The first phase of Boston-based First Wind's 203.5 MW Milford Wind Corridor project in Millard and Beaver counties, Utah, is complete. Officials from First Wind, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), state and local officials, as well as representatives from the Department of Water and Power (LADWP), the cities of Burbank and Pasadena, and the Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA), marked the occasion.
‘This development primes Utah's economic engine, while also protecting our environment,’ says Lt. Gov. Gregory S. Bell, R-Utah. ‘We're pleased this project is online and look forward to the next phases of the project getting under way.’
The project consists of 97 total wind turbines, including 58 Clipper Liberty 2.5 MW wind turbines and 39 GE 1.5 MW wind turbines. Wisconsin-based RMT, an engineering and construction company, led the construction of the project, which began nearly a year ago.
The project created more than 250 development and construction jobs, and First Wind directly spent about $30 million with Utah-based businesses developing and building the first phase of the project and another $56 million in indirect spending, such as wages, taxes and other expenses, according to the company.
Construction financing, worth $376 million, was secured in April from the Royal Bank of Scotland PLC, which acted as the lead arranger for the loan along with the following banks: Banco Espirito Santo, Banco Santander, BNP Paribas, CoBank, HSH Nordbank, KeyBank, Societe Generale and Credit Suisse.
The Milford Wind Corridor is the first wind energy facility permitted under the BLM's wind energy programmatic environmental impact statement for Western U.S. states.
In December 2007, First Wind completed a 20-year power purchase agreement with the SCPPA on behalf of the LADWP and the cities of Burbank and Pasadena.
SOURCE: First Wind
