Portland General Electric Co. (PGE) has completed construction for the remaining 76 turbines in the first-phase development at PGE's Biglow Canyon Wind Farm in Sherman County, Ore.
PGE broke ground on the project in February, and the first turbines began generating electricity for the utility's customers in October. This brings PGE's first, wholly owned and operated wind farm to an installed capacity of 125 MW of electricity. Additional phases planned for construction in 2009 and 2010 are expected to bring the facility's total generating capacity to between 400 MW and 450 MW, according to the company.
‘This has been a model project, and we're very pleased to be fully online – on time and on budget,’ says Jim Lobdell, vice president for power operations and resources strategy at PGE. ‘Phase one of Biglow Canyon has taken PGE's commitment to new renewable energy resources to a new level, building on our earlier acquisition of long-term contracts for wind power from other suppliers.’
PGE estimated costs of between $255 million and $265 million to acquire turbines and construct the first phase of Biglow Canyon. Although wrap-up work and final accounting is still underway, overall project costs are expected to remain within that range. Part of the cost of the project is being offset by the Energy Trust of Oregon Inc., which is contributing $6 million.
