North American Windpower: Google-Backed 845 MW Shepherds Flat Wind Farm Now Online

Google-Backed 845 MW Shepherds Flat Wind Farm Now Online

by NAW Staff Monday September 24 2012

The Shepherds Flat Wind Farm - one of the world's largest wind projects - is now operational and generating up to 845 MW of wind energy, developer Caithness Energy has announced.

Located in northeastern Oregon near the town of Arlington, the project has 20-year power purchase agreements in place with Southern California Edison.

The project, which uses 338 of GE Energy's 2.5xl wind turbines, received a $1.3 billion partial loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy in 2010. Google, ITOCHU Corp. subsidiary Tyr Energy, and Sumitomo Corp. subsidiary Sumitomo Corp. of America invested approximately $500 million in the project.

The project employed over 400 workers during its construction and will permanently employ 45 workers.

"The opening of Caithness Shepherds Flat, one of the world's largest wind farms, demonstrates that we can deploy renewable energy at scale with the help of private capital," says Rick Needham, director of energy and sustainability at Google. "We're proud to have supported this project, and we hope our involvement - and that of our partners - attracts more investors to this sector."

Latest Top Stories

Post-FIT Decision, Turbine OEMs Mull Over Options For Ontario Wind Energy Market

Under political pressure, the Ontario government recently pulled the plug on its landmark feed-in tariff (FIT) program for large-scale renewable energy projects, leaving provincial suppliers and manufacturers with an uncertain future.

Continent's First Grid-Connected Offshore Wind Turbine Floats In Maine Waters

Billed as a historic day for offshore wind in North America, researchers flipped the switch on a floating prototype. This marks the first electrons from an offshore wind turbine to flow into the region's grid.

Raising The Discourse: How Wind Industry Can Help Avoid 'Climate Emergency'

Larry Schweiger, the president/CEO at the National Wildlife Federation, says the wind industry is an important ally to combat global warming, which is triggering dangerous and unprecedented weather events around the world.

The Numbers Don't Lie: U.S. Utilities Continue To Embrace Wind Energy

Last year, more than 40% of U.S. utilities reported having wind energy on their systems, proving the fact that utilities continue to integrate wind in growing numbers – and, in some cases, at unprecedented levels.

BOEM To Award Mass., R.I. Offshore Wind Leases; Pre-Qualifies Nine Developers

In July, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will auction nearly 165,000 acres off the coasts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts to facilitate offshore wind development.