The Locust Ridge Wind Farm is a large wind farm located near Mahanoy City in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. The first phase, Locust Ridge I, has 13 Gamesa 2MW Wind Turbines that began commercial operation in 2006. The Locust Ridge Wind Farm has a combined total nameplate capacity of 26 MW, but actually produces about 68,328 megawatt-hours of electricity annually, which is enough to power 24,000 homes.

Construction of Locust Ridge II began in 2008 with the installation of 51 additional Gamesa 2MW wind turbines that are projected to produce 102 MW of electricity. The calculated yearly production of the wind farm is estimated to produce 372,300 megawatt-hours of electricity, enough to power 40,000 additional homes in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Seven of the 51 wind turbines are located in Conyngham Township, Columbia County and the remaining turbines are located in Schuylkill County. Locust Ridge II became operational in late 2008.

Nearly all of the large wind turbines from Locust Ridge I and II can be seen from Interstate 81 near Frackville, Pennsylvania.

$59 Million in funding was given to Iberdrola in the first round of federal stimulus grants for renewable energy projects in September, 2009.

The Forward Wind Energy Center is a wind power plant in Dodge and Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin near Brownsville, Wisconsin. The farm is planned to consist of 86 General Electric 1.5sle Wind turbines. There was significant controversy in selection of the location and delays in construction due to its proximity to Horicon National Wildlife Refuge just to the west of the site and an Air Route Surveillance Radar to the south as well as other issues. "Forward Wind Power Plant" is also the motto of the State of Wisconsin.

Forward Wind Energy Center
Country	United States
Locale	near Brownsville, Wisconsin
Status	Active
Commission date	2008
Owner(s)	Invenergy Wind LLC
Power station information
Primary fuel	Wind
Generation units	86 General Electric 1.5sle Wind turbines
Power generation information
Maximum capacity	99 MW

The Benton County Wind Farm (Goodland I) consists of 87 model sl/sle Gen4 GE 1.5 MW wind turbines near Earl Park, Indiana in northern Benton County, Indiana. The farm's nameplate capacity is 130.5 MW. It began commercial operation in April 2008. At the time of its construction, it was Indiana's only commercial-scale wind farm. Duke Energy purchases electricity from the wind farm and sells it to customers through its GoGreen program.

In August 2006, Duke Energy Indiana finalized its agreement to buy the output of 54 of the wind farm's 87 wind turbines for 20 years. This was the first significant long-term wind power purchase agreement in Indiana. The remaining 33 wind turbines in the wind farm sell their electricity to Duke and Vectren Energy Delivery.

The Benton County Wind Farm developer and owner is Orion Energy LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of BP Alternative Energy.

In early 2009, the nearby Fowler Ridge Wind Farm was Indiana's second wind farm to open, and became Indiana's largest wind farm.

Kibby Mountain entered the public spotlight when a wind farm was proposed for the mountain and neighboring peaks. The Kibby Wind Power Project was subject to much public debate and was revised repeatedly. TransCanada Corporation's third proposal, in 2006, was for 44 3-megawatt (MW) wind turbines strung along the ridges of Kibby Mountain and nearby Kibby Range. While still opposed by the advocacy group Friends of the Boundary Mountains, other environmental groups including the Appalachian Mountain Club, Maine Audubon, and Natural Resources Council of Maine announced their support for the project in 2007. Among other conditions, TransCanada agreed not to develop wind facilities on approximately 1,324 acres (536 ha) of land above 2,700 feet (820 m) near the project area.

On January 15, 2008, Maine's Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) unanimously approved TransCanada's preliminary development plan and rezoning request for 2,367 acres (958 ha). The commission rejected another, smaller wind power project on Black Nubble^[5] but concluded that the Kibby mountains have "relatively low use by the public, and these mountains have not been designated as having regionally scenic significance." The LURC gave final approval on July 10, 2008.

The Kibby Wind Power Project — at a capacity of 132 MW, New England's largest — is expected to generate about 357 million kilowatt-hours (41 MW·yr) of electricity annually. Half the turbines were put online in October 2009, and the remainder in 2010. The capital cost of the project has grown to approximately US $350 million. An expansion, of perhaps 45 MW, is under consideration.

