Duke Energy Plans Third Wyoming Wind Farm, Latest Step on Renewable Path

April 1st, 2009 by Dave Tyler

Duke Energy said today it will build a third wind farm in Wyoming and the Charlotte, N.C., based company plans to have the facility online by the end of this year.

[social_buttons] The Silver Sage Windpower Project will generate 42 megawatts of electricity with 20 2.1 MW Suzlon wind turbines. It will join Duke’s 29-MW Happy Jack Windpower Project in Cheyenne and the 99-MW Campbell Hill Windpower Project near Casper which should also be online by year’s end.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) entered into 20-year power purchase agreements to sell all of the electricity generated at the site to Cheyenne Light Fuel & Power (CLF&P), a utility subsidiary of Black Hills Corp., and Colorado-based Platte River Power Authority.

While windy Wyoming is a target rich environment for wind farms, one of the more interesting aspects of this announcement was Duke’s update on its wind generating capacities. The company says it is currently generating 500 MW of wind power and has 5,000 more megawatts under development. If all those projects come to fruition, Duke would be generating just under 14 percent of its power from wind.

It’s another big step for a utility that has made some interesting alternative energy moves, including investments in wood biomass, small scale solar power generation and overall efficiency.

“The Silver Sage project is another sign of the momentum we’re building in our renewable energy business,” said Wouter van Kempen, president of Duke Energy Generation Services, Duke’s renewable power subsidiary.

As long as renewable energy keeps generating solid return on investment for publicly traded Duke you can expect that momentum to continue.

Photo Credit: Cory Grunkemeyer’s Flickr stream, via a Creative Commons License.

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Tags: Cheyenne, Duke Energy, wyoming

About the Author

Dave Tyler Dave has over a decade of experience in journalism covering a wide variety of topics. He spent 7 years on the business beat for the Rochester (N.Y) Democrat and Chronicle, covering technology issues including the state's growing green economy. When he's not writing, you'll find Dave enjoying his family, being a bit of a music snob, and praying that the Notre Dame football team can get its act together. He lives in Rochester.

http://thegeneratorstores.com GShipman

What is the power purchase price per kwh ? Wholesale Prices ? Does anyone know?
http://thegeneratorstores.com GShipman

What is the power purchase price per kwh ? Wholesale Prices ? Does anyone know?
THansen

Wyoming is a great place for wind farms. It is only logical to take advantage of the almost constant wind in some areas of Wyoming.

There is a lot of interest with the new wind farms. I just saw this on facebook, http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/pages/Wyoming-Wind-Energy/73644966868?v=wall&viewas=17830444
THansen

Wyoming is a great place for wind farms. It is only logical to take advantage of the almost constant wind in some areas of Wyoming.

There is a lot of interest with the new wind farms. I just saw this on facebook, http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/pages/Wyoming-Wind-Energy/73644966868?v=wall&viewas=17830444
RIF

@Khürt

There is a photo of one in the article 2009-04-01 “Can Concentrating Solar Power Outshine Fossil Fuels?”, the parabolic shape with the round mirrors. The current models are rather small only some 25KW. That is 80 times smaller than a standard wind turbine. I do not know if it is possible to scale up easily, but it is not yet done. For CSP parabolic trough seems a better option for large scale.
RIF

@Khürt

There is a photo of one in the article 2009-04-01 “Can Concentrating Solar Power Outshine Fossil Fuels?”, the parabolic shape with the round mirrors. The current models are rather small only some 25KW. That is 80 times smaller than a standard wind turbine. I do not know if it is possible to scale up easily, but it is not yet done. For CSP parabolic trough seems a better option for large scale.
http://islandinthenet.com Khürt

When will Cleantechnica write articles about Stirling engines? Is no one at ALL working on this technology. Is wind the only thing you care about?
http://islandinthenet.com Khürt

When will Cleantechnica write articles about Stirling engines? Is no one at ALL working on this technology. Is wind the only thing you care about?
russ

It is called business for a reason. Duke is held responsible by their shareholders as it well should be.

The land based commercial wind farms seem to be an attractive investment at present. With long term leases and an assured cost on the energy supply (wind) what more can they ask.

Offshore has to be a lot more difficult- much more difficult conditions and political problems, even with so called green democrats, in permitting.

To bad the residential wind turbine producers are still to small to work for the economy of scale. The units are relatively low tech. I suppose some of the manufacturers are just plain greedy. Maybe one of the big suppliers will get interested in that market.

Utilities in the US are willing to work with a relatively low ROI which is a benefit to all.
russ

It is called business for a reason. Duke is held responsible by their shareholders as it well should be.

The land based commercial wind farms seem to be an attractive investment at present. With long term leases and an assured cost on the energy supply (wind) what more can they ask.

Offshore has to be a lot more difficult- much more difficult conditions and political problems, even with so called green democrats, in permitting.

To bad the residential wind turbine producers are still to small to work for the economy of scale. The units are relatively low tech. I suppose some of the manufacturers are just plain greedy. Maybe one of the big suppliers will get interested in that market.

Utilities in the US are willing to work with a relatively low ROI which is a benefit to all.