utilisation, related policies, manufacturing, development, operation as well as economic and social issues, with a special focus on how to convert with renewable energy deserts into powerhouses.
Especially against the background of the ongoing nuclear disaster in Japan, the Conference calls for an immediate switch away from high-risk nuclear and fossil energy technologies to renewable energies.

On celebrating the tenth anniversary of the World Wind Energy Association, the Conference applauds WWEA for ten successful years of leadership work for a renewable future.

Worldwide wind capacity reaches 197 GW, slight decrease in new capacity

China becomes world leader, installing 18,9 Gigawatt, more than 50 % of the world market

Shanghai/Bonn (WWEA) – On the occasion of the inauguration of the China (Shanghai) International Wind Energy Exhibition and Conference CWEE2011 in Shanghai, WWEA has launched today the World Wind Energy Report 2010 in English 2.96 Mb (also in simplified Chinese 1.65 Mb, traditional Chinese 1.66 Mb, in French 1.89 Mb, in Russian 2.75 Mb, in Spanish 1.43 Mb) and the interactive World Wind Energy Map.

 WWEA's Interactive World Map

Click Here and access the most accurate statistics on wind power and contact information of our Members in 83 countries.