Blue Sky Green Field wind farm is a wind farm in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin. The 10,600-acre (43 km²) farm is located between near Mount Calvary (in the town of Marshfield) in the south with its north edge at the Calumet County border in the town of Calumet. The farm is owned by We Energies. It is the largest operating wind power plant in Wisconsin.

The Blue Sky Green Field wind farm consists of 88 Vestas Wind Systems V82 turbines which have a capacity to produce 145 megawatts of power. They are expected to generate 328 million kilowatt hours annually, which is enough to power 36,000 homes. Each turbine is capable of production 1.65 megawatts of electricity. The turbines are approximately 262 feet (80 m) tall, and reach 397 feet (121 m) tall when the 134-foot (41 m) blade is faced upwards.

The Trent Wind Farm or Trent Mesa Wind Project, is a 150 megawatt wind power plant located between Abilene and Sweetwater in West Texas. The wind farm consists of 100 GE wind turbines each rated at 1.5 megawatts. American Electric Power owns the Trent Wind Farm and TXU purchases the electricity produced under a long-term agreement.

The Trent Wind Farm began commercial operation in 2001, when it was the fourth largest wind farm operating in the United States.

American Electric Power developed, built portions of the project and owns the Trent Wind Farm. Luminant Energy purchases the electricity produced at the wind power plant under a long-term agreement. GE Wind Energy, manufacturer of the 1.5-megawatt wind turbines, provides certain operations and maintenance functions.

The Sherbino Wind Farm is located in Pecos County in west Texas. The first 150 megawatts (MW) of the project, which has a potential capacity of 750 MW, is in operation. Phase I utilizes 50 Vestas V-90 wind turbine generators, each with a rated capacity of 3 MW. BP will operate phase I of the project.

The electricity generated from the Sherbino Wind Farm will be delivered into the Reliability Council of Texas transmission system and sold on the wholesale power market.

According to Robert Lukefahr, the president of BP Wind Energy North America, “The successful commercial operation of phase I of the Sherbino wind farm with our partner NRG Energy is another example of BP’s commitment to grow its wind portfolio in the U.S The Sherbino wind farm will produce clean, renewable electricity for the next twenty years.”

The Wildorado Wind Ranch is wind power plant located on approximately16,000 acres (65 km²) 25 miles (40 km) west of Amarillo, Texas and consists of 161 MW of wind turbines (70 Siemens Mk II turbines each capable of generating 2.3 MW at peak wind speeds). These turbines have the capacity to meet the electricity demand of more than 50,000 households. The Wildorado Wind Ranch was developed by Cielo Wind Power, of Austin, Texas, in conjunction with Edison Mission Group of Irvine, California.

Wildorado Wind Ranch

LOCATION: Wildorado, TX, 25 miles west of Amarillo in Oldham, Potter and Randall Counties

SIZE: 161 MW

COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS DATE: April 2007

UTILITY: Xcel Energy (Southwestern Public Service Company)

TURBINE EQUIPMENT: 70 Siemens 2.3 MW Mk II

TRANSMISSION: 20 miles, 230 kV

INTERCONNECT: Bushland Interchange Station

LAND: 14 landowners on 20,000 acres

CONTRACTOR: M..A. Mortenson Company

DEVELOPER & MINORITY PARTNER: Cielo Wind Power

MAJORITY OWNER: Edison Mission Group (Irvine, CA)

The Intrepid Wind Power Plant consists of 107 wind turbines, located in Sac and Buena Vista counties in north-west Iowa, has a generating capacity of 160.5 megawatts of electricity, enough to supply some 43,000 homes. The wind power project is MidAmerican Energy Company’s first owned and operated wind generation facility.

When MidAmerican Energy first began planning the Intrepid Wind Power Plant, the company worked closely with several state and national environmental groups, with a view to minimizing the environmental impact. Using input from such diverse groups as the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the Nature Conservancy, Iowa State University, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, and the Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club, MidAmerican created a statewide map of areas in the proposed region that contained specific bird populations or habitats. Those areas were then avoided when detailed site planning occurred. MidAmerican also worked in conjunction with the Army Corp of Engineers, to secure all necessary permits related to any potential risk to wetlands in the area. Regular inspections are also conducted to make certain that the wind farm is causing no adverse environmental impact to the region.

The Desert Sky Wind Farm is a 160.5 megawatt wind power station located near the far West Texas town of Iraan, in Pecos County. The wind farm consists of 107 GE wind turbines, each rated at 1.5 megawatts spread over a 15-square-mile (39 km²) area. American Electric Power (AEP) owns the facility and CPS Energy of San Antonio purchases all power produced under long-term agreements with AEP.

The American Wind Energy Association says, “Over the last 20 years, the cost of electricity from utility-scale wind systems has dropped by more than 80%. In the early 1980s, when the first utility-scale turbines were installed, wind-generated electricity cost as much as 30 cents per kilowatt-hour. Now, state-of-the-art wind power plants can generate electricity for less than 5 cents/kWh in many parts of the U.S., a price that is competitive with new coal- or gas-fired power plants. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is working with the wind industry to develop a next generation of wind turbine technology. The products from this program are expected to generate electricity at prices that will be lower still.”

The turbines generally begin to produce electricity in wind speeds as low as 8 miles per hour and they shut themselves down in wind speeds over 56 mph. Single-pole, tubular-steel towers approximately 200 feet tall are used for the project.

GE Wind Energy (formerly Enron Wind) did an extensive environmental site evaluation at the Desert Sky location. There was no evidence that the wind generation facility would significantly impact the natural environment in the area. There was also an archaeological study performed. Sensitive areas were identified and were protected during construction.

There is a "swishing sound" associated with wind generators, but with new turbine technologies, noise has been reduced as compared to older turbines. The Desert Sky site is in a rural setting some distance from homes. Our experience is that native and farm animals are not bothered by the noise from wind projects. The American Wind Energy Association has the following to say about noise, "Large, modern wind turbines have become very quiet. At distances above 200 meters, the swishing sound of rotor blades is usually masked completely by wind noise in the leaves of trees or shrubs."

The Brazos Wind Farm or Green Mountain Energy Wind Farm at Brazos, is located in Borden and Scurry counties in Texas. It has 160 wind turbines, each rated at one megawatt (MW) and supplied by Mitsubishi, and was completed in December 2003. The wind farm sells generated power on a long-term basis to a local power distributor, TXU Energy, to supply approximately 30,000 homes in Texas. Fifty per cent of the Brazos Wind Farm is owned by Shell Wind Energy, Inc.

The Hackberry Wind Farm Project is a US $350 million wind farm in Shackelford County, Texas. The project consists of 72 Siemens wind turbines with a total capacity of 166 megawatts. The energy will be used by residents of the City of Austin and surrounding communities. Construction on the project began in January 2008 and was finished in December 2008, on-time and under budget.

RES Americas is the developer, construction contractor, operator of the project and owner, along with GE Energy Financial Services, a unit of GE, according to a company news release. Austin Energy will purchase the power produced by Hackberry, moving Austin closer to its goal of securing 30 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

RES Americas has been active in the US market since 1997 and has played a major role in developing more than 12% of the operating wind projects in the United States and more than 20% of the installed wind capacity in the State of Texas.

The 180 MW Tatanka Wind Farm, is located in Dickey County and McIntosh County, North Dakota, and McPherson County, South Dakota. It is the largest wind farm in North and South Dakota and generates enough renewable energy to power more than 60,000 U.S. homes.

Tatanka Wind Farm is the first installation of Acciona's 1.5 MW wind turbines in the United States. Construction of the $381 million project began in April 2007. The plant went online on July 25, 2008.

