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Politics : Rat's Nest - Chronicles of Collapse -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (1440)	8/3/2005 8:28:40 AM
From: Wharf Rat	Respond to of 24211

Wind farm in gorge may blow others away The 225-turbine Biglow Canyon project planned by Orion Energy of California highlights the industry's quick maturation Monday, August 01, 2005 GAIL KINSEY HILL Orion Energy of Oakland, Calif., plans to develop a wind farm in Sherman County with 225 turbines and a 450-megawatt capacity, the largest project of its kind in Oregon and, perhaps, the country. The breezy Columbia River Gorge has established itself as a choice spot for wind generation. But Orion's Biglow Canyon project, to sprawl across thousands of acres near the towns of Rufus and Wasco, is notable for its size. Along with other recent wind-farm announcements, Orion's plans underscore not only developers' interest in ever larger-scale projects, but the rapid maturing of a business sector. "The industry is joining the big leagues," said Christine Real de Azua, a spokeswoman for the American Wind Energy Association. Strong demand for wind power, driven by high natural gas prices -- the fuel for many power plants -- lies behind the trend. What's more, the costs of wind-farm development have dropped dramatically in the past 20 years. Congress' passage late last week of an omnibus energy bill, which includes incentives for wind development through extension of a production tax credit, provides further incentives to bring more projects online. The privately held Orion Energy has completed wind farms in Wyoming, Texas and Pennsylvania, the largest of which is a 160-megawatt operation in west-central Texas. Biglow Canyon marks the company's entry into Oregon. "It's a terrific site," said Jim Eisen, Orion's vice president and general counsel. The company hopes to begin construction in 2007, although it first must obtain state approval. It recently submitted a "notice of intent" with the Oregon Department of Energy, the first step in a comprehensive regulatory review. Orion also is considering eventually doubling the size of the project, Eisen said, but hasn't submitted a formal proposal. Wind is a variable resource and doesn't produce the nonstop electricity of traditional natural gas- or coal- fired power plants. Adjusted to account for wind's ups and downs, a megawatt of wind energy capacity is estimated to generate enough power to continuously light up 250 homes. The northeastern part of Sherman County is fast becoming a prime location for wind farms. Portland-headquartered PPM Energy recently began testing the second phase of its Klondike wind farm, which stretches along the ridges of rolling wheat farms next to Orion's Biglow Canyon site. CONTINUED 1 \| 2 Next oregonlive.com