The Wind Power Revolution

Portland General Electric Company announced this week that it has executed an agreement with Vestas Wind Systems, of Denmark, to acquire 76 turbines for phase one of the 25,000-acre Biglow Canyon Wind Farm in Sherman County. The turbines will each have the capacity to generate 1.65 megawatts (MW) of electricity, for a total of 125.4 MW – enough power to supply the needs of about 32,000 homes.

The Biglow Canyon project was developed by Orion Energy LLC and will be built, owned and operated by PGE.

“We’re very pleased to be working with Vestas on this project,” said Jim Lobdell, PGE’s vice president for power operations and resource strategy. “Wind power will be an increasingly important part of our portfolio in coming years, and Biglow Canyon Phase I will be a model for future developments. Vestas has an outstanding record of success and will help us assure that we’re off to a good start.”

Vestas Wind Systems is a global leader in the development, manufacture, sale, marketing and maintenance of wind power systems. It began manufacturing wind turbines in 1979 and has since installed a total of 30,000 turbines in 50 countries worldwide.

“Vestas is encouraged by the continuing growth of wind power in the Pacific Northwest. The order with Portland General Electric is a further strengthening of Vestas’ activities in the region. Vestas is pleased to be a supplier to Portland General Electric for this wind power project and we look forward to a long-term cooperation with this important customer,” said Jens Soby, president of Vestas Americas.

A new report says Canada has surpassed one gigawatt - a billion watts - of installed wind-power capacity.

Ernst and Young Renewable Energy Group says Canada is the 12th country in the world to surpass the one-gigawatt threshold. The report credits provincial support, noting that Quebec and Manitoba have set ambitious wind-power targets.

But it says there is industry concern about the continued provision of incentives at the federal level, since the Conservative government has frozen funding for the Wind Power Production Incentive.

The report cites Canada as the seventh most attractive country for investment in wind power over the long term.

First on the list is the United States, which the report says is showing unprecedented support for climate-friendly policies.