The Omaha Public Power District (OPPD) board of directors has approved a power purchase agreement (PPA) expected to substantially increase the district's renewable energy portfolio.
Under the agreement, the utility plans to purchase up to 40.5 MW of wind energy for 20 years from a wind farm to be built in Boone County near Petersburg, Neb. The facility is expected to be in service by the third quarter of 2011.
The developer of the wind farm is Third Planet Windpower LLC, headquartered in Incline Village, Nev. The project is a community-based energy development (C-BED) project, the first one for OPPD under a law passed by the Nebraska Legislature in 2007 to promote the development of wind energy projects in the state. The PPA approved by the board is with TPW Petersburg LLC.
As a C-BED project, 33% of the revenue payments from the wind farm will go to qualified Nebraska residents or organizations that have invested in the project. The farm will consist of 27 GE turbines that will each generate 1.5 MW.
The addition of the 40.5 MW project will bring OPPD's renewable energy generation capacity to a total of 141.5 MW. The district has announced a goal of 400 MW or 10% of its total generation being derived from renewable energy sources by 2020.
SOURCE: The Omaha Public Power District
