As the first of its kind in North America, the Wheatridge Renewable Energy Facility in Oregon will integrate 300 mW of wind generation with 50 mW of solar generation and 30 mW of battery storage. By co-locating these technologies, Portland General Electric (PGE) and NextEra Energy Resources will be able to create a zero-emissions resource and accelerate Oregon's transition to clean energy.
"We're moving aggressively to integrate smart grid technologies and renewable energy to give customers affordable, clean, low-carbon energy," says Maria Pope, PGE president and CEO. "Wheatridge will be a model for integrating renewable generation and storage to cost-effectively reduce emissions while maintaining a reliable grid."
Powering Oregon
The new facility, combined with PGE's existing resources, will bring the company's wind generation portfolio to a nameplate total of more than 1,000 mW (one gW), available from five owned or contracted wind farms in the Northwest – enough power to serve the equivalent of 340,000 homes. The solar farm will be one of the largest in Oregon, while the battery storage facility will be the largest in Oregon and one of the largest in the United States.
The new energy facility will be located just north of Lexington, Oregon, in Morrow County. With the addition of these new renewable resources, PGE expects to meet about 50 percent of its customers' power needs with emissions-free generation.
"We're pleased to work with Portland General Electric on the Wheatridge Renewable Energy Facility, an exciting opportunity to combine wind, solar and energy storage," says Armando Pimentel, president and CEO of NextEra Energy Resources, the world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and the sun. "This venture will allow PGE's customers to benefit from more renewable energy over more hours of the day and create substantial economic value for the communities that host this project, many of whom stand to benefit for years to come."
Project Details
Power from the facility will be generated by 120 wind turbines manufactured by GE Renewable Energy, Inc. The specific equipment to be used at the associated solar farm and battery storage facility is still to be determined.
Wheatridge will provide up to 300 jobs during construction of the wind site and up to 175 jobs during construction of the solar and storage sites. About 10 full-time employees will operate the combined facilities once they're commissioned for service.
Ownership and Construction
Swaggart Wind Power, LLC began development and permitting of the Wheatridge wind farm in 2009. Swaggart is an affiliate of MAP® Energy. The project was then acquired by a NextEra Energy Resources subsidiary in 2017. NextEra and PGE expanded the project scope to include solar generation and battery storage.
PGE will own 100 mW of the wind project. A subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources will own the balance of the project and sell its output to PGE under 30-year power purchase agreements. NextEra Energy Resources' subsidiary will build and operate the combined facility. The split ownership and PPA structure will allow the two energy companies to share project risks and benefits.
The wind component of the facility will be operational by December 2020 and qualify for the federal production tax credit at the 100 percent level. Construction of the solar and battery components is planned for 2021 and will qualify for the federal investment tax credit. The tax credits help reduce the cost of the project over time, thus reducing costs to PGE's customers. PGE expects to invest about $160 million for its owned portion of the project.
Quick Facts:
- 380 mW of emissions-free power
- Largest solar farm in Oregon
- Largest battery storage facility in Oregon
- One of the largest battery storage facilities in the nation
- 100,000 homes powered
- Located in Morrow County
- Construction begins in 2019
For more information, visit the Web site. You can also learn more by downloading this PