A handful of towns were expecting clean, green renewable power from their new wind turbine installations this winter. However, it ain’t happening because the turbines freeze and can’t spin during the cold blasts that make Minnesota so famous.

Problem: The turbines were made in sunny California. But in a Minnesota winter, the grease, oil and hydraulic fluids that lubricate the turbines freeze up and the turbines can’t spin. They just sit there, still. Result: No power.

The turbines were supposed to be on line before Christmas. But they haven’t been working since frigid weather settled in back in. The Minnesota Municipal Power Agency told the StarTribune that the 115-ft wind towers that were supposed to supply clean power to 11 towns won’t be back in operation for another couple of months, when spring comes around.

Meanwhile, in another setback for wind power, officials in Sangamon County, Illinois, are clamping down on zoning rules to restrict placement of future wind farms. The Illinois Times reports that county officials are considering new rules to require bigger buffers between communities and wind farms.

Wind farms would have to be at least half-a-mile away from communities of 10,000 citizens. Larger communities would get a 1.5-mile buffer between them and the turbine farms.

Say goodbye to hopes of an early springtime. It’s time to invest in fossil fuels.

Mixing the two sciences leads to a surprising conclusion: Wind and solar power have a limited future in a warmer world.

So it might be prudent to invest in coal and petroleum for those who have to survive winter weather, which will routinely last six weeks past Feb. 2. The winter of 2010 will be extended because the great prognosticator of winter, Punxsutawney Phil, indeed saw his shadow yesterday as he was carried outside his hut in Pennsylvania.

The tradition of relying on a groundhog to predict the weather evolved from the Dark Ages in Europe when sunny skies on Candlemas Day (Feb. 2 under the old style calendars) meant an extended winter. The Germans added the hedgehog to the prediction technique. This idea emerged in America in 1887 with the twist that a sunny sky meant Punxsutawney Phil could see his shadow, therefore winter would last longer.

Why is this good for coal and fossil-fuel suppliers?

For a couple of reasons, Phil will be increasingly predicting longer winters.

The thinking: As global warming increases in intensity, a warmer Earth will decrease wind activity, which cools land and sea. Warmer seas would bring on more cloud cover, which would hang around for longer periods, so there would also be less sunlight to power up your cell phone.

Conclusion, at least from blogger Hank Green: Global warming will make it hard to generate green power from solar and wind technologies.

One plus from all the extra cloud cover: Fewer visible full moons, so fewer appearances of the Wolfman and other creatures born of the full strength of moonlight.

(Note: Not to rain on groundhog scientist too much, but officially, the Spring Equinox is March 20, so technically, Phil’s always wrong about a late spring arrival. Phil’s prediction of six more weeks of winter brings us to March 16. That means spring always comes early — by four days — according to Phil’s predictions about winter.)

That’s the goal of a new green energy investment plan unveiled by the UK’s Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband.

To get there, London’s offering lucrative incentives to get consumers to invest in solar panels, small-scale wind turbines and other low-carbon energy technologies by 2020, according to a story in the UK’s 24 Dash.com blog on housing issues.

To get there, London’s offering a “feed-in tariff” plan to purchase electricity generated by these small clean energy systems. For example, for a photovoltaic solar panel system, the government will pay owners to up about $1,000 for the installation.

The UK expects that small scale renewable energy projects — those less than five megawatts — will meet 2% of Britain’s electricity needs by 2020.

Meanwhile in the U.S., prospects for wind energy are looking good for small business and home owners interested in clean energy. Ron Stimmel with the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) points out that his industry’s eying a 30% increase in demand for wind energy projects for wind systems for homes and small businesses between 2009 and 2014.

There are two reasons for rising demand for wind turbines:

• 1) a 30% federal tax credit for wind energy installations that runs through 2018, and
• 2) prices for wind equipment are falling as manufacturers expand production capacity.

Proof: 2009 was a boom year for AWEA members. The group reports that the wind industry set an all time record by installing 10,000 megawatts of new generating capacity, enough to serve 2.4 million homes.

We’re talking $2.3 billion dollars in federal tax credits handed out by the Department of Energy (DoE) to create green manufacturing jobs in 43 states.

DoE says the credits will generate 17,000 clean energy jobs and provide a boost to 183 renewable energy projects. The 30% tax credit approved by the energy agency is expected to pull in another $7.7 billion in private investment to help companies make:

1. solar cells, panels and arrays
2. wind turbines and microturbines
3. fuel cells for homes and businesses
4. high-tech batteries
5. electric cars
6. energy efficiency upgrades
7. smart grid technology products, and
8. pollution control equipment that captures carbon dioxide.

