Wind Today - Q4 2008 - (Page 13) Facility Highlights Wind farms in the San Gorgonio Pass near Palm Springs, CA are different from those in the Midwest. Imagine soldiers lined up in straight lines ready to march with military precision. Now visualize those soldiers returning from battle, still maintaining their formation, but with some members battered and others missing. That’s what some of the wind farms in the San Gorgonio Pass look like. These wind farms consist of rows of different brands, sizes, and age of turbines that represent multiple owners over the years. The array is different from wind farms that are sited on ridges—these California turbines capture wind sweeping through the Coachilla Valley and can stand closer together without concern regarding turbulence created by neighboring turbines—they just need to worry about the length of the next turbine’s blades. According to the California Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the San Gorgonio Pass area has steady westerly winds that are funneled between the San Jacinto and San Bernardino Mountain Ranges. According to the BLM web site, this constriction between the mountains results in an “acceleration of wind velocity to speeds suitable for wind energy development. The wide and open configuration of the pass also results in a relatively steady flow of wind without substantial turbulence.“ The BLM reports that 2,300 acres of private and 3,187 acres of BLM administered public lands in the San Gorgonio Pass are presently developed for wind energy production. The American Wind Energy Association’s web site lists (as of June 30, 2008) more than 3,000 wind turbines sited at San Gorgonio comprising 40 different wind farms with total power capacity of 615.41 megawatts (MW). Twelve different wind turbine manufacturers—some no longer operating—have turbines in the valley. There are eleven different owners identified, and several are not named. It’s in this environment that AES Wind Generation, Arlington, VA, has established operations as a wind farm owner and operator in the valley. Wind Generation AES Wind Generation AES is a global power company with operations in 29 countries. The company owns and operates 100 MW of wind energy capacity in Palm Springs and provides O&M services for another 100 MW. In addition to its wind farms in California, AES owns or manages wind Location: San Gorgonio Pass near Palm Springs, CA Altech III Size: 25.1 MW Turbines: 254 Micon 65 kW and 100 kW Year Completed: 1985 San Jacinto Size: 5.0 MW Turbines: 53 Windmatic 95 kW Year Completed: 1985 Mountain View I Size: 44.4 MW Turbines: 74 Mitsubishi 600 kW Year Completed: 2001 Mountain View II Size: 22.2 MW Turbines: 37 Mitsubishi 600 kW Year Completed: 2001 Managed Project #1* Size: 4.2 MW Turbines: 7 Micon 600 kW Year Completed: 1997 Managed Project #2* Size: 43.4 MW Turbines: 62 Micon 700 kW Year Completed: 1999 Managed Project #3* Size: 2.1 MW Turbines: 3 Micon 700 kW Year Completed: 1999 Managed Project #4* Size: 22.4 MW Turbines: 34 Vestas 660 kW Year Completed: 2003 * Managed projects’ names withheld for confidentiality Key Personnel: General Manager: Merritt Brown Executive Assistant & Special Programs Administrator: Jo Christensen Team Leader Project Operations: Rick Kolitz Team Leader Project Operations: Rick Zavits Team Leader High Voltage, Facilities, Project Operations & Safety coordinator: Greg Thill Team Leader Purchasing, Warehouse, Fabrication, Heavy Equipment & Electronics: Dennis Hauf Team Leader Performance Engineering & Data: Dean Begnaud 13
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