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Alta Wind Energy Center

Wind farm in the Tehachapi Mountains of California

Wind farm in the Tehachapi Mountains of California

FieldValue
nameAlta Wind Energy Center
coordinates
countryUnited States
locationTehachapi Pass, Kern County, California
statusO
commissioned2010
cost$ 2.875 billion (units I-IX)
ps_units_operational600
ps_units_manu_modelVestas
wind_farm_typeOnshore
ps_site_area130 km2
ps_electrical_capacity1,550 MW
ps_electrical_cap_fac23.5% (average 2014–2019)
ps_annual_generation3,189 GW·h

Alta Wind Energy Center (AWEC), also known as Mojave Wind Farm, is the third largest onshore wind energy project in the world. The Alta Wind Energy Center is a wind farm located in Tehachapi Pass of the Tehachapi Mountains, in Kern County, California. As of 2022, it is the largest wind farm in the United States, with a combined installed capacity of 1550 MW. The project, being developed near Tehachapi Pass Wind Farm— site of the first large-scale wind farms installed in the U.S. in the 1970s and 1980s—is "a powerful illustration of the growing size and scope of modern wind projects".

Southern California Edison has agreed to a 25-year power purchase agreement for the power produced as part of the power purchase agreements for up to 1500 MW or more of power generated from new projects to be built in the Tehachapi area. The project will "reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 5.2 million metric tons, which is equivalent to taking 446,000 cars off the road".

The wind farm was developed by Terra-Gen Power which closed a US$1.2 billion financing deal in July 2010 with partners that included Citibank, Barclays Capital, and Credit Suisse. After many delays, the first phase began construction in 2010. Financing for additional phases of $650 million was secured in April 2012. Construction of the Alta Wind Energy Center is expected to create more than 3,000 domestic manufacturing, construction, and maintenance jobs, and contribute more than one billion dollars to the local economy.

History

The original "Alta-Oak Creek Mojave Project" plan consisted of up to 320 wind turbines occupying a 9000 acre area while producing 800 MW of power. That project was originally developed by Oak Creek Energy Systems under the contract with Terra-Gen, but the project development was later transferred to Terra-Gen. The project then became the first development under the umbrella of Alta Wind Energy Center.

The Alta-Oak Creek Mojave Project is generally located at the south side of the log Creek Road, starting a few miles west of the state route 14 in Mojave and continuing westward along the Oak Creek Road to the west side of the Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road.

According to the American Wind Energy Association, two initial projects were completed in fall 2010, the 150 MW Alta II (Vestas) project using 50 3 MW generators and the 150 MW Alta I project using 100 1.5 MW generators. Three subsequent projects 150 MW Alta III, 102 MW Alta IV, and 168 MW Alta V projects were completed in the 2nd quarter of 2011 using 50, 34, and 56 3 MW Vestas V-90 wind turbines. Alta VIII and Alta VI projects, comprising 300 MW, were completed in late 2011/early 2012, but they were renamed Brookfield Tehachapi 2 and Mustang Hills respectively. Alta VII and IX projects comprising 300 MW, were completed in December 2012 (bringing the total to 1320 MW), but they were renamed to Pinyon Pines Wind I and Pinyon Pines Wind II.

138 MW Alta X and 90 MW Alta XI are under development with scheduled completion in late 2013, 180 MW Alta XIII in 2019.

Overview

PlantOperatorCapacity
(MW)CommissionedCost, $
Alta Wind Energy Center ITerra-Gen Operating Co150Jan 2011394 million
Alta Wind Energy Center IITerra-Gen Operating Co150Jan 20111200 million (units II-V)
Alta Wind Energy Center IIITerra-Gen Operating Co150Feb 2011
Alta Wind Energy Center IVTerra-Gen Operating Co102Apr 2011
Alta Wind Energy Center VTerra-Gen Operating Co168Apr 2011
Everpower Wind HoldingsMustang Hills (Alta Wind VI)150May 2012631 million (with unit VIII)
Pinyon Pines Wind Iurl=https://www.bherenewables.com/aboutus_wind.aspxtitle=BHE Renewableswebsite=www.bherenewables.comaccess-date=Jul 29, 2019archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190720143126/https://www.bherenewables.com/aboutus_wind.aspxarchive-date=July 20, 2019url-status=live}}168Nov 2012650 million (with unit IX)
Alta Wind VIIIBrookfield Energy Marketing150Jan 2012
Pinyon Pines Wind IIPinyon Pine II (Alta Wind IX)132Nov 2012
Alta Wind XTerra-Gen Operating Co138Jan 2014
Alta Wind XITerra-Gen Operating Co90Jan 2014

Electricity production

YearAlta I
150 MWAlta II
150 MWAlta III
150 MWAlta IV
102 MWAlta V
168 MWAlta VI
150 MWAlta VII
168 MWAlta VIII
150 MWAlta IX
132 MWAlta X
138 MWAlta XI
90 MWTotal Annual
MW·h20111,484,56020121,574,91720132,781,32420143,306,29520152,782,99620163,478,62220173,149,13820183,365,76720193,049,833Average Annual Production (years 2014–2019)3,188,775
395,703336,193364,270149,373239,021------
353,793296,135318,407150,322243,738181,71818,115-12,689--
398,985348,908361,051178,777283,238302,869363,653285,358258,485--
403,255328,958349,245168,320269,901304,728365,507282,719255,597328,080249,985
341,120279,829300,282134,744220,012252,832288,517231,524202,586309,408222,142
413,363360,216380,465183,393293,378314,587346,699294,789250,438364,926276,368
366,518325,932350,502162,752263,466289,326319,578251,380230,440340,379248,865
399,302349,772361,029178,715284,839303,482339,370270,077244,263373,532261,386
366,019366,720261,255150,299311,896264,116275,335237,117203,749366,641246,686

References

References

  1. "Top five biggest wind farms in the US".
  2. [http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2010/07/worlds-largest-wind-project-is-underway Terra-Gen bags $631m for more phases at California's Alta Wind] {{Webarchive. link. (2014-12-24 ''Renewable Energy World'', 29 July 2010.)
  3. [http://www.rechargenews.com/business_area/finance/article259969.ece World's Largest Wind Project is Underway] {{Webarchive. link. (2011-08-29 ''Recharge'', June 3, 2011)
  4. "GE Acquires California Wind Farm, UK Energy Management Firm".
  5. (2010). "Frequently Asked Questions". Alta Wind Energy Center.
  6. "Notice of Preparation of a Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (Alta Infill II)". Kern County, California.
  7. [http://www.awea.org/projects/Projects.aspx? California U.S. Wind Energy Projects - California] {{webarchive. link. (2010-10-07 , AWEA, Oct 22, 2010)
  8. (November 2024). "CNBC: MidAmerican Wind Announces Completion of 300-Megawatt Pinyon Pines Wind I and II Projects".
  9. "California Renewables Portfolio Standard: RPS Project Status Table 2013 July".
  10. "Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory: Inventory of Operating Generators as of February 2017".
  11. "Alta Wind Energy Center (AWEC), California".
  12. "About innogy".
  13. "BHE Renewables".
  14. "Electricity Data Browser".
  15. "Electricity Data Browser".
  16. "Electricity Data Browser".
  17. "Electricity Data Browser".
  18. "Electricity Data Browser".
  19. "Electricity Data Browser".
  20. "Electricity Data Browser".
  21. "Electricity Data Browser".
  22. "Electricity Data Browser".
  23. "Electricity Data Browser".
  24. "Electricity Data Browser".
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