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Major Wind Energy Effort Announced
Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham announced the department's Bonneville Power
Administration (BPA) will purchase the entire output of a wind project in Gilliam
County, Ore. When completed, the project will become the largest wind project
constructed in the state of Oregon.
"Last spring, I announced a critical step with the potential of making Bonneville
one of the largest suppliers of wind power in the country," Secretary Abraham
said. "This project is a step forward in our efforts to diversify energy resources
and strengthen America's energy security."
In June, Secretary Abraham announced that BPA had selected seven wind projects
totaling 830 megawatts for negotiations of predevelopment agreements. This project,
started last year, will provide BPA with experience in integrating wind energy
into their transmission and hydropower systems, experience which will prove
invaluable as the larger effort progresses. The project announced will provide
electricity for about 6,350 people. The first stage of the 49.8-megawatt project
is projected to be completed by the end of the year.
"As the demand for electricity increases, we need to find environmentally
sound ways to augment energy production," Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR) said.
"Hopefully, this will be just the beginning of an increasing reliance on alternative
fuel sources."
BPA signed an agreement with SeaWest Windpower of San Diego, Calif. to buy
the output of a project already under construction near Condon, Ore. By the
middle of 2002, a total of 83 wind turbines will be generating power for BPA's
portfolio of "environmentally preferred" power.
"The project will provide us with a great opportunity to understand how to
integrate wind power into the BPA system," said Steve Wright, acting BPA Administrator.
BPA is a federal agency, under the U.S. Department of Energy, that markets
wholesale hydroelectric power primarily from the federal hydroelectric projects
in the Columbia River Basin. BPA owns and operates about three-quarters of the
Pacific Northwest's total transmission capacity. BPA customers include publicly
owned and investor-owned utilities, as well as some large industries.
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