Electricity from the largest wind power farm on Indian land has begun flowing into California’s power-hungry grid due to a partnership between project sponsor Babcock & Brown and GE Energy Financial Services. Energy Financial Services invested $51 million in the 50-megawatt Kumeyaay Wind project near San Diego.
The wind farm comprises 25 turbines that each can generate two megawatts of electricity and are now feeding power into the San Diego Gas & Electric grid from the Campo Indian Reservation atop the Tecate Divide 70 miles east of San Diego. Babcock & Brown will retain a substantial equity interest and remain the long-term manager.
“The Kumeyaay project represents significant growth of our already sizeable renewable energy portfolio. Consistent with GE’s ecomagination initiative, it builds on our investments earlier this year in seven German wind farms, and continues our productive relationship with Babcock & Brown,” said Alex Urquhart, President and CEO of GE Energy Financial Services.
“For us, this transaction is consistent with our strategy of working with investment partners to expand in the rapidly growing wind energy sector, particularly in the United States and also continues our long and successful relationship with GE in power,” said Hunter Armistead, Vice President of Babcock & Brown Power Operating Partners.
For the Campo tribe, the wind farm diversifies its income from the lease of the land beneath the turbines.
The Kumeyaay Wind farm annually will produce power sufficient for about 30,000 homes and will save approximately 110,000 tons a year in greenhouse gas emissions, compared with equivalent fossil fuel generation. It will help San Diego Gas & Electric meet its target of supplying at least 20 percent of its customers’ electricity from renewable sources by 2010.
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