April 23,
2003
FPL Energy continues to expand its industry leading wind portfolio
JUNO BEACH, Fla. - FPL Energy, LLC, the unregulated
wholesale generating subsidiary of FPL Group Inc. (NYSE: FPL), today
announced it plans to build three new wind energy facilities in
North Dakota, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania by the end of the year.
The new projects include:
- A 21-megawatt facility located near Kulm,
N.D. Output will be provided to Otter Tail Power Company, with
commercial operation expected by the end of 2003.
- A 51-megawatt facility located near Woodward,
in northwest Oklahoma. Output will be provided to the Oklahoma
Municipal Power Authority, with commercial operation expected
by the end of 2003.
- A 63-megawatt facility located in Clinton
and Canaan Township in northeast Pennsylvania. Output from the
facility will be provided to Exelon Generation Company LLC. Exelon
will market the green power to retail customers through a marketing
arrangement with Community Energy, Inc. of Wayne, Pa. FPL Energy
has signed a definitive agreement to purchase the project rights
from Orion Energy LLC, of Oakland, Calif., and expects the transaction
to close during the second quarter 2003. FPL Energy said it expects
to reach commercial operation by the end of 2003.
The company also said it has a definitive agreement with
Zilkha Renewable Energy LLC and Atlantic Renewable Energy Corp.
to acquire 24 megawatts of wind assets in southwestern Pennsylvania.
The facilities included in the transaction are the 15-megawatt Mill
Run Wind Power facility and the 9-megawatt Somerset Wind Power facility.
Both transactions are expected to close during the second quarter
2003. Output from these projects is and will continue to be sold
to Exelon Generation Company LLC.
These projects are in addition to the 434 megawatts previously
announced to be built in New Mexico, California, North Dakota and
South Dakota.
"In the face of difficult market conditions, we continue
to execute our strategy to profitably grow our wind generation business,"
said Jim Robo, president of FPL Energy.
The company also said it expects to take delivery of more
than 300 1.5-megawatt turbines in 2003 from GE Wind Energy which
will be used to support FPL Energy's wind energy growth.
"Having a supplier of wind turbines that can meet our
aggressive construction and installation schedule is critical to
the success of our wind development activities," Robo said.
"We're pleased to work with a company that shares our commitment
to quality, service and reliability."
FPL Energy is the largest generator of electricity from wind
turbines in the United States. The company currently owns and operates
wind farms in 10 states with more than 1,700 megawatts of capacity.
The company has announced projects representing nearly 600 megawatts
of new wind capacity that will be operational by the end of 2003.
"Wind power is an important element of our nation's
move toward energy independence as we harness our natural resources
for production of electricity. It is a clean, renewable source of
energy," Robo added.
FPL Energy is the nation's leader in wind energy, with 28
wind facilities in 10 states. FPL Energy is a leading independent
producer of clean energy from natural gas, wind, solar, nuclear
and hydroelectric. Wind power represents approximately 24 percent
of the company's portfolio, with more than 80 percent being fueled
by renewable or clean-burning sources. It has more than 80 facilities,
with nearly 7,300 megawatts in operation. It is a subsidiary of
FPL Group, Inc., nationally known as a high quality, efficient and
customer-driven organization focused on energy-related products
and services. Its sister subsidiary, Florida Power & Light Company,
serves approximately 4 million customer accounts in Florida. Additional
information is available on the Internet at
www.FPLGroup.com,
www.FPL.com and www.FPLEnergy.com.
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