Tatanka Wind Farm is the largest renewable-energy project in North and South Dakota, sitting on approximately 14,080 acres. This landmark wind farm will generate enough clean energy to power more than 60,000 U.S. homes. With the exception of the small footprint made by the 120 turbines, at about 1 acre each, the land use is dominated by cattle grazing and crop cultivation, as it has been for decades and generations.

Tatanka represents the first installation of ACCIONA’s 1.5 MW turbines in the U.S. There are 120 wind turbines spread over the wind farm, with 59 turbines located in South Dakota and 61 turbines in North Dakota. The electricity generated is sold into the Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator (MITSO), which delivers electric power to a very large region of the upper midwestern U.S. and Canada.

The Whispering Willow Wind Farm in Franklin County, Iowa. The wind farm is capable of generating up to 200 megawatts of emissions-free wind energy for its customers — enough to power approximately 50,000 homes. The construction on the wind farm began in 2008 and completed in 2009. It consists of 121 wind turbines spread out over 144 square miles (370 km²).

The company expects that over the next 20 years, the Whispering Willow Wind Farm will offset approximately 2 million tons of carbon dioxide, 2,600 tons of nitrogen oxides, 7,000 tons of sulfur dioxides and 0.5 ton of mercury. The carbon dioxide avoided is the equivalent of taking approximately 309,000 standard-size automobiles off the road each year.

Meadow Lake Wind Farm is a wind farm near Brookston and Chalmers, Indiana, spreading over portions of White, Jasper, and Benton Counties in Indiana, owned and operated by Horizon Wind Energy. The wind farm is undergoing construction in phases, and could eventually reach a combined nameplate capacity of 1000 MW with over 600 wind turbines.

Phase I

Meadow Lake Wind Farm Phase I consists of 121 Vestas V82 1.65 MW wind turbines, for a total nameplate capacity of 199.65 MW. Groundbreaking ceremonies occurred on April 14, 2009. Phase I became operational in October, 2009. At that time, Horizon had not completed a power purchase agreement with a utility company. Instead, Horizon began selling the wind farm's output to the regional wholesale electricity market.

Horizon built a substation next to an existing AEP substation which was already within the wind farm site area. This allowed the wind farm to connect to the power grid without the need to build lengthy new transmission line at a cost of $1 million per mile.

Phase II

Meadow Lake Wind Farm Phase II was under construction in early 2010, with 66 Acciona wind turbines having a combined nameplate capacity of 99 MW.

Phases III, IV, V, and VI

The next phases will have capacities between about 100 MW and 200 MW each.

Phase III construction began in March, 2010

Meadow Lake Wind Farm
Country	United States
Locale	Brookston, Indiana
Coordinates	40°36′4″N 86°51′57″W / 40.60111°N 86.86583°W / 40.60111; -86.86583 / 40.60111; -86.86583
Status	Phase I operating; phase II under construction
Commission date	Phase I: October 2009
Owner(s)	Horizon Wind Energy
Power station information
Primary fuel	Wind farm
Generation units	121 Vestas V82 wind turbines, @1.65 MW
Power generation information
Installed capacity	Phase I: 199.65 MW
Maximum capacity	Phase I: 199.65 MW

The Big Horn Wind Farm has a 200 megawatt generating capacity and uses 133 GE Energy 1.5 MW wind turbines. This wind power plant is owned by Big Horn LLC, a subsidiary of Iberdrola Renewables.It is located in Klickitat County, Washington and 98 percent of the land it is on remains available for traditional uses, such as hunting and farming.

The electricity from Big Horn Wind Farm is sold to M-S-R Public Power Agency. M-S-R is a California joint powers authority organized in 1980 by the Modesto Irrigation District, Silicon Valley Power (Santa Clara) and the City of Redding. Its mission is to acquire electric generation and transmission resources for the electric systems of its members.

PPM Energy now has more than 2,000 megawatts of wind energy in operation or under construction. PPM Energy is a part of the IBERDROLA group of companies, a leading provider of wind power.

