Federal Power Agency Issues Largest Wind Solicitation Ever

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TO ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT EDITORS:

Federal Power Agency Issues Largest Wind Solicitation Ever

Request for 1,000 MW of New Capacity Signals

'Breakthrough' for Wind in Pacific Northwest, U.S.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 -/E-Wire/-- The Bonneville Power Administration's (BPA) decision to solicit proposals Feb. 21 for 1,000 megawatts (MW) of new wind energy generating capacity is a "major breakthrough" for the increasingly-competitive clean energy technology, the Washingon, D.C.-based American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) said today.

The BPA request for proposals (RFP) is a clear signal that the federal agency recognizes the potential of wind energy to provide near-term, stably-priced electricity supplies as California and the Pacific Northwest grapple with gyrating energy prices and power shortages, AWEA said.

It said the new wind plants that should result within two to three years, more quickly than other new power plants can be built, would provide enough electricity for 150,000 households or 400,000 people.

According to BPA, "Wind projects are particularly attractive because they can come online in a relatively short time (24 to 30 months), offer power that is competitively priced with other sources such as combustion turbines, are relatively easy to site and expand, have low environmental impacts (including no carbon emissions) and are highly desirable to buyers of 'green' power."

AWEA executive director Randall Swisher said the BPA solicitation, which amounts to roughly $1 billion in new business for the wind industry, "takes wind energy to a whole new level in the Pacific Northwest and the United States. What BPA is saying is that wind energy has arrived as a recognized source of bulk electricity supply."

Wind energy has attracted increasing attention in recent years as the fastest-growing energy source worldwide, expanding at an average clip of 29% over the past five years, but the BPA solicitation is still quite large. In addition to the new 1,000-MW RFP, the agency is buying or has under consideration nearly 300 MW of wind power from wind projects already installed or under development in the region. If the power agency were a country, the 1,300 MW of wind energy would place it fifth in the world in wind capacity (behind Germany, the U.S., Spain, Denmark).

Although wind energy is intermittent (wind plants produce no electricity when the wind is not blowing), it has many other benefits that make it a good choice for California and the Northwest as the region's energy crisis intensifies:

* Wind is highly compatible with natural gas--gas plants can be turned up or down as needed to match changes in the wind energy supply. And adding wind to gas plants helps to conserve natural gas supplies, easing pressure on gas prices.

* Using wind power when it is available helps provide opportunities to take aging fossil-fueled plants off line for needed maintenance or to comply with air pollution limits.

* Wind energy is abundant, with large resources located throughout the West.

"With power supply looming as a critical issue in the region, wind is obviously an attractive choice," Swisher said. "We are just beginning to recognize its true potential."

AWEA, formed in 1974, is the national trade association of the U.S. wind energy industry. The associations membership includes turbine manufacturers, wind project developers, utilities, academicians, and interested individuals. More information on wind energy is available at the AWEA web site: www.awea.org

American Wind Energy Association

Tom Gray (802) 649-2112, Christine Real de Azua (202) 383-2508

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