50-Megawatt Wind Farm Up and Spinning

PORTLAND, OR-River Rock I, LLC, a subsidiary of Shell WindEnergy Inc., has completed and brought online in Wyoming 50 one-megawatt wind turbines that are now delivering power to customers of Portland-based PacifiCorp.

The new facility will produce enough clean energy for more than 13,000 average homes in the West — while offsetting approximately 164,000 tons of greenhouse gases per year, says PacifiCorp. Constructed by SeaWest WindPower Inc., PacifiCorp says the facility exemplifies the ability to bring new wind generation online quickly and efficiently.

For PacifiCorp, which has a 20-year agreement to purchase the entire output of the project, the new facility fulfills a commitment the company made at the time of its merger with ScottishPower to bring significant new renewable energy resources on-line for its customers. It also helps PacifiCorp toward its goal to bring 1,000 mw of new renewable generation on-line by 2005, and helps Shell’s wind energy program by moving it from experimental to commercial scale.

SeaWest oversaw the development of the entire project, including assessing wind performance, engineering and designing, procuring turbines and assembling the construction contractors. SeaWest also designed and built the expansion to the PacifiCorp Foote Creek Substation, which will serve both Rock River I and the neighboring Wyoming Wind Project. SeaWest will be responsible for the long-term operation and maintenance of the project.