The Shepherds Flat Wind Farm

With its recent announcement of the Shepherds Flat wind farm project in Oregon, U.S., GE has established itself as a leader in the renewable energies sector.

GE received the $1.4 billion contract from Caithness Energy to supply wind turbines and provide services for the 845-megawatt (MW) operation which will stretch across 30 square miles of Gilliam and Morrow Counties in north-central Oregon.  The wind farm will provide enough energy to power approximately 235,000 households and will avoid more than 1.5 million tons a year in greenhouse gas emissions.

The project is notable because it marks the U.S. debut and largest single order of GE’s 2.5xl wind turbines. “The 2.5-MW wind turbine is the latest evolution of GE’s wind turbine technology and provides customers with greater efficiency, reliability and grid connection capabilities,” said Steve Bolze, president & CEO of GE Power & Water.

Caithness Energy estimates that the ambitious project will inject $16 million of direct economic benefits into Oregon every year, and will employ 400 workers during construction and 35 during operation.  The magnitude of the project is not only because of the large number of turbines, but also because of the 85 miles of road and 90 miles of power connection that is necessary in order to link the project to the existing power grid.

The Shepherds Flat project will begin construction in 2010 and will be completed in 2012.  The 2.5xl wind turbines will be assembled in Pensacola, Florida, which played a role in GE being awarded the contract. GE’s capability to build the turbines in the United States and provide local resources and expertise were key factors in winning the contract with Caithness Energy.

GE & Wind Energy

With the potential for economic development in these tough economic times, it is clear that further developing the wind power industry should be a central focus of policy makers. GE believes that strong, supportive policy is the key to the growth of the U.S. wind energy industry. A focus on the renewable energy sector in general is the most direct and immediate measure to reduce carbon emissions and create jobs in the short-term. With short-term and long-term policy functioning in unison, GE understands that industry and policy makers can work together to ensure a clear path forward on federal legislation that encourages growth of the wind industry and supports clean jobs.

GE takes the position that a renewable energy standard (RES) of 25% by 2025 is supported by 75% of the U.S., and that a 12% RES by 2012 is needed not only to protect the environment, but also to protect and grow the jobs already in place. In order to move forward in a positive manner, it is important to change the historical trend which has seen inconsistent energy policy hurt the renewable energy sector and threaten the livelihoods of thousands of people that depend on those jobs.

In the U.S., GE employs more than 2,000 people in their Renewable Energy business.  And with a strong federal RES in place, they foresee a significant expansion of current blade and drive train supplier facilities, and investments in new tower manufacturing facilities. Furthermore, GE considers investments of this nature to have the potential of creating approximately 3,000 new jobs to support their wind energy business.

Wind Power in the U.S.

The development of the Shepherds Flat wind farm is a positive step forward for the U.S. wind power industry. “Wind power installations are up, and that is good news for America’s economy, environment, and energy security,” says Denise Bode, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). “But manufacturing, which has the potential to employ many more Americans in good, clean energy jobs, remains uncertain. A firm, long-term national commitment to renewable energy is still needed for the U.S. to become a wind turbine manufacturing powerhouse and create hundreds of thousands of jobs.”

Expansion of the U.S. wind power industry could provide some very encouraging results for both the economy and the environment. Wind power is one of the fastest-growing industries in the U.S.  With over 8,500 MW installed in 2008, wind power provided 42% of all the new generating capacity added in the U.S., which represents a substantial increase from the less than 2% of new capacity added through wind power in 2004. The rise in wind power installation led to the creation of 35,000 jobs in 2008 alone, despite the economic recession. “Hundreds of billions of dollars in investment – in wind project installations, wind turbine component manufacturing facilities, and transmission infrastructure to bring the new electricity to market – are poised to flow into the economy as wind power production ramps up,” says the AWEA.

While many continue to focus on the potential negative economic consequences of shifting away from a dependence on imported fossil fuels, the real benefits of a strengthened domestic wind energy sector can no longer be ignored.  Wind energy is an unlimited source of energy which can be domestically supplied.  According to the Department of Energy, U.S. wind resources are substantial enough to supply the entire country’s electricity demands.  Moreover, wind energy remains outside the volatile nature of global fuel prices and would substantially lower consumer electricity costs.  The AWEA states that a 2009 Union of Concerned Scientists study estimated that under a 25% national RES, the average consumers electricity prices would be 7.6% lower than at present, with a further average annual reduction of 4.3% through 2030.

With the development of the Shepherds Flat wind farm project, the U.S. has taken a formidable step toward furthering national energy security and independence. There is much more that must be done, but with the assistance of forward thinking companies such as GE, there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel.

Written by Christopher Campbell

Images Courtesy of Creative Commons

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