New agreement makes Alabama Power among leaders for purchases of energy from wind among Southeast utilities
Alabama Power Company has approval from the state Public Service Commission to purchase more electricity from midwestern wind projects. The deal with Buffalo Dunes Wind Project, LLC mirrors one previously approved with Chisholm View Wind Project, LLC. Combined, the deals add up to 404 megawatts of electricity, and each project is under contract for twenty years.
Chisholm View Wind Project, located in Grant and Garfield counties, OK, is scheduled to begin operations in December 2012. The Buffalo Dunes Wind Project will be built near Garden City, KS, with a targeted operation date of 2014.
The two contracts are among the largest agreements for the purchase of energy produced from wind farms among Southeast utilities, and each gives Alabama Power valuable flexibility. For example, Alabama Power can use the energy and associated renewable energy credits as part of its service to local consumers, or Alabama Power can sell those credits, separately from the energy, to others. In either case, the contracts are expected to provide net savings to Alabama Power ratepayers.
“We’re always looking for environmentally friendly ways to produce and obtain rights to reliable, cost-effective electricity,” said John Kelley, Alabama Power’s resource planning director. “These two agreements represent a win-win for the company and the people we serve.”
To view photos of the Chisholm View project now under construction, please visit http://alabamapowernews.com/doubling-down-on-wind
To watch a short interview with Alabama Power's John Kelley about the agreement, please visit http://youtu.be/6q6Q0_C1SX0.