GE Wind Energy to Supply 108 Turbines for Nation's Fourth Largest Wind Project; Colorado Green Expected to Provide 162 Megawatts of New `Wind' Capacity
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 28, 2003--GE Wind Energy, a unit of
GE Power Systems, is supplying 108 wind turbines for the Colorado Green Project currently under construction near Lamar, Colorado. The project recently was acquired from GE by PPM Energy and Shell Wind Energy through a joint venture agreement.
Originally acquired by GE through its wind company acquisition in 2002, the Colorado Green project was developed, is currently being built and will be operated by GE Wind Energy. Scheduled to be completed later this year, the project will become the fourth largest wind farm in the United States.
Located in Prowers County, southeastern Colorado, the 162-megawatt project is expected to provide enough power for approximately 52,000 average American households according to figures provided by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). Once completed later this year, the project's total output will be purchased by Minnesota-based Xcel Energy, the nation's fourth largest natural gas and electricity company, under a long-term purchase agreement.
The Colorado Green project was selected by PSCo, a part of Xcel Energy, in a competitive bidding process which included several other forms of electricity generation. The project's clean electricity will be distributed throughout Colorado as a part of Excel Energy's power generation mix.
The Colorado Green Project clearly represents a milestone in wind energy's evolution toward mainstream power generation, remarked Steve Zwolinski, president of GE Wind Energy. With costs becoming increasingly competitive with those of traditional generation technologies, a free and abundant fuel source that is not affected by dependence on foreign fuel imports and their fluctuating costs, and highly valued environmental benefits, wind power is becoming well recognized as an important part of our nation's energy mix.
The project will utilize GE's 1.5-megawatt machines, the largest wind turbines assembled in the U.S. and among the most widely sold and tested wind turbines in their size category, with more than 1,700 units installed worldwide. The wind turbines for the Colorado Green project are being assembled at GE Wind Energy's facilities in Tehachapi, California and are currently being shipped to the project site.
Our 1.5-megawatt machine is an excellent match for the strong, consistent winds that blow over Colorado's plains, said Zwolinski. We are pleased that this project is bringing both new wind capacity and rural economic benefit to the people of Colorado. GE Wind Energy is one of the world's leading wind power companies.
With design, manufacturing and/or assembly facilities located in Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, China and the United States, the company's current product portfolio includes wind turbines with rated outputs from 900 to 3,600 kilowatts, and support services ranging from project development assistance to operation and maintenance. The company's knowledge base includes the development and/or installation of more than 6,100 wind turbines with a total rated capacity exceeding 3,900 megawatts. GE Wind Energy employs more than 1,700 people worldwide.
About PPM Energy, Inc.
With a portfolio of more than 800 megawatts of wind power currently in operation or under construction, PPM has a goal of bringing 2,000 megawatts of new wind power to market by 2010. PPM also has about 800 megawatts of clean gas resources under its control to give customers a wide range of options for adding environmentally responsible energy to their portfolios. The American Wind Energy Association honored PPM with its Market Maker of the Year award for aggressively finding markets for wind power. For more information, please visit www.ppmenergy.com
About Shell WindEnergy, Inc.
Shell WindEnergy is dedicated to developing and operating wind farms and selling 'green' electricity. It is part of Shell Renewables, one of the five core businesses of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies. Shell Renewables was established in 1997 to pursue commercial opportunities in solar photovoltaic and wind energy. For more information, visit www.shell.com/renewables.
About GE Power Systems
GE Power Systems (www.gepower.com) is one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation technology, energy services and management systems with 2002 revenues of nearly $23 billion. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, GE Power Systems provides equipment, service and management solutions across the power generation, oil and gas, distributed power and energy rental industries.
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CONTACT:
GE Power Systems, Atlanta
Dennis Murphy, 770-859-6948
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or
Masto Public Relations
Ken Darling or Howard Masto, 518-786-6488
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