The Nobles Wind Farm Project, a 201 megawatts wind power plant, is in construction in Nobles County, Minnesota, USA. Wind power plant is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity. The wind farm will have 134 GE 1.5 MW turbines spread over 49 square miles of farmland. All of the turbines are to be located within Olney, Dewald, Larkin and Summit Lake townships.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission had approved the Nobles Wind Project in May, 2009. The capital outlay of the project is greater than $500 million. Xcel Energy has partnered with enXco Development Corporation to site, develop and construct the facilities and ownership of the projects will transfer to Xcel Energy in a progressive manner. The owner of this project is NSP, the developer is enXco Development Corp and General Contractor is Mortenson Construction. enXco and Xcel Energy have done a purchase and sale agreement. The electricity generated will be transferred to Northern States Power Company of Minnesota, a subsidiary of Xcel Energy. Xcel Energy assumed ownership of the Nobles Wind Project.

Construction on the 201-megawatt wind farm began in early April 2010. The wind farm is now at an advanced stage of construction. The towers will stand 389 feet tall, including the blade. A wind turbine is a rotary device that extracts energy from the wind. A unique feature of this project is the use of buoyant foundations to accommodate the site’s high water table.

The Nobles Wind Farm Project begin the operational by December 2010 although this will depend largely on the wind speed. On days where the wind gusts are greater than 22 miles per hour at the top of the crane work has to shut down.

When it is completed and in full operation it will produce enough electricity to power approximately 50,000 homes. While the construction is nearing the end the wind farm is already providing some electricity to the grid with wind turbines becoming operational and synchronized to the grid as their construction is completed. The Nobles wind farm will supply electricity to St Paul – the Twin Cities. The Project meets the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission’s commitment to provide clean, renewable energy at a reasonable cost to its consumers.

The Milford Wind Corridor Project is a 203 megawatt wind farm in Milford, Utah. The project was developed by First Wind. The wind farm has 97 wind turbines, including 58 Clipper Liberty 2.5-MW wind turbines and 39 GE 1.5 MW wind turbines.

The 203 MW Milford I project went online in November 2009 and supported more than 300 development and construction jobs. First Wind spent about $30 million with Utah-based businesses developing and building the first phase of the project. Another $50 million was spent statewide on items such as wages and taxes.

A second phase of the Milford Wind Corridor Project began in July 2010 and foundations were poured in October. The expansion will add another 68 GE 1.5-MW turbines for a total of an additional 102 MW.

• Approximately 90 miles of new 345-kV transmission line for interconnection with the IPP substation near Delta, Utah
• An interconnection facility (i.e., switching station) at the IPP substation for connection between the project transmission line and the IPP substation.

At the facility’s electrical substation, the voltage of the power being delivered by the Wind Energy Facility power collection system at 34.5 kV would be stepped up to 345 kV for delivery into the project transmission line. Delivery of the power to the IPP substation would require a new, approximately 90-mile-long, 345-kV transmission line crossing primarily BLM-managed lands.

The proposed transmission line route would follow one of two alternative routes. The first route (applicant’s proposed route) would travel west from the Wind Energy Facility to a point west of Arizona State Route 257, which it would follow generally north-northeast, diverging east, north, and then west around Delta, Utah, to it’s interconnection at the IPP substation. The second alternative transmission line route would generally follow a route that is parallel to the existing IPP transmission line. Similar to the applicant’s proposed route, the alternative transmission line would terminate at the IPP substation near Delta. Wooden H-frame or steel-lattice transmission line towers spaced at approximately one-quarter-mile intervals within a permanent trans transmission line cables. The transmission line towers would be up to approximately 164 feet high and would each occupy a permanent area approximately 20 feet by 30 feet. The Wind Energy Facility substation would occupy an area site of approximately 10-acres or less.

The White Creek Wind Farm is an electricity generating wind farm facility in Klickitat County, Washington, United States. It is owned by Last Mile Electric Cooperative and began operations in 2007. The facility has a generating capacity of 205 megawatts.

Four Washington consumer-owned utilities ― Cowlitz PUD, Klickitat PUD, Lakeview Light & Power and Tanner Electric Co-op developed the White Creek Wind Project in Klickitat County, WA. It is the largest public power initiated wind project in the U.S.

