Wind firm looks in Idaho

Sep 16 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Joshua Palmer The Times-News, Twin Falls, Idaho

Pavilion Energy Resources -- a 40 percent partner in a joint venture -- is planning to build a new wind turbine manufacturing facility in Idaho to mass-produce three to five megawatt accelerating wind turbines for a $100 million turbine order.

However, company officials are not saying where in Idaho the company will locate. Idaho Department of Commerce spokeswoman Bibiana Nertney said the exact location hasn't even been disclosed to the state commerce department.

However, the company said in a statement that it expects new wind farms being developed in the Gem State will create more orders valued at about $300 million -- reinforcing the company's plans to set up a manufacturing facility in Idaho.

PVRE and partners have a similar manufacturing facility planned for Southern California, primarily to enable repowering of existing wind farms.

PVRE and its joint venture partners are proposing a partnership with a U.S. shipbuilder to develop and manufacture a larger, 20MW wind turbine, worth approximately $30 million apiece, for both offshore wind turbine customers.

"The U.S. shipbuilding industry has significant spare production capacity and access to capital," company officials said in the statement.

PVRE builds "wind accelerators" that resemble large funnels and the company claims can lower wind production costs from about 9 cents/kWh to about 4 cents/kWh.

Joshua Palmer may be reached at jpalmer@magicvalley.com.