GE and partners ready to start work on $500 million wind project

[IDemo]

Submitted by Rocky Barker on Wed, 08/18/2010 - 4:50pm.

Gov. Butch Otter will join other dignitaries near Hagerman Tuesday for a “blade signing,” as wind developers call a groundbreaking. GE Energy Financial Services and partners including Boise-based Exergy Corp. are celebrating the development of the Idaho Wind Partners project – 11 wind farms near the Oregon Trail spread out from Burley to Hagerman.

This is big stuff.

The $500 million project will become Idaho’s biggest wind project and one of the largest in the entire Pacific Northwest. Once completed the 11 wind farms will be able to generate 183 megawatts, enough to power 39,700 Idaho homes.

This is not Mother Earth News (edit to add: ??).

The wind farms will sell all of their power to Idaho Power Co. under 20-year agreements, as required by the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978. Once finished GE and its partners are confident the project will be eligible for Federal Treasury Grant program designed to stimulate renewable energy projects.

http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2010/08/18/rockybarker/ge_and_partners_ready_start_work_500_million_wind_project

[KILL THE WISE ONE]

1. this will slow the rotation of the earth and kill us all

cool, now all i need is an affordable electric car.

[NickB79]

2. $500 million for 183 MW nameplate/ 50 MW actual

Anyone else see a problem here?

[Nihil]

3. It's ok - they've got it covered ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x256173

(Still recommended the thread as the future has to start somewhere ...
I just wish it was starting a little more honestly at times.)

[Dead_Parrot]

4. Certainly not for GE

The people paying for the Federal Treasury Grants get shafted, though.