Some of the tax credits approved by DoE:

• AAF-McQuay, Inc., won $2.7 million to produce more efficient industrial chillers and filtering equipment in Kentucky and Virginia,
• Abound Solar, Inc., won $12.6 million to expand production in Colorado of solar panels made with cadmium telluride semiconductor technology,
• Brevini Wind USA, Inc., won $12.5 million to build a factory in Indiana that will make the gear boxes for wind turbines,
• CaliSolar, Inc. won $53.6 million to build a California facility that will make silicone used in solar cells,
• DuPont won $50 million to produce film coatings used to make solar cells,
• General Electric received more than $92 million to make Energy Star heat pumps, refrigerators, dishwashers, gas turbines, a heat-pump powered clothes dryer and a more fuel efficient airline engine. GE’s also getting credits to relamp some of its manufacturing facilities with fluorescent lighting systems,
• SolarWorld Industries America, Inc., won $82 million to make solar components and materials in Oregon, and
• United Technologies Corp., won $110 million to produce a more efficient jet engine in Connecticut.

All of the Section 48c Manufacturing Tax Credits approved by DoE must be completed by 2014. Roughly 30% of the projects will be ready in 2010.

The clean energy industry is off to a hot start this year with a lucrative set of tax credits to create those green jobs that President Obama likes to talk up.

We’re talking $2.3 billion dollars in federal tax credits handed out by the Department of Energy (DoE) to create green manufacturing jobs in 43 states.

DoE says the credits will generate 17,000 clean energy jobs and provide a boost to 183 renewable energy projects. The 30% tax credit approved by the energy agency is expected to pull in another $7.7 billion in private investment to help companies make:

1. solar cells, panels and arrays
2. wind turbines and microturbines
3. fuel cells for homes and businesses
4. high-tech batteries
5. electric cars
6. energy efficiency upgrades
7. smart grid technology products, and
8. pollution control equipment that captures carbon dioxide.

Some of the tax credits approved by DoE:

• AAF-McQuay, Inc., won $2.7 million to produce more efficient industrial chillers and filtering equipment in Kentucky and Virginia,
• Abound Solar, Inc., won $12.6 million to expand production in Colorado of solar panels made with cadmium telluride semiconductor technology,
• Brevini Wind USA, Inc., won $12.5 million to build a factory in Indiana that will make the gear boxes for wind turbines,
• CaliSolar, Inc. won $53.6 million to build a California facility that will make silicone used in solar cells,
• DuPont won $50 million to produce film coatings used to make solar cells,
• General Electric received more than $92 million to make Energy Star heat pumps, refrigerators, dishwashers, gas turbines, a heat-pump powered clothes dryer and a more fuel efficient airline engine. GE’s also getting credits to relamp some of its manufacturing facilities with fluorescent lighting systems,
• SolarWorld Industries America, Inc., won $82 million to make solar components and materials in Oregon, and
• United Technologies Corp., won $110 million to produce a more efficient jet engine in Connecticut.

All of the Section 48c Manufacturing Tax Credits approved by DoE must be completed by 2014. Roughly 30% of the projects will be ready in 2010.

That’s the warning sounded by energy suppliers and investors in clean energy technologies. The problem is that energy demand is growing, despite the current recession.

However, there are no plans to create new power capacity that’s based on the status quo of burning good old coal. Instead, everybody’s been investing in solar, wind and nuclear energy.

These investments all depend on a high price for carbon credit offsets to justify building new clean-power capacities. But the lack of binding GHG reduction agreements at Copenhagen has pulled the rug out from under these plans.

The Guardian reports that the price of carbon credits fell 10% after it was clear that the Copenhagen event would end without a mandatory agreement to cut GHGs. Lack of a Copenhagen agreement forced the European Union to scrap plans to raise its goal of cutting GHGs from 20% to 30% by 2020. The 20% reduction target remains in effect.

Reuters reports falling prices for carbon offset credit prices, now at a six-month low, have cooled interest in the once-hot clean energy sector. Investments in solar, wind and geothermal projects may not revive until 2012, the news service reports.

Result: No GHG cuts, no income from carbon credits to build new capacity, no new capacity ready to go. So suddenly talk is back to energy shortages and higher prices.

Check out some of the recommended Great Geek Gifts from the WebEcoist blog. Judging from the 13 geeky ideas reviewed, solar power is the big winner this year.

Not solar panels, but solar-powered gadgets — for example, the latest Apple iPod Nano features a solar-powered charging system that cuts power usage by 50%.

But it’s Nano’s cutting edge design that’s even more impressive and signals a major shift towards green chemistry and clean manufacturing. This iPod was manufactured without using any hazardous materials. Its features include:

• mercury-free LED-backlit display
• arsenic-free display glass
• brominated flame retardant-free, and
• polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-free plastics.

Then there’s the Solar Style solar-powered recharger that features 10 different types of connecting ports to recharge most phone, mp3 players and other electronic gadgets.

