Several new wind power projects came online at the end of last year, contributing to the U.S.’s biggest year ever in terms of new installations. AWEA is working on confirming year-end numbers, which should be released by the end of January. In the meantime, companies involved in several large projects released information stating that they are up and running.
Kumeyaay Wind
Babcock & Brown and GE Energy Financial Services invested in Superior Renewable Energy’s 50-MW Kumeyaay Wind project that was completed near San Diego. The wind farm consists of 25 Gamesa 2-MW wind turbines. After eight months of construction and a month of testing, the turbines are feeding power into the San Diego Gas & Electric grid from the Campo Indian Reservation east of San Diego. GE Energy Financial Services invested $51 million in the project. Babcock & Brown, which will retain an equity interest and remain the long-term manager, said that it has six wind facilities in the U.S. that will go into service by year’s end.
For the Campo tribe, the wind farm – the largest on American Indian land – diversifies income through the lease of the land beneath the turbines. The investors estimate that the wind farm will produce power sufficient for about 30,000 homes per year and will save approximately 110,000 tons a year in greenhouse gas emissions, compared with equivalent fossil fuel generation. San Diego Gas & Electric has contracted for the power output, which will help it meet its target of supplying at least 20% of its customers’ electricity from renewable sources by 2010.
San Juan Mesa Wind
Padoma Wind Power announced the completion and transfer of its 120-MW wind project near Elida in eastern New Mexico to a project subsidiary of Edison Mission Group Inc. (EMG). EMG is selling a 25% interest in the project to Citigroup.
The San Juan Mesa Wind Power Project was constructed using 120 Mitsubishi 1-MW wind turbines. The balance of plant work was subcontracted by Padoma to a joint venture between The Industrial Co. (“TIC”) and Power Engineers, Inc., and the project was built on private as well as state owned land. Electricity produced by the project will be sold to Southwestern Public Service, a subsidiary of Xcel Energy, under a 20-year power purchase agreement.
Construction began in May of this year and the project was put into commercial operation in late December. The project acquisition agreement between Padoma and EMG was entered into on September 15, 2005 (see Wind Energy Weekly #1160, September 23).
Judith Gap
Local media are reporting that over half of Invenergy’s 135-MW project in Judith Gap, Mont., is now online and producing clean power for Montana. The developer estimates that all the turbines will be producing power by the end of January.
The Judith Gap project consists of 90 1.5-MW GE Energy wind turbines. NorthWestern Corp. has contracted to buy the power output. The 20-year contract will provide NorthWestern Energy’s customers with approximately 8% of their electricity from the wind at a price that is competitive with electricity generated from other resources.
Wind Park Solutions – Arcadia (WPSA) was the original developer for the project. The company sold the project to Invenergy (see Wind Energy Weekly#1125, January 14, 2005).
Loading...