Rocky Mountain Power breaks ground on Wyoming wind energy initiative

 

On June 5, Rocky Mountain Power (Carbon County, Wyo., U.S.) broke ground on its first Energy Vision 2020 project for wind energy expansion in Wyoming. The project includes three new Wyoming wind farms said to provide a total 1,150 megawatts of new wind, which represents a nearly 60% expansion of PacifiCorp’s (Portland, Ore., U.S.) current owned and contracted wind fleet, as well as a 140-mile high-voltage transmission line in Wyoming that will help more wind energy connect to PacifiCorp’s transmission system.

The Energy Vision 2020 initiative is also intended to upgrade the company’s existing wind fleet, including longer blades and newer technology to boost output and extend the life of the projects.

“Working in partnership with community leaders and active citizens, we continue to forge new ways to maintain Wyoming’s place as a national powerhouse in energy production,” says Gary Hoogeveen, president and CEO of Rocky Mountain Power.

These projects are expected to create between 1,100 and 1,600 construction jobs in Wyoming and more than 100 full-time positions, add approximately $120 million in tax revenue from construction, and bring significant post-construction annual tax revenues starting at approximately $11 million in 2021 and growing to $14 million annually by 2024.

Projects within Energy Vision 2020 include:

• Repowering current wind turbines, Converse County,
• Repowering current wind turbines, Carbon County,
• New wind construction, Ekola and TB Flats I & II, Carbon County,
• New wind construction, Cedar Springs, Converse County, and
• Gateway West Transmission (Sweetwater & Carbon Counties).