General Electric says it’s signed a $1.4 billion dollar deal to build and supply turbines for a massive wind farm near Arlington.
Called the Shepherd’s Flat Wind Farm, it covers about 32,000 acres in Gilliam and Morrow counties. GE says it will provide 338 turbines that will produce about 845 megawatts of power. Construction is expected to take place in 2011 and 2012. GE adds this is the single largest order ever for its turbines.
Shepherd’s Flat is being developed by Caithness Energy of New York, which in recent years has become focused on building mostly renewable energy projects.
When Oregon approved the site certificate in July of 2008, Shepherd’s Flat was described as the “biggest” wind farm in the world. GE repeated that claim in its press release on Thursday. That may be an exaggeration. Caithness describes the project as the “largest” in Oregon. And the American Wind Energy Association calls it the biggest in the United States.
Too bad the power it generates isn’t staying here in Oregon. A month after getting the site certificate, Caithness signed a 20 year deal to sell the power to Southern California Edison.
I’m not sure why it’s “too bad the power won’t be used in Oregon.” Solving global warming is a world problem. If the solution to California using coal power is more renewable energy from Oregon, so be it.
We have to get beyond a narrow “my state only” point of view.
And do we know in which country these turbines will be manufactured? I’m thinking China…and I’m sure there are massive tax credits paying for them.
Good questions and comments. Let me answer each of them.
GE says the turbines will be assembled in Florida. The company told the New York Times, that “more than half of the parts (measured by value) are being made in the United States.” and that the amount of parts made in China is “negligible.”
As for my “too bad” comment, some context on why I feel this way.
Oregon has a renewable energy standard. The goal is to have 25% of the power consumed in Oregon come from renewable sources by 2025. The power from this project is going to California so it won’t count towards meeting that goal.
As far as I can tell, and I’m no expert, the renewable energy source most likely to fill that role is wind.
But there’s only so much real estate out there for wind power. If we take 32,000 acres of prime wind real estate out of the equation, it makes it harder for us to reach the 25% goal. I expect there will be pressure to expand wind farms into other areas that are not as efficient producers, and that will put increase pressure on the environment and wildlife.
Oregon has generous tax breaks for companies that develop renewable energy projects. I don’t know if this project has applied for or will receive any of those tax breaks. But it would be frustrating for me to learn that Oregon taxpayers are footing a good chunk of the bill to subsidize renewable energy for another state.
You make a good point about getting beyond a “my state only” point of view. It’s because of these other issues that I feel the way I do.
Dennis
Natural Oregon
Wind power is a good source of electricity but it also takes up lots of space just like solar power plants.*.~