July
23, 2003
FPL Energy announces 144-megawatt wind farm in Wyoming
JUNO BEACH, Fla. - FPL Energy, LLC, a subsidiary of FPL
Group (NYSE:FPL), today announced it will build, own and operate
the largest wind project in Wyoming.
FPL Energy will construct 80 1.8-megawatt wind turbines at a site
in Uinta County, approximately 10 miles northeast of Evanston in
southwestern Wyoming. The turbines will have a generating capacity
of 144 megawatts, providing enough electricity to power more than
43,000 homes.
"The Wyoming project represents another important milestone
in the disciplined growth of our wind portfolio," said Jim
Robo, president of FPL Energy. "This project will bring a significant
new source of clean, renewable power to the region."
The company said the output from the facility is fully contracted
on a long-term basis. Construction of the project will begin later
this year and is expected to be completed by the end of 2003. The
project was developed by Orion Energy LLC of Oakland, Calif.
"We are pleased to have completed our second transaction this
year with FPL Energy," said Reid Buckley, vice president of
Orion Energy LLC. "This project, which more than doubles Wyoming's
wind generating capacity, has been made possible through the support
of the state of Wyoming, Uinta County, the Bureau of Land Management
and local landowners."
In addition, FPL Energy announced a 16-megawatt expansion of the
High Winds Energy Center located in Solano County, Calif., bringing
the total capacity of the facility to 162 megawatts. The output
from the High Winds Energy Center will be sold to PPM Energy, Inc.
under a long-term contract. Construction of the additional 16 megawatts
will begin later this summer and will be completed by the end of
2003.
With the addition of the Wyoming project and the High Winds expansion,
FPL Energy has announced wind projects representing more than 835
megawatts that are expected to be operational by the end of 2003.
"Through a combination of new development and acquisition,
we have expanded our industry leading wind portfolio and profitably
grown our business. We will continue to utilize a disciplined approach
as we explore new opportunities for wind energy development across
the U.S.," Robo added.
FPL Energy is a leading unregulated wholesale generator of clean
energy, including natural gas, wind, solar, hydroelectric and nuclear.
It is the nation's leader in wind energy, with 30 wind facilities
in operation in 10 states. Wind power represents more than 20 percent
of the company's portfolio. It is a subsidiary of FPL Group, one
of the nation's largest providers of electricity-related services
with annual revenues of more than $8 billion. FPL Group's principal
subsidiary is Florida Power & Light Company, one of the nation's
largest electric utilities, serving more than 4 million customer
accounts in Florida. Additional information is available on the
Internet at www.FPLEnergy.com,
www.FPLGroup.com and
www.FPL.com.
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