Last update:  August 22, 2010

Massachusetts Green Bubble Alert:  

ALERT:  Wind Turbine Blade Testing Center Charlestown, MA

The Wind Turbine Blade Testing Center in Charlestown, MA is financed by a ratepayer funded $13.2 million in grants and loan guarantees through the Mass Clean Energy Center.  This blade testing facility is also backed by US. taxpayers through ARRA funding of $24.7 million. 

The “Boys of Stimulus”

May 2, 2009:

Alison King of NECN Radio interviewed Governor Deval Patrick, Steven Lockard CEO TPI Composites, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Ian Bowles Environment and Energy Secretary, and Paul Gaynor “CEO of First Wind, the largest wind energy producer in New England” about a $25 million dollar federal stimulus grant to construct the world’s largest wind turbine blade testing facility in Charlestown, MA.

http://www.necn.com/Boston/Business/2009/05/12/Wind-turbines-to-be-tested-in/1242160830.html

Excerpts from Mass High Tech article on the Chelsea blade testing facility :

The center is operated by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and is the first in the U.S. to offer testing for the largest-scale wind turbine blades, which measure up to 90 meters in length.

A California-based wind turbine maker, Clipper Windpower Inc., will be the first company to utilize the new Wind Technology Testing Center in Charlestown, officials announced Wednesday.

The office of Gov. Deval Patrick noted that TPI Composites of Warren, R.I., will also be a customer of the Wind Technology Testing Center, and has announced plans to open a wind blade R&D and prototype manufacturing facility in Fall River partly as a result of the center.

Executives from the wind power industry and government officials on Wednesday celebrated the opening of the center, which cost about $40 million to build. Funding included a $24.7 million award from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, announced in May 2009, along with $13.2 million in grants and loans from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. The building of the center had used 300 jobs in construction and engineering.

http://www.masshightech.com/stories/2011/05/16/daily39-Charlestown-wind-blade-test-center-opens-names-first-client.html

 Clipper Windpower Laying Off 174 People Companywide

By Dave Dewitt and Dave Franzman, Reporters

Story Created: Aug 20, 2012 at 2:04 PM CDT

Story Updated: Aug 20, 2012 at 6:44 PM CDT

CEDAR RAPIDS - The wind industry downturn hit home in Cedar Rapids Monday when Clipper Windpower laid off 174 employees company wide.

The company confirmed Monday that it is reducing its total work force 32 percent from 550 to 376.

Most of Clipper's employees — and layoffs — are believed to be in Cedar Rapids, where the company manufactures its Liberty wind turbines. The company declined top provide numbers specific to each of its locations.

Demand for wind turbines, blades, towers and other equipment has fallen steeply in recent months due to the low price of natural gas and the impending expiration of the Federal Renewable Energy Production Tax Credit at the end of this year. [cut] continue reading:

http://www.kcrg.com/home/top-9/Clipper-Windpower-Laying-Off-176-People-Companywide-166789186.html

Reprint: NOTE COMMENTS!  ttp://www.topix.com/forum/city/carpinteria-ca/TAPIGVMKF5PIKGOHN#comments

Here is the rundown on Enron Wind / Clipper.
http://www.matternetwork.com/2010/12/passing-torch-clipper-wind.cfm

James Dehlsen founded Clipper
Dehlsen on Enron Board for 3 yrs
http://www.clipperwind.com/james_gp_dehlsen_bm.html

http://www.aim.org/aim-report/aim-report-the-missing-enron-witness/
The company’s game can be seen in its involvement with James Dehlsen, a member of the board of the radical World Watch Institute who founded Zond Corporation in 1980 and served as Chairman of the Board until its acquisition by Enron Corporation in January 1997. As Chairman Emeritus of Zond, he served on the Board of Enron Wind Corporation until March 2000. Dehlsen served as an advisor to the Department of Energy’s Wind Program, testified at the first U.S. Senate hearings on global warming, and was a delegate to the climate change conference in Kyoto, Japan.

