Alta Wind Energy Center
Encyclopedia
The Alta Wind Energy Center is a wind farm
located in Tehachapi Pass
of the Tehachapi Mountains
, in Kern County, California
. As of 2011, it is the largest wind farm in California, with a combined installed capacity of 720 MW. The project, which is being developed near Tehachapi Pass Wind Farm
- site of the first large-scale wind farms installed in the U.S. in the 1970s and 1980s - is "a powerful illustration of the growing size and scope of modern wind projects".
Southern California Edison
has agreed to a 25-year power purchase agreement for the power produced. The project will "reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 52 million metric tons, which is equivalent to taking 446,000 cars off the road".
The wind farm is being developed by Terra-Gen Power which closed a US$1.2 billion financing deal in July 2010 with partners that included Citibank
, Barclays Capital
, and Credit Suisse
. After many delays, the first phase began construction in 2010. Construction of the Alta Wind Energy Center is expected to create more than 3,000 domestic manufacturing, construction, and maintenance jobs, and contribute more than a billion dollars to the local economy.
s occupying a 9000 acres (36.4 km²) area while producing 800 MW of power. According to the American Wind Energy Association
, two initial projects were completed in fall 2010, the 150 MW Alta II (Vestas) project using 50 3 MW generators and the 150 MW Alta I project using 100 1.5 MW generators. Three subsequent projects 150 MW Alta III, 102 MW Alta IV, and 168 MW Alta V projects were completed in the 2nd quarter of 2011 using 50, 34, and 56 3 MW (Vestas) generators.
Wind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
located in Tehachapi Pass
Tehachapi Pass
Tehachapi Pass is a mountain pass crossing the Tehachapi Mountains in Kern County, California in the United States. The route over the pass connects the San Joaquin Valley to the Mojave Desert...
of the Tehachapi Mountains
Tehachapi Mountains
The Tehachapi Mountains , regionally also called The Tehachapis, are a mountain range in the Transverse Ranges system of California in the Western United States...
, in Kern County, California
Kern County, California
Spreading across the southern end of the California Central Valley, Kern County is the fifth-largest county by population in California. Its economy is heavily linked to agriculture and to petroleum extraction, and there is a strong aviation and space presence. Politically, it has generally...
. As of 2011, it is the largest wind farm in California, with a combined installed capacity of 720 MW. The project, which is being developed near Tehachapi Pass Wind Farm
Tehachapi Pass Wind Farm
Wind development in the Tehachapi Pass began in the early 1980s. The area hosts a multitude of wind farms, comprising one of California's largest wind resource areas. The pass is undergoing much repowering activity...
- site of the first large-scale wind farms installed in the U.S. in the 1970s and 1980s - is "a powerful illustration of the growing size and scope of modern wind projects".
Southern California Edison
Southern California Edison
Southern California Edison , the largest subsidiary of Edison International , is the primary electricity supply company for much of Southern California, USA. It provides 14 million people with electricity...
has agreed to a 25-year power purchase agreement for the power produced. The project will "reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 52 million metric tons, which is equivalent to taking 446,000 cars off the road".
The wind farm is being developed by Terra-Gen Power which closed a US$1.2 billion financing deal in July 2010 with partners that included Citibank
Citibank
Citibank, a major international bank, is the consumer banking arm of financial services giant Citigroup. Citibank was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York, later First National City Bank of New York...
, Barclays Capital
Barclays Capital
Barclays Capital is a global British investment bank. It is the investment banking division of Barclays plc which has a balance sheet of over £1.2 trillion . Barclays Capital provides financing and risk management services to large companies, institutions and government clients. It is a primary...
, and Credit Suisse
Credit Suisse
The Credit Suisse Group AG is a Swiss multinational financial services company headquartered in Zurich, with more than 250 branches in Switzerland and operations in more than 50 countries.-History:...
. After many delays, the first phase began construction in 2010. Construction of the Alta Wind Energy Center is expected to create more than 3,000 domestic manufacturing, construction, and maintenance jobs, and contribute more than a billion dollars to the local economy.
History
The original "Alta-Oak Creek Mojave Project" plans consisted of up to 320 wind turbineWind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
s occupying a 9000 acres (36.4 km²) area while producing 800 MW of power. According to the American Wind Energy Association
American Wind Energy Association
Formed in 1974, the American Wind Energy Association is a Washington, D.C.-based national trade association representing wind power project developers, equipment suppliers, service providers, parts manufacturers, utilities, researchers, and others involved in the wind industry.With over 2,500...
, two initial projects were completed in fall 2010, the 150 MW Alta II (Vestas) project using 50 3 MW generators and the 150 MW Alta I project using 100 1.5 MW generators. Three subsequent projects 150 MW Alta III, 102 MW Alta IV, and 168 MW Alta V projects were completed in the 2nd quarter of 2011 using 50, 34, and 56 3 MW (Vestas) generators.
See also
- Wind power in CaliforniaWind power in CaliforniaWind power in California has been an area of considerable activity for many years. California was the first U.S. state where large wind farms were developed, beginning in the early 1980s. By 1995, California produced 30 percent of the entire world's wind-generated electricity...
- Wind power in the United StatesWind power in the United StatesAs of the third quarter of 2011, the cumulative installed capacity of wind power in the United States was 43,461 megawatts , making it second in the world, behind China. In 2010 wind power accounted for 2.3% of the electricity generated in the United States...