Horizon Wind Energy Announces Commercial Operation of Three Wind Farms
Posted on: Thursday, 8 January 2009, 09:00 CST
Meridian Way Wind Farm, Pioneer Prairie Wind Farm and Rattlesnake Road Wind Farm Fully Operational
HOUSTON, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Horizon Wind Energy, owned by EDP Renovaveis, the fourth largest wind energy producer in the world, fully commissioned over 500 megawatts (MW) in December of 2008. The 201 MW Meridian Way Wind Farm, located in north central Kansas in Cloud County, the 102.9 megawatt (MW) Rattlesnake Road Wind Farm located near the city of Arlington in Gilliam County, Oregon, and the first phase (201.3 MW) of the Pioneer Prairie Wind Farm, located in Iowa along the Minnesota state line in Howard and Mitchell counties, are now fully operational.
The Meridian Way Wind Farm and Pioneer Prairie Wind Farm each produce enough clean energy to power 60,000 average Kansas and Midwest homes respectively. With an installed capacity of 102.9 megawatts, Rattlesnake Road Wind Farm generates enough clean energy to power approximately 30,000 average American homes.
"Horizon Wind Energy celebrates the commercial operations of the Meridian Way Wind Farm, the Rattlesnake Road Wind Farm, and the first phase of the Pioneer Prairie Wind Farm. These wind farms mark our entry into two additional states, Kansas and Iowa; Horizon is proud to contribute to the clean energy future in regions with such promising wind resources," said Antonio Martins da Costa, Chairman and CEO of Horizon Wind Energy. "In addition, we are proud to start the commercial operation of our second wind farm in Oregon; we now have more than 200 megawatts operating in the state and are continuing to research new opportunities with several hundred megawatts under development." Martins da Costa continued, "We thank our Meridian Way customers, The Empire District Electric Company, and Westar Energy and our Rattlesnake Road customer, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), as well as the landowners and communities in Kansas, Oregon and Iowa for their partnerships and enthusiasm to produce local, clean renewable energy."
Kansas ranks number 12 in wind power in the United States with less than 400 MWs installed, but will climb in rank this year to nearly 1000 MW of total installed capacity, enough wind power to provide clean, renewable energy to more than 300,000 Kansas homes. There are more than 1700 MW of interconnection requests for Kansas wind projects in the Southwest Power Pool transmission queue. In 2007 Kansas signed the Midwestern Regional Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord, committing to a region-wide 10% renewable energy standard by 2015. In January 2007, Governor Sebelius said that Kansas' energy goal should be to obtain 10% of the energy consumed in the state from wind by the year 2010 and 20% by 2020.
Iowa has long been a leader in renewable energy, setting a renewable energy requirement in 1983 of 105MW for its two investor-owned utilities. This, combined with Iowa's strong wind resource, access to transmission, and community acceptance helped launch many large-scale projects in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In 2001, Iowa established a voluntary goal of 1,000MW of wind generating capacity by 2010. As of third quarter 2008, the American Wind Energy Association ranked Iowa number three in wind power in the United States with over 1300 MWs of existing projects installed, and is ranked tenth in terms of potential capacity.
Rattlesnake Road is Horizon's second developed, owned and operated wind farm in Oregon; the company also developed, owns and operates the Elkhorn Valley Wind Farm, located in Oregon's Union County. Elkhorn Valley has been fully operational since December 2007. As of third quarter 2008, the American Wind Energy Association ranked Oregon number seven in wind power in the United States with more than 900 megawatts installed and a potential capacity of several thousand megawatts. Oregon enacted an aggressive RPS in June 2007 requiring large utilities to ensure the following percentages of electricity sold to retail customers in-state be derived from renewable energy sources: 5% by 2011; 15% by 2015; 20% by 2020; 25% by 2025.
About Horizon Wind Energy
Horizon Wind Energy develops, constructs, owns and operates wind farms throughout North America. Based in Houston, Texas with over 20 offices across the United States, Horizon has developed more than 2,000 megawatts (MW) and operates over 1,500 MW of wind farms.
Horizon is owned by EDP Renovaveis S.A. ("EDPR"), a global leader in the renewable energy sector. EDPR has undergone exceptional development in recent years. Its installed capacity increased four-fold between 2005 and 2007, becoming the fourth largest wind energy producer in the world. EDPR is listed on the Euronext Lisbon Stock Exchange.
Energias de Portugal, S.A. ("EDP"), the parent company of EDPR, is a vertically-integrated utility company, headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal. Through its various constituent businesses, EDP holds significant electricity and gas operations in Europe, Brazil, and the United States.
For more information, visit www.horizonwind.com and www.edprenovaveis.com.
SOURCE Horizon Wind Energy
Source: PR Newswire
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