Green | August 31, 2008 | 8 comments

Appalachian Power signs long-term wind energy pact

source: http://www.energy-daily.com/reports/Appalachian_Power_Signs_Long_Term_Wind_Energy_Pact_From_...

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JanforGore
American Electric Power subsidiary Appalachian Power has signed a long-term power purchase agreement for renewable wind energy with Beech Ridge Energy, a subsidiary of Invenergy Wind.
Through the 20-year agreement, Appalachian Power will purchase all of the output -- between 100 and 147 megawatts -- from the first phase of the planned 186-megawatt Beech Ridge Energy wind project currently under development in Greenbrier County, W.Va.

The wind farm is expected to be on line by March 31, 2010. The agreement is subject to approval from the Public Service Commission of West Virginia and extension for 2009 of the federal production tax credit for renewable energy. Pricing terms are confidential.

"Wind and other renewables are becoming an integral part of the diverse power generation mix necessary to meet our customers' electricity needs," said Michael G. Morris, AEP's chairman, president and chief executive officer.

"Adding these renewable generation resources, along with our plans for new baseload generation using clean coal and other technologies, positions us to continue to meet our customers' needs while also reducing our carbon footprint."

The new agreement is part of AEP's voluntary plans, announced in 2007, to add 1,000 megawatts of new wind energy by 2011 as a component of the company's comprehensive strategy to address its greenhouse gas emissions. The addition of wind capacity to AEP's energy portfolio avoids an increase in greenhouse gas emissions that would otherwise occur if AEP used traditional fossil generation to meet growing customer demand.

"The agreement with Beech Ridge Energy brings our long-term renewable-energy purchase commitments up to 422 megawatts in the year since we established our 1,000-megawatt goal," Morris said. "We have additional requests for proposals out for up to 600 megawatts of renewable energy, so we are well on the way to meeting that goal.
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What could be more abundant and cheap than wind energy in Appalachia without the pollution? It sure isn't coal.
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8 comments // Appalachian Power signs long-term wind energy pact

  • Cherish_Liberty4_All
  • MeganMcKenzie
    • 0
      MeganMcKenzie  

    • I believe we have just now begun to move towards innovative technologies that will make a cleaner safer world. Two of the men in my family are looking to change their careers as they want to work towards a more positive and cleaner world.

      This excites me and offers hope for tomorrow.

    • 3 years ago
  • ipodrulz
  • MethuselahMouse
  • SDLN
    • 0
      SDLN  
    • Image

    • How come we never see the eggbeater windmills in the new wind farms?

      I'm not sure what they're actually called. We called them eggbeaters when was a kid. I grew up near Palm Springs, CA, and they had some "eggbeaters" in their wind farms when I was little. They were a childhood favorite of mine.

    • 3 years ago
  • scm23
  • justright
  • aspenlve
    • 0
      aspenlve  

    • Being a huge fan of renewable energy, it puts a smile on my face every time I hear about a new windfarm or solar plant. I really hope our government votes to extend the tax breaks for these projects when it's due to expire in December.

    • 3 years ago
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