Bethesda, Md. - PG&E Corporation's
(NYSE: PCG) National Energy Group (NEG) today announced that it
will acquire, at commercial operation, a 44.4-megawatt wind power
facility located in the San Gorgonio Pass of Riverside County, California,
near the City of Palm Springs. The project will be purchased from
Seawest WindPower, Inc., and is expected to enter commercial operation
in the spring of 2001.
Mountain View Power Partners,
LLC adds renewable power to the expanding portfolio of new natural
gas-fueled plants that the company is currently building to serve
Western power markets.
"It is a natural fit to
add this emission-free, renewable energy resource to our Western
generation portfolio," said Thomas B. King, president and chief
operating officer of the National Energy Group's Western Region.
The facility will consist
of 74 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) MWT600 wind turbine generators.
Each generator is capable of producing 600-kilowatts of electricity,
for a total of 44.4 megawatts of power, about enough to meet the
needs of 25,000 homes.
According to V. John White,
executive director of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Technologies, wind projects have become more practical due to legislation
passed in 1997. State Senator Byron Sher authored SB 90, a bill
that would provide financial incentives for energy companies to
develop renewable projects such as wind power. "I applaud PG&E Corporation
for recognizing the role renewable facilities such as wind power
can play in meeting the state's energy needs," said White.
The Mountain View Project
marks the company's second venture into wind generation and will
join the Company's innovative marketing campaign known as Pure Windsm.
Earlier this month, the National Energy Group completed construction
of its first Pure Windsm project, a seven-turbine, 11.5-megawatt
wind facility in Madison County, New York. The Madison Wind Project
is the first merchant wind project east of the Mississippi River.
Customers of both projects
may purchase Pure Windsm Certificates representing the environmental
attributes associated with each megawatt-hour of wind-generated
power delivered to the grid. By linking the customer's purchase
directly with a new windpower facility, the certificates provide
flexibility to validate marketing claims, demonstrate stewardship,
and capture the value of avoided emissions.
Pure Windsm customers include
environmental organizations, such as Natural Resources Defense Council
and commercial enterprises, such as Kinko's.
PG&E Corporation, with 1999
revenues of nearly $21 billion and operations in 21 states, markets
energy services and products throughout North America through its
National Energy Group. The Corporation has ownership and management
interests in more than 30 power plants, and has one of the largest
energy trading and risk management programs in North America.