Out tomorrow! North American Power List 2020

Tomorrow, we are due to publish our 2020 North American Power List.

This report ranks the 100 most influential professionals from across the wind industry in North America – from financiers and developers, to manufacturers and advisors – and has been produced by A Word About Wind and Tamarindo Group’s Insight division. In our view, the timing couldn’t be better.

Last week, the US and China signed a deal to ease their ongoing trade war, during which extra import taxes of more than $450bn have been levied on goods between the two countries.

President Trump called the deal “transformative” for the US, while Chinese leaders said it was a “win-win”. Specifically, the US is going to halve some of the new tariffs that it has recently imposed on Chinese products.

This may be a “win-win”, but the wind industry is not among the winners. The deal only covers tariffs applied on 1st September, which did not cover wind turbine parts, and the punishing 25% tariff on Chinese steel is still in place.

US wind has been in a construction boom in anticipation of the end of the production tax credit, which was extended for 2020 in mid-December, and went past the symbolically significant 100GW of installed capacity last year.

But it has been estimated that Trump’s tariffs have raised the cost of building wind farms by 20% at a time when many firms are facing squeezed margins.

This means that the US wind industry needs skilled and experienced people to lead it through the 2020s, and it is right to celebrate those who are leading the sector into this decade.

That’s what we do in the North American Power List, which also features our analysis of the six big trends that have shaped the composition of the final 100.

These include the key contribution that developers and utilities are making in driving growth; the impact of merger and acquisition deals on some of the region’s best-known independent developers; and the growth of US offshore wind, although it is worth noting that 72 of the 100 focus exclusively onshore.

The report also includes details about how you can connect with many of the 100 at our Financing Wind North America conference in Boston from 12th-14th May, which we are hosting in partnership with our headline sponsor UL.

Because here’s the thing. We know the trade war won’t end soon. We know that US wind is going to look very different in 2030 than it does now.

It is tempting, particularly in an election year, to focus on the impact that Washington DC and the White House might have on the future of wind. There are growing calls for a Green New Deal that would help the wind industry, and there is increasing public pressure for politicians to tackle the climate crisis.

These are all important of course, but we must also focus on what each of our companies can do. We all have a responsibility.

Yes, we believe it is the people in the North American Power List who are having the biggest impact on this sector right now.

But we can all play a part. The connections you make, the conversations you have, and the deals that flow from them are what will unlock the financial and the technical innovations that will enable the industry to thrive. That is what we’re going to help you do at Financing Wind North America in May.

We all saw the letter from BlackRock’s Larry Fink calling for an overhaul of the global financial system. This underlined the important role that every company can play in helping steer US wind through this most important of decades.

That’s the goal. That’s what’s at stake.

We know that the wind industry is used to dealing with challenge and change. It’s our job to help you make the connections and gain the market insights that will make that easier. That’s what we’re committed to do. We hope you enjoy the report tomorrow – and we look forward to seeing you in Boston in May.

NEWS IN BRIEF

VESTAS PLANS ZERO-WASTE TURBINES BY 2040

Vestas has committed to produce zero-waste turbines by 2040. This means running a value chain that generates no waste materials. The company will set out its strategy to achieve this over the next two years. Read more

VATTENFALL AGREES 441MW FINNISH DEAL

Vattenfall has signed a five-year deal to provide forecasting, trading and balancing services for TuuliWatti's 441MW wind portfolio in Finland. The deal is part of Vattenfall's strategy to provide renewables services to corporates in Europe. Read more

FRANCE GUNS FOR MORE OFFSHORE WIND

France is looking to increase its target for installed offshore wind capacity by 2026 to up to 6.2GW, from 5.2GW, in its new national energy plan. However, it plans to cut its 2028 onshore wind target by 1GW to 35GW. Read more

INFRARED'S TRIG BUYS 35MW SCOTTISH PROJECT

InfraRed Capital Partners' Renewables Investment Group has acquired the 35MW Blary Hill wind project on Scotland's Kintyre peninsula. The scheme is due to be commissioned in Q1 2022. Read more

AUSTRALIA'S FAM PLANS WINDLAB TAKEOVER

Australian private equity investor Federation Asset Management has submitted an offer to buy developer Windlab for around A$75m ($51.5m). FAM is the developer's biggest shareholder, after buying 18.7% in September. Read more

ALCAZAR EYES $500M WIND AND SOLAR SALES

Alcazar Energy, which is backed by Mubadala, is looking to sell some of its solar and wind projects in Egypt and Jordan for $500m. Its assets include the 86.1MW Al Rajef and 44.6MW Shobak wind farms in Jordan. Read more