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Ohio's First Utility Scale Wind Farm Dedicated
Ohio's First Utility Scale Wind Farm Dedicated
Bowling Green, OH — November 6, 2004 — Ohio has taken a step forward
on the path of renewable energy as the American Municipal Power-Ohio/Green
Mountain Energy Wind Farm goes on-line. The project is the first utility-
scale wind farm in Ohio.
The AMP-Ohio/Green Mountain Energy Wind Farm is located at the Wood County landfill, southwest of the city of Bowling Green. It consists of two 1.8-megawatt (MW) wind turbines, interconnected to the regional electric grid through a Bowling Green Municipal Utilities substation. The estimated combined output of the units will be 6,891 megawatt-hours (MWh) per year, providing enough power to supply approximately 780 homes.
"This is a tremendous project and represents a milestone in the state of Ohio," said AMP-Ohio President Marc Gerken. "AMP-Ohio has dedicated itself to promoting diversification of generation resources on behalf of our member systems, and in doing so we have increased the use of renewable resources. This wind project joins our existing mix of renewable energy from hydro and landfill gas and puts us at the forefront wind generation efforts in Ohio."
Partnering with AMP-Ohio on this project is Austin, Texas-based Green Mountain Energy Company. Green Mountain has contracted to purchase the green attributes of the energy produced at the wind farm, thereby lowering the cost of the energy sold to participating communities.
"These wind turbines are as powerful as any in the country and are the biggest wind generators east of the Rockies," said Ron Prater, general manager of Green Mountain Energy's Midwest and East regions. "Their significance is more than their size. It's the fact that we now are generating commercial electricity from wind."
Gerken also acknowledges the key role played by the city of Bowling Green in the project.
"(Bowling Green Utility Director) Daryl Stockburger deserves a great deal of credit for making this project a reality," Gerken said. "It was his confidence in the feasibility of wind generation in northwest Ohio that provided the vision for this project. Daryl worked with Green Energy Ohio to complete the wind studies for final siting of the facility. His assistance in working with local officials was invaluable. In the end, this project is the product of a private/public collaboration that should provide an example for others to follow."
Each turbine sits atop its own 257-foot tower. The rotors have three 132-foot blades, which at their high point, reach nearly 400 feet in the air. The units operate at wind speed of 9-56 mph, and can withstand wind speeds of up to 133 mph. At a wind speed of 31.3 mph, the generator will be at full capacity of 1.8 MW. Nominal rotation speed for the rotor will be 16.8 rpm.
About AMP-Ohio
American Municipal Power-Ohio (http://www.amp-ohio.org) is the Columbus, Ohio- based nonprofit wholesale power supplier and services provider for 81 member municipal electric systems in Ohio, four in Pennsylvania, two in West Virginia and one in Michigan. The organization provides a diverse mix in its wholesale generation resources, which in addition to fossil fuel, includes hydroelectric, landfill gas and distributed generation. Formed in 1971, the organization is owned and governed by its member communities and is dedicated to providing member assistance and low-cost power supply. In addition, AMP- Ohio serves as the project manager for groups of member municipal electric communities participating in joint ventures to share ownership of generation and transmission facilities.
About Green Mountain Energy Company
Founded in 1997 to "change the way power is made", Green Mountain Energy Company sells cleaner electricity generated from sources such as wind, solar, water, geothermal, biomass and natural gas to residential, business, institutional and governmental customers. Close to 600,000 customers in California, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Texas have chosen Green Mountain Energy® electricity, which is dramatically less-polluting than typical system power in those states. The company is based in Austin, Texas.
SOURCE: Green Mountain Energy Company; American Municipal Power-Ohio
The AMP-Ohio/Green Mountain Energy Wind Farm is located at the Wood County landfill, southwest of the city of Bowling Green. It consists of two 1.8-megawatt (MW) wind turbines, interconnected to the regional electric grid through a Bowling Green Municipal Utilities substation. The estimated combined output of the units will be 6,891 megawatt-hours (MWh) per year, providing enough power to supply approximately 780 homes.
"This is a tremendous project and represents a milestone in the state of Ohio," said AMP-Ohio President Marc Gerken. "AMP-Ohio has dedicated itself to promoting diversification of generation resources on behalf of our member systems, and in doing so we have increased the use of renewable resources. This wind project joins our existing mix of renewable energy from hydro and landfill gas and puts us at the forefront wind generation efforts in Ohio."
Partnering with AMP-Ohio on this project is Austin, Texas-based Green Mountain Energy Company. Green Mountain has contracted to purchase the green attributes of the energy produced at the wind farm, thereby lowering the cost of the energy sold to participating communities.
"These wind turbines are as powerful as any in the country and are the biggest wind generators east of the Rockies," said Ron Prater, general manager of Green Mountain Energy's Midwest and East regions. "Their significance is more than their size. It's the fact that we now are generating commercial electricity from wind."
Gerken also acknowledges the key role played by the city of Bowling Green in the project.
"(Bowling Green Utility Director) Daryl Stockburger deserves a great deal of credit for making this project a reality," Gerken said. "It was his confidence in the feasibility of wind generation in northwest Ohio that provided the vision for this project. Daryl worked with Green Energy Ohio to complete the wind studies for final siting of the facility. His assistance in working with local officials was invaluable. In the end, this project is the product of a private/public collaboration that should provide an example for others to follow."
Each turbine sits atop its own 257-foot tower. The rotors have three 132-foot blades, which at their high point, reach nearly 400 feet in the air. The units operate at wind speed of 9-56 mph, and can withstand wind speeds of up to 133 mph. At a wind speed of 31.3 mph, the generator will be at full capacity of 1.8 MW. Nominal rotation speed for the rotor will be 16.8 rpm.
About AMP-Ohio
American Municipal Power-Ohio (http://www.amp-ohio.org) is the Columbus, Ohio- based nonprofit wholesale power supplier and services provider for 81 member municipal electric systems in Ohio, four in Pennsylvania, two in West Virginia and one in Michigan. The organization provides a diverse mix in its wholesale generation resources, which in addition to fossil fuel, includes hydroelectric, landfill gas and distributed generation. Formed in 1971, the organization is owned and governed by its member communities and is dedicated to providing member assistance and low-cost power supply. In addition, AMP- Ohio serves as the project manager for groups of member municipal electric communities participating in joint ventures to share ownership of generation and transmission facilities.
About Green Mountain Energy Company
Founded in 1997 to "change the way power is made", Green Mountain Energy Company sells cleaner electricity generated from sources such as wind, solar, water, geothermal, biomass and natural gas to residential, business, institutional and governmental customers. Close to 600,000 customers in California, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Texas have chosen Green Mountain Energy® electricity, which is dramatically less-polluting than typical system power in those states. The company is based in Austin, Texas.
SOURCE: Green Mountain Energy Company; American Municipal Power-Ohio
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