Or, how about the solar-powered lawnmower from Sunwhisper? But who’s thinking work for Christmas?

But don’t dismay if you’re a wind-power enthusiast. There’s a gadget for wind as well. The HYmini recharging device is a hand-held wind-powered recharger that’s lightweight enough for Santa to re-power Rudolph’s nose as he jumps from rooftop to rooftop next week.

Green is sexy? Apparently so, according to President Barack Obama. He was very clear about it this week as he visited, not Victoria’s Secret for a possible stocking stuffer for the First Lady, but Home Depot. He’s talking home insulation and energy efficiencies.

Home Depot? Sexy? Same story?

Didn’t he see that Saturday Night Live routine featuring Dan Aykroyd as a refrigerator repairman with pants that didn’t cover his butt?

While touring the hardware haven with some Members of Congress this week, Obama finally made the capitalism/sexy connection.  “Here’s what’s sexy about it. It saves money.”

Calling green “sexy” was President Obama’s attempt to gin up support on Capitol Hill to approve another round of stimulus spending, this time for green infrastructure investments, like getting a home insulated for the winter.

And, by talking up the sexy nature of insulation at a hardware story, Obama’s hoping to boost demand for installations and thereby help reduce the nation’s 10% unemployment rate by creating demand for green jobs.

Obama’s hoping Congress will approve redirecting billions in unspent bailout money for the green infrastructure investments that would include a so-called Cash for Caulkers program to create jobs for out-of-work installers. Congress has approved a $75 billion spending package, but it doesn’t include two of Obama’s priorities, new tax breaks for home energy-efficiency renovations and for small businesses that hire new employees.

The Wall St. Journal reports that Obama also wants Congress to provide $5 billion more in tax credits for manufacturers of wind, solar, electric-vehicles and other renewable-energy products to help create tens of thousands of green jobs.

Dave Twining created a personal power plant for his restaurant by installing 48 solar panels on the roof and a 53-foot tall wind turbine.

Result: Nantucket’s cut its monthly electric power bill by a third.  The wind and solar combination generate about 12 kilowatts of power. The average U.S. house uses about 4-6 kW, according to a report on Twining’s power investments on the Build Baby Build Web site.

Twining used federal stimulus funds to help defray the $104,000 energy project.

But other businesses in Fenwick Island won’t be so lucky to escape from total dependence on the local power company. At least wind power won’t be an option anymore.

Reason: The town reacted to Nantucket’s investment in renewable energy by banning new wind tower installations.

Although the town prides itself on being sustainable, town fathers don’t want to look at more “eyesores” like the 53 ft. wind turbine at Nantucket’s.

The town can’t ban wind turbines outright because Delaware law allows them. The Coastal Point reports that Fenwick Island officials adopted a zoning restriction to keep any future wind turbine towers to 33 ft., which is well under the recommended height to maximize efficiency.

Have you investigated wind power and run into similar obstacles? Post your experiences in the comments section.

Yes, EPA will regulate the largest greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters, mostly coal-fired power plants and large industrial facilities that release more than 25,000 metric tons a year of those global warming bad guys.

But that doesn’t mean smaller companies are off the hook, not at all.

The challenge ahead for small businesses will come from your big corporate customers — from auto makers, food and beverage companies, electronics manufacturers, and giant big-box retailers. They’re counting on you to cut your direct and indirect GHG emissions so they can claim credits for reducing their corporate carbon footprints.

Wal-Mart’s already made waves with its plan to create a Sustainability Index to rate the greeniness of all the products it sells. But other companies are also planning to green their supply chains.

For example, Coca-Cola’s announced this bombshell at the Copenhagen conference: It will reduce its own corporate carbon footprint by requiring Coca-Cola suppliers to reduce their GHG emissions. This means suppliers will have to account for their GHG emissions created during manufacturing, distribution, use and disposal of the products they sell to Coca-Cola.

The company was one of many corporations hosting booths in Copenhagen urging conference delegates to come up with an agreement that commits every country, and therefore every company, to reduce their GHG emissions, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.

The paper reports that the companies went to Copenhagen to call for huge investments in clean, renewable power from solar and wind power to offset the rising costs of coal-fired electricity.

This comes as Coca-Cola’s UK operations and Unilever both warned that failure to put a cap on emissions will put a huge dent in their profits. The U.K’s Telegraph reports that the two companies will avoid this by significantly reducing their GHG emissions.

Meanwhile, Coca-Cola is doing what it can to reduce its direct GHG emissions.

It plans to stop using GHG refrigerants in its nine million vending machines around the world. The company says it will eliminate 100% of vending-machine GHG emissions by switching to hydrofluorocarbon-free refrigerants by 2015.