| The Alpha Ventus has had some obstacles to | | | | build wind mills there". |
| overcome and it has taken close to ten years to | | | | One of the major concerns for investors is the |
| complete. This long delay has put Germany behind | | | | cost of power and the price per kilowatt hour. |
| Great Britain and Denmark who already have | | | | The German government had to step in and help |
| several hundred megawatts on their grids. | | | | by shoring up its off shore wind power subsidies |
| Germany who is very competitive when it comes | | | | and in 2009 it guaranteed the price of each |
| to clean energy and the environment, has plans | | | | kilowatt hour at 15 euro cents (about 20 cents) |
| for more wind farms that will catch them up with | | | | for the next twelve years. The government also |
| the rest of Europe. Germany which has Europe's | | | | needed to promise some 200 million (euro dollars) |
| largest economy has approved plans for twenty | | | | in credit guarantees during the recession in 2009. |
| five more wind farms off shore and that will add | | | | The one great accomplishment from Alpha |
| an additional 1650 wind mills in the North sea and | | | | Ventus was mastering these extreme conditions. |
| in the Baltic sea. | | | | There is now a great deal of potential for the |
| One of the major obstacles Alpha Ventus needed | | | | future of the twenty five projects that have |
| to overcome was the size of the wind turbines | | | | been approved which will produce some 140,000 |
| and where they are located. This test field has | | | | megawatts of energy and they all will probably be |
| only twelve wind turbines with each one standing | | | | built far off shore. All these new projects have |
| over 150 meters tall (500 feet) and are located | | | | talk of shutting down the nuclear power plants by |
| forty five kilometers (28 miles) off shore and are | | | | the year 2021. However, Chancellor Angelia |
| in over 30 meters (100 feet) of water. This | | | | Merkel's administration announced that it was |
| makes it the furthest off shore project in Europe. | | | | scarping the decade old plan. They feel the |
| Germany's environmental minister Norbet | | | | existing nuclear plants are needed to meet their |
| Roettgen, calls this project a pioneer in wind | | | | climate change prevention goal. Opponents say |
| farming, "that will push wide open the gate to the | | | | that if wind power is going to have a chance to |
| age of renewable energy". | | | | survive, the nuclear plants need to be closed |
| Germany's philosophy on environmental concerns | | | | quickly. They believe that investors who would |
| has been truly tested with this wind farm. Ulf | | | | fund these future projects will be looking closely |
| Gerder, of the wind power lobbying group BWE | | | | at how much competition there will be before |
| stated "there is no alternative to such a difficult | | | | investing. Currently the established nuclear plants |
| project". Since the majority of Germany's coast | | | | are producing very inexpensive power supply, |
| lane is either national park land or a sea bird | | | | which in turn will make it difficult for investors to |
| refuges. Gerder also stated that "if one takes | | | | make a return on their investment. |
| environmental concerns seriously, one can not | | | | |