triplepundit.com reported that as part of the first phase to build a 4,000 MW wind farm in the Texas panhandle, Pickens ordered 667 turbines from GE. These turbines are to be ready in 2010 and 2011, but the wind farm was called off due to funding and transmission problems. Now that's a boondoggle.

The economy and the wind energy market were very different just over a year ago when this order was placed. The wind industry was booming and a massive 8,900 MW of wind energy capacity was installed in 2008 in North America, this represents 40% of all total new capacity. Steel prices were sky high and demand greatly exceeded turbine supply. Prices soared and it was difficult to buy small quantities of turbines.

Ms Kathy Belyeu manager of industry information services for the American Wind Energy Association said that "In the heat of all the development that was going on last year, there was definitely the feeling that smaller projects were getting squeezed. If you were not able to go to the turbine manufacturer and purchase a big quantity of turbines, they were not really going to talk to you."

(Sourced from www.triplepundit.com)