GE Receives $1.4 Billion Contract to Supply
Turbines for Largest Wind Farm Ever Built in the US
NEW YORK, Dec 10, 2009 -- BUSINESS WIRE
GE (NYSE:GE) announced today it has received a $1.4 billion contract
from independent power producer Caithness Energy to supply wind turbines
and provide services for an 845-megawatt (MW) wind farm project to be
located in Oregon. The wind farm, called Shepherds Flat, has received
the majority of the necessary government permits to operate and is ready
to be built. When completed it will be larger than any wind farm
currently in operation around the globe.
"This project underscores our commitment to harness the power of wind to
meet present and future energy needs while reducing greenhouse
emissions. The Shepherds Flat project will add more renewable energy to
the west coast's energy mix and help the region meet its demand for
clean energy," said Les Gelber, a partner at Caithness Energy.
Stretching across 30 square miles of Gilliam and Morrow Counties in
north-central Oregon, near the town of Arlington, the 845-megawatt
Shepherds Flat project marks the US debut and largest single global
order of GE's 2.5xl wind turbines. A total of 338 turbines will be
installed in 2011 and 2012.
"GE wind turbines have a strong track record of performance that has
been proven in nearly every form of climate worldwide. Their ability to
continually advance wind turbine technology will help us to provide our
customer, Southern California Edison, with the reliability they expect,"
added Gelber.
"The Caithness project highlights our ability to deliver integrated
solutions in the clean energy space and it supports our overarching
focus to provide first in class technology to our customers," said Steve
Bolze, president & CEO of GE Power & Water.
The Shepherds Flat wind farm is the first in North America to deploy
GE's 2.5xl wind turbine, which has been proven in Europe and Asia.
"The 2.5-MW wind turbine is the latest evolution of GE's wind turbine
technology and provides customers with greater efficiency, reliability
and grid connection capabilities. The 2.5-MW builds upon the success of
GE's 1.5-MW wind turbine, the world's most widely deployed wind turbine
with more than 12,000 installed," said Bolze.
Caithness Energy estimates that the $2 billion project will inject $16
million annually of direct economic benefits into Oregon, and will
employ 400 workers during construction and 35 during operation.
Construction will be on a grand scale not only because of the large
number of turbines, but because 85 miles of road and 90 miles of power
connection to the grid will be built. Construction will begin in 2010
and will be completed in 2012.
GE Energy Financial Services -- with a portfolio of more than 40 wind
farms with a total capacity to produce more than 6 Gigawatts of
electricity -- is investing in the project.
"This is a smart investment in a well structured, contracted power
project with an experienced developer using the nation's best
technology," said Alex Urquhart, president & CEO of GE Energy Financial
Services.
In addition to supplying the wind turbines, GE will provide ten years of
operational and maintenance services to the project.
The 2.5xl wind turbines for the Shepherds Flat wind farm will be
assembled at GE's site in Pensacola, Florida. "Our capability to build
these machines here in the United States and provide local resources and
expertise were key factors in winning the contract with Caithness
Energy," Bolze noted.
Under three 20-year power purchase agreements, the Shepherds Flat wind
farm will supply renewable energy to Southern California Edison, an
Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company.
"As the nation's leading utility for renewable energy, we are
enthusiastic about the size and quality of this project," said Marc
Ulrich, Southern California Edison Vice President, Renewable and
Alternative Power. "Wind power is an essential component to creating a
clean, green energy future for California and the rest of the nation."
The development of the wind farm is made possible because of
California's renewables portfolio standard, which if adopted nationally
in the form of a strong renewable electricity standard would propel the
growth of renewable energy throughout the country.
The project will help California meet both its capacity needs and
renewable energy goals. With the capacity to generate two billion
kilowatt-hours per year of renewable energy, the wind farm will
represent more than one-tenth of Southern California Edison's overall
renewable energy portfolio. The project will provide enough clean energy
to power approximately 235,000 average California households --
according to US Environmental Protection Agency methodology -- and will
avoid more than 1.5 million tons a year in greenhouse gas emissions,
compared to equivalent fossil fuel generation.
About Caithness Energy
Caithness Energy, LLC is a pioneer in the development, acquisition,
operation, and management of renewable power generation and other clean
energy projects in the United States. Caithness projects have included
wind, solar, geothermal, and advanced technology combined cycle
generation. The company was founded in 1964 and is headquartered in New
York City.
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) is a diversified global infrastructure, finance and media
company that is built to meet essential world needs. From energy, water,
transportation and health to access to money and information, GE serves
customers in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000
people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at
http://www.ge.com. GE is Imagination at Work.
Editor's Note: B-roll can be downloaded in broadcast quality, medium
resolution and low resolution.
Caption for accompanying photos: Photo of a GE 2.5-megawatt turbine, the
same model that will be used in the Shepherds Flat wind farm in Oregon.
GE has received a $1.4 billion wind turbine contract from independent
power producer Caithness Energy for the Shepherds Flat wind farm, the
largest wind farm ever to be built in the United States.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6117748〈=en
SOURCE: GE
News Provided By
|