GE announced Thursday that it had received the contract to supply 338 turbines for the Shephards Flats Wind Farm near Arlington.
According to the New York Times Green Inc. Blog the $1.4 billion deal:
[...] marks the “largest wind turbine commitment this year and the third-largest in the history of our wind business,” said Steve Bolze, the president and chief executive of G.E.’s power and water division, in a telephone interview.
When the turbines, with 845 megawatts of capacity, are going full speed, they will provide enough power for 235,000 homes, G.E. said. The project will be operated by Caithness Energy, a renewables developer based in New York City. Southern California Edison, a California utility, has agreed to buy power from the farm for 20 years.
The Portland Business Journal reports:
Called Shepherds Flat, the estimated $2 billion project will stretch 30 square miles across Gilliam and Morrow counties in north-central Oregon, near Arlington, and will use 338 of GE’s newest 2.5-megawatt turbines. GE said the project has received a majority of its needed permits and is ready to be built.
In a news release, Caithness said the project will create $16 million in annual economic benefit for Oregon. It will employ 400 workers during construction — work that includes building 85 miles of road and 90 miles of connections to the power grid — and another 35 workers during operation of the wind farm.
According to GE’s press release the Shephards Flat Wind Farm will be the largest in the US when complete. Caithness Energy is more conservative in reporting it will be the largest in Oregon.
