News

October 18, 2006

Clipper Windpower Aims To Lower The Cost Of Wind Power

By Rue Swabey

US-based Clipper was established in 2001 by James Dehslen, a wind energy pioneer and the founder of Zond Corporation, a wind power developer. Zond was sold to Enron Corporation in 1997 and was subsequently acquired by General Electric. Today GE’s 1.5MW wind turbine, which was originally developed by Zond, is the market leader in the US. When Mr Dehslen formed Clipper his objective was to develop a turbine that substantially increases the efficiency of wind-generated electricity providing a large increase in the potential geographic area for turbine deployment. In order to achieve this Mr Dehslen brought the original Zond team back together and they have made significant progress. Clipper’s Liberty 2.5 MW turbine has undergone prototype testing, been certified and production is now underway.

The company also develops wind farms and it has been involved in developing, financing, constructing and commissioning over 1,000 MW of wind energy projects. Although developing wind resources is a secondary activity, it is an important one as it deploys the company’s turbines. When Clipper was formed interest in wind resource assets in the US was low which gave the group the opportunity to accumulate significant wind resource rights. Clipper has projects under development throughout the...