A consortium composed of Portland General Electric and NextEra Energy will construct and operate a new renewable energy facility in eastern Oregon. Dubbed the Wheatland Renewable Energy Facility, it will feature 120 wind turbines capable of producing 300 megawatts of electricity in addition to 50 megawatts of solar power. What is unique about Wheatland is that in addition to co-locating wind and solar at the same site, it will also feature 30 megawatts of battery storage onsite as well.
“We’re moving aggressively to integrate smart grid technologies and renewable energy to give customers affordable, clean, low-carbon energy,” said Maria Pope, CEO of PGE (which is not to be confused with PG&E). “Wheatridge will be a model for integrating renewable generation and storage to cost-effectively reduce emissions while maintaining a reliable grid.”
PGE will own 100 MW of the wind project, according to a report by Renewable Energy magazine. A subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources will own the balance of the project and sell its output to PGE under 30-year power purchase agreements. A subsidiary of NextEra Energy will build and operate the combined facility. The split ownership and PPA structure will allow the two energy companies to share project risks and benefits.
The wind turbine portion of the project is slated for completion by the end of 2020. The solar and storage portion will follow within two years. Once the wind turbines begin operating, PGE will have more than 1 gigawatt of wind energy available for its customers — enough to power 340,000 homes. When the solar and storage pieces are completed, 50% of the electricity PGE distributes will be derived from renewable sources.
In total, PGE will invest $160 million in the Wheatland project. The amount of money NextEra Energy is contributing has not been disclosed. Who will supply the solar panels and battery storage equipment has not yet been determined. The facility will employ up to 300 workers during the wind turbine construction phase and 170 to build and install the solar panels and battery storage components. 10 full time employees will maintain and operate it after it is completed. PGE says it is too soon to say how Wheatland will affect utility rates, according to Oregon Live, but Wheatridge was the least expensive option for meeting Oregon’s clean energy mandate.
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