Subject:  Clipper Liberty Wind wind turbines

 Hawaii Free Press

Tuesday, December 06, 2011 

Confidential Memo: Wind Turbine Model Installed at Kahuku has Structural Problems

Clipper Liberty was founded by a former Director of Enron Wind. Clipper Liberty Vice President of Engineering is also an Enron Wind veteran.

Five months after the New York presentation, Clipper Liberty stockholders leapt at the chance to unload their shares for £1.80 ($2.81) per share offered by United Technologies.

 http://www.hawaiifreepress.com/ArticlesMain/tabid/56/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/5604/Confidential-Memo-Wind-Turbine-Model-Installed-at-Kahuku-has-Structural-Problems.aspx

Wind Turbine Testing Center’s first customer is Clipper Wind (formed by an Enron Director)

http://www.masshightech.com/stories/2011/05/16/daily39-Charlestown-wind-blade-test-center-opens-names-first-client.html

Clipper Wind is United Technologies Corp (UTX)  “misbegotten acquisition.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/united-technologies-to-sell-wind-rocket-engine-businesses-to-finance-164b-goodrich-deal/2012/03/15/gIQALZBXES_story.html

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-03-15/united-technologies-seeks-sale-of-clipper-windpower-turbine-unit.html

http://cohoctonwindwatch.blogspot.com/2012/03/united-technologies-seeks-sale-of.html

Washington Post

March 15, 2012

United Technologies Corp. (UTX), the industrial conglomerate, is seeking a buyer for Clipper Windpower a year after taking control of the struggling turbine maker.

United Technologies is selling Clipper, along with other units, to raise $3 billion for its purchase of Goodrich Corp. (GR), the
Hartford, Connecticut-based company said today in a statement.

United Technologies decided to sell the “non-core” wind business, based in Carpinteria, California, as it reevaluates its portfolio,
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Louis Chenevert said in the statement.

United Technologies bought the 51 percent of Clipper it didn’t already own for $222 million in October 2010, after reduced orders left the wind company struggling to finance operations.

United Technologies is classifying Clipper as a discontinued operation. The wind unit declined to comment.

[cut] continue reading:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/united-technologies-to-sell-wind-rocket-engine-businesses-to-finance-164b-goodrich-deal/2012/03/15/gIQALZBXES_story.html 

http://cohoctonwindwatch.blogspot.com/2012/03/united-technologies-to-sell-wind-rocket.html

He added that selling Clipper was not a difficult decision because the alternative energy business has stalled.
“We’ve gone into this business with the thought that there was going be a renewable energy mandate in this country and there has not been one,” Hayes said.

That’s a reversal from comments to analysts last year that United Technologies’ $382 million purchase of Clipper Windpower in 2010 would help it capitalize on a global market it valued at $60 billion.

Clipper Windpower, whose 2.5MW Liberty turbine has gained acceptance in the US, made a $313.3m net loss in 2008, compared with $192.5m the previous year, mainly due to costs to repair cracked blades, the company
reports.

 http://www.rechargenews.com/regions/north_america/article178756.ece

UPC First Wind CEO Paul Gaynor is a long standing “Clipper Wind” (with structural problems) customer. And with a
$117 loan guarantee complete with Trade Secret, the Clipper wind turbines malfunction.  

http://hawaiifreepress.com.dnnmax.com/ArticlesMain/tabid/56/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/5604/categoryId/52/Confidential-Memo-Wind-Turbine-Model-Installed-at-Kahuku-has-Structural-Problems.aspx

SNL Financial on
January 9, 2008 reported:

‘Power-Operations and
Strategy Clipper’s 2.5 MW
Liberty wind turbines malfunction’

 [BJD editor’s note,
Michael Alvarez is the President of First Wind, and by 

Section 4 Technical Capacity 
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML

Michael Alvarez is responsible for First Wind operations and asset ...After beginning his energy career with GE Capital, he joined Enron in London in a ...

www.maine.gov/dep/blwq/docstand/sitelaw/Selected%20developments/Rollins_wind.../Section%204%20Technical%20Capacity.pdf

“The largest wind turbine manufactured in the United States is running into some technical difficulty. Clipper Windpower Inc.'s 2.5-MW Liberty wind turbines at the 20-MW Steel Winds facility in Lackawanna, N.Y., are malfunctioning due to faulty gear sets.

