ENER - New wind power project for Texas

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FPL Announces Texas New Wind Power Project

LCG, April 6, 2001--FPL Energy said yesterday it would build one of the world's largest wind- powered electric generating facilities on King Mountain in Upton County, Texas, about 50 miles south of Midland-Odessa.

The project will have a capacity of 278.2 megawatts, the company said. When the whims of nature are factored in, wind generation typically produces about 30 percent of its rated capacity, so the King Mountain facility will produce something like 84 megawatts.

"We are pleased to be enhancing our portfolio in Texas, where demand for electricity is growing and state regulators are encouraging development of a robust wholesale market, particularly in renewable sources and clean-burning natural gas," said Lew Hay, president of FPL Energy.

FPL Energy currently owns and operates a 1,000 megawatt natural gas plant in Paris, Texas and the 75 megawatt Southwest Mesa Wind Farm in West Texas. In addition, it has two plants currently under construction, a 535 megawatt natural gas plant in Bastrop, near Austin, and the 160 megawatt Woodward Mountain wind power facility, also in the Midland-Odessa area.

The King Mountain project will use 214 wind turbines rated at 1,300 kilowatts each. Figuring nine towers per square mile, the wind farm will occupy about 24 square miles of Texas.

-- Anonymous, April 07, 2001

Answers

They should have had it operational last night. They could have generated a ton of juice with the winds we got. Hopefully they'll put one up in Oklahoma too, as we always have a good wind.

-- Anonymous, April 07, 2001

We checked into wind power and found that the generator would have to be above the trees around here and that would make it prohibitively expensive. It would also probably violate city ordinances. Bummer.

-- Anonymous, April 07, 2001

No kidding, Sheeple! It was windy as heck last night. We've got a windmill here on the place that needs work in order for it to be operational (it's on "The List"), but man-oh-man. . .it was a whirlin'!

-- Anonymous, April 07, 2001

Brooke,

Last night on the news, they showed a piece of 2x4 that was nailed into a brick mailbox from the wind. Reminds me to much of the F5 last year. Glad it settled down a bit before it got here, as our top winds were sustained at 65.

-- Anonymous, April 07, 2001


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