Location
White Creek is located in the Columbia River Gorge on 9,500 acres of ranchland, 21 miles east of Goldendale, WA. It is just northwest of Roosevelt, WA, which is across the Columbia River from Arlington, OR. The photo below was taken from I-84 in Oregon, just west of Arlington, OR.

Equipment
Siemens Power Generation supplied, installed and commissioned the 89, 2.3-MW wind turbines and associated towers and other equipment at the project.

Shipping and Delivery
Siemens shipped towers, blades and other components to the Port of Longview (WA) from May to September 2007. The cargo was trucked to the project site.

Power production capability

• Installed capacity of 205 megawatts (MW)
• Based on a one-third capacity factor the projected
• annual output is 68 average MW
• Will power an estimated 38,000 residences or
• about 427 residences per wind turbine.

Power output shares

• 46% ― Cowlitz PUD
• 26% ― Klickitat PUD (Goldendale, WA)
• 26% ― Lakeview Light & Power (Lakewood, WA)
• 2% ― Tanner Electric Cooperative (North Bend, WA)

I-937 (Renewable Portfolio Standards passed by WA voters in November ‘06)

• Cowlitz PUD is the only one of the White Creek utilities with I-937 requirements in the foreseeable future.
• The new law calls for utilities to use non-hydro renewable energy sources for at least three percent of power resources in 2012, nine percent in 2016 and 15
• percent by 2020.
• Based on future load forecasts, Cowlitz PUD’s White Creek share will help it meet the 2012 requirement and most of the 2016 level.

BPA Allocation

• BPA will not be able to meet the load growth of the region post-2011.
• BPA customers have developed a regional plan to “allocate” the output of the
• Columbia River system.
• Each customer will get a share of BPA power based on its electric demand and
• BPA’s generation capability.
• All four White Creek partners will count on White Creek power to meet load
• growth needs post-2011.

Cost comparison: Cowlitz PUD wholesale power options post-2011

• White Creek: $50 per MWh.
• Power market: $60+ per MWh.
• BPA and other hydro sources now utilized by Cowlitz PUD cost $29-$35 per MWh, but unfortunately no additional cheap hydro is available.
• White Creek is the lowest cost alternative

Project cost and financing

• In December 2006 the White Creek Wind Project was sold to White Creek Wind I ― an investment group comprised of affiliates of Prudential Capital Group, Lehman Brothers and Summit Power.
• White Creek Wind I is providing equity capital and utilizing the Federal Production Tax Credits (PTCs) that are available to renewable wind projects.
• Utilizing PTCs will help keep the wholesale production costs about 11% lower than if more conventional tax-free bonds had been utilized for financing. That’s a major benefit to our customers.
• Total project cost was about $360 million (in the end it came in 1% less than projected) ― which includes the acquisition and installation of the wind turbine generators, and all other construction and development costs.
• The four utilities have entered into 20-year power purchase agreements with White Creek Wind I. At closing, the utilities paid for the power assured to be delivered during the contract term.
• Cowlitz PUD’s investment in White Creek is $120 million for the amount of power it is assured ― plus smaller charges for any additional power that can be generated and annual operating and maintenance expenses.
• The four utilities have the option to repurchase the project after 10 years.

Possibility of expansion
Wind studies have shown that as much as another 100 MW project is feasible.
Next phase is being discussed.

source:http://www.cowlitzpud.org/pdf/WC_Q&A_07.pdf

The New Mexico Wind Energy Center officially opened on October 1, 2003. Located 170 miles southeast of Albuquerque and 20 miles northeast of Fort Sumner, the wind farm is well suited for eastern New Mexico's windy landscape.

The New Mexico Wind Energy Center consists of 136 wind turbines, each standing 210 feet high. The facility can produce up to 200 megawatts of power, which is enough electricity to power 94,000 average New Mexico homes. Electricity production does not require water, produce emissions, or generate solid waste.

FPL Energy owns and manages the facility, while PNM purchases all of its output.