The Wind World Is Flat, Too . . . and Active

Andrew Leonard has an intriguing post at Salon.com about the bidding war between Indian wind turbine manufacturer Suzlon and French nuclear giant Areva over German wind turbine maker REPower. While the globalization implications are important to note, a quick look at recent history reveals that this is but the latest in a series of major business deals involving multinational firms in the wind space. See, for example:

The purchase by investment banker Goldman Sachs of U.S. developer Horizon Wind Energy in 2005 and its subsequent sale to Energias de Portugal for a cool $2.15 bilion.

The purchase by Spanish utility Iberdrola of U.S. wind developer and green power marketer Community Energy.

The purchase by Iberdrola of ScottishPower, complete with its U.S. wind development subsidiary PPM Energy.

Decisions by Suzlon, Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas and Spanish turbine makers Gamesa and Acciona to build manufacturing plants in the U.S.

A "Strategic Turbine Supply and Joint Development Agreement" between U.S. manufacturer Clipper Windpower and BP and BP Alternative Energy's purchase of wind developers Orion Energy and Greenlight Energy.

Clearly, many companies are awakening to the enormous global potential of this energy source.

Regards,
Tom