White Creek Wind Project
White Creek Wind Project is the largest public power initiated wind project in the United States. It is located in the Columbia River Gorge on 9,500 acres of ranchland, 21 miles east of Goldendale, Washington. The District developed the Project in conjunction with Cowlitz County PUD, Lakeview Light and Power, and Tanner Electric Cooperative. The PUD’s share of the output from the project is 13 percent.
Construction began in July 2006. Siemens Power Generation supplied, installed, and commissioned the eighty-nine wind turbines, associated towers, and other equipment at the project. The equipment was shipped to the Port of Longview, WA and trucked to the project site.
Each 2.3 megawatt (MW) turbine has three tower sections and stands 265 feet tall.
The three 150-foot-long blades are attached to the generator shaft at the top of the tower. When the wind causes the blades to turn, power is generated.
The White Creek wind project is operated by North American Energy Services Company (NAES) with an oversight committee comprised of the Owners and off-takers. This group meets monthly and acts as the governing body in the operation and maintenance of the project.
Total installed capacity is 204.7 MW. With a one-third capacity factor, the projected annual output is 68 average megawatts. The project will power an estimated 38,000 homes or about 427 homes per turbine.
KPUD enters into multi-year power purchase agreements with various entities to ensure KPUD's share of project output provides valuable revenue to the ratepayers. A historical look at generation amounts sold is illustrated in the chart below:
