Two oil giants plunge into the wind business - Boston Globe

[Eugene]

Two oil giants plunge into the wind business
Shell, BP intend to play major role

By John Donnelly, Globe Staff | March 2, 2007

WASHINGTON -- Two of the world's leading oil producers have almost overnight joined
some of the biggest players in wind power in the United States, accelerating a trend
of large corporations investing in the rapidly growing alternative-energy field.

As global warming and clean fuels have gained more attention, Shell Oil Co. and BP have
accumulated impressive credentials. Shell is one of the nation's top five generators
of wind power, while BP's Alternative Energy group -- launched 16 months ago -- aims
to develop projects that produce 550 megawatts of electricity this year, one-sixth of
the projected US wind energy output in 2007.

"Shell and BP see wind as an increasingly important part of the energy industry. They are
looking to continue to grow," said Randall Swisher , executive director of the American
Wind Energy Association , a Washington-based industry group. "They want to look for
new opportunities, and wind is clearly in their sights."

The oil companies bring enormous cash reserves, years of experience in large projects,
and a can-do spirit to an alternative-fuels industry that has largely been driven by
speculators, small developers, and utilities. Though environmentalists largely praise the
interests of the two oil giants, they harbor suspicions of whether the energy giants are
adding renewable sources to their portfolios as a way to enhance their reputations with
consumers rather than to combat global warming.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2007/03/02/two_oil_giants_plunge_into_the_wind_business

[Ian David]

1. They're buying into it so they can suppress it? n/t

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. Possibly, but I think they sense which way the wind blows *snarf* concerning

future energy needs. The smart company knows when to adapt and that may be what they are doing.

[Shallah Kali]

4. Or for Greenwashing their reps? I have seen alot of ads on lately for one oil co. showing a windfarm

Kinda like in the 90's one of the tobacco companies donated a plane load of food to people in then-Yugoslavia and then spent something like 3 times that cost advertising their one plane load of food.

[n2doc]

3. They can see what is coming

Makes a lot of sense to get into and tie up alternative energy sources since they know the oil is running out. Smarter than EXXXon/Mobil....