Renewable Energy
ODEC Wind Blows in Three States
A Virginia-based G&T that provides power to co-ops in three states is adding another large chunk of wind power to its portfolio.
Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, Glen Allen, will purchase the output and renewable energy credits from a 70-megawatt wind farm under development in Garrett County in western Maryland.
Clipper Windpower of Carpinteria, Calif., is building the project, which is scheduled for completion by late 2010.
The deal, announced May 13, will provide enough power for 20,000 average homes and marks the second wind power contract Old Dominion has signed in the last 10 months.
“The energy needs of the Mid-Atlantic region we serve continue to grow,” said Jackson E. Reasor, Old Dominion president and CEO.
“Our long-term plan is to build and diversify ODEC’s portfolio of power supply resources so that we can continue to provide reliable and affordable electricity to our 11 member electric distribution cooperatives and their over 400,000 consumer-members,” he said.
According to Clipper officials, the wind farm, known as the Criterion project, will cost about $160 million, making it one of the largest single investments in western Maryland. Construction is expected to generate as many as 120 jobs, with four to six full-time jobs at completion.
“At Clipper, we’re delighted to support ODEC’s efforts to provide its customers with a greater mix of renewable fuels,” said John Lamb, president and CEO of Clipper Windpower Development Corp.
In July 2008, Old Dominion agreed to purchase 50 MW of power from AES Corp.’s Armenia Mountain wind project in north-central Pennsylvania.
It also added renewable energy from a landfill gas project and a hydroelectric project in 2008.
“Economically viable renewable resources, such as this new wind farm, are and will continue to be a component in our power supply diversification efforts along with the addition of base load generation facilities, such as ODEC’s proposed Cypress Creek Power Station, to assure that ODEC can meet the growing energy needs of our region now and in the decades to come,” Reasor said.
Tags: Renewable Energy, Wind Energy