SMUD Plans Large Wind Farm Expansion

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District board agreed November 18 to buy a 2,765-acre parcel in Solano County, which will allow the muni to expand its wind farm. The land, the price of which is not to exceed $12 million, could potentially house 75 MW of additional wind turbines, according to Dace Udris, SMUD spokesperson. Purchasing the property allows for the further growth of the muni?s in-house wind portfolio. The property at issue lies in the Montezuma Hills and adjacent to the 3,300-acre site that is home to SMUD?s current batch of windmills, whose capacity totals 15 MW. The muni plans to boost its wind power on the existing site by an additional 85 MW, reaching 100 MW by the spring of 2006. If the new plot is fully developed, SMUD will be churning out up to 175 MW of wind energy. The cost of installing wind power is estimated at $1,000/kW, which does not include site upgrade costs, said Jim Tracy, SMUD chief financial officer. Thus, expanding the existing wind farm by 85 MW would cost roughly $85 million. The ultimate size of SMUD?s existing wind energy development is, however, contingent on the bids the muni receives, which must include time warranties because of risks associated with the turbine technology, according to Tracy.

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SMUD Plans Large Wind Farm Expansion

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