"At first, we were receiving great performance from the turbines," said Michael Alvarez, executive vice president and COO of UPC Wind Partners LLC, which co-owns the facility with BQ Energy LLC. "Over the summer, a gear-timing issue in the drive train's secondary stage was detected in some of Clipper Windpower's Liberty wind turbines at the Steel Winds site.

http://www.snl.com/interactivex/article.aspx?CdId=A-7161399-9829

Clipper Wind documented failures pre- 2008 with blades and gear boxes:   

http://www.powermag.com/renewables/wind/The-return-of-the-Clipper-Liberty-wind-turbine_1574_p3.html

The Blade Testing Center accepts blades that are completely impossible to recycle and that are burned in the ovens of Denmark’s CHP plant or disposed in landfills according to Dagbladet Børsen (Denmark's leading business newspaper).

http://borsen.dk/nyheder/investor/artikel/1/209112/vindmoellevinger_er_et_enormt_miljoeproblem.html

Clipper Wind insiders' chatter:

Apr 24, 2012 at 6:38: 

http://www.topix.com/forum/energy/wind-energy/TPJF1TPVC4K7KU286/p23

Jud

Cedar Rapids, IA

Reply » |Report Abuse |Judge it! |#459 23 hrs ago The whole thing boils down to the truth and that is what Jethro and I post, if the future is bright like you claim it is then tell us why, but I seriously doubt you can! By the way Jethro on your last comment,LOL!

Uhur hur

Goleta, CA

Reply » |Report Abuse |Judge it! |#460 18 hrs ago Unfortunately, the only deep-pocketed company who could save Clipper isn't going to do it. There is simply no-other company like UTC out there to come to the rescue. Renewable energy is tough sledding these days even without mechanical problems. Clipper will circle around until the budgeted year is over then it will be really different. So-long, sunsets. Bye-bye views of the islands. Adios rabbits! I wonder if Ecomerit is hiring? hmmmmm....

Jud

Cedar Rapids, IA

Reply » |Report Abuse |Judge it! |#461 1 hr ago I'm inclined to agree with you on that, with the high end warranty and maintenancecosts, coupled with several past investors loosing there tails it is unlikely anyone would want to absorb this company, it's not a money maker, rather a finacial burden and a product that has not shown sustainabilty in operations or return investment. You are exactly right it's hard enough to make it in the wind industry if you have a good product let alone a failure ridden unit such as Clipper's! My guess is the lay-offs will proceed the liquadation process of a closing bussiness here in the near future!

Thank You,

Barbara Durkin

For more information on Massachusetts' crony capitalism and corporate welfare and the green bubbles these create, check out:

Massachusetts Green Bubble Alert: First Wind-

http://bjdurk.newsvine.com/_news/2012/04/01/10888055-massachusetts-green-bubble-alert-first-wind

Massachusetts Green Bubble Alert: A123 Systems-

http://bjdurk.newsvine.com/_news/2012/03/27/10887207-massachusetts-green-bubble-alert-a123-systems-aone

Massachusetts Green Bubble Alert: Mass Tank partners with Goldwind of Xinjiang, China-

http://bjdurk.newsvine.com/_news/2012/03/27/10888647-massachusetts-green-bubble-alert-mass-tank-partners-with-goldwind-of-xinjiang-china 

Massachusetts Green Bubble Alert: Flodesign-

http://bjdurk.newsvine.com/_news/2012/03/27/10889807-massachusetts-green-bubble-alert-flodesign

Massachusetts Green Bubble Alert:  EnerNOC

http://bjdurk.newsvine.com/_news/2012/04/07/10891513-massachusetts-green-bubble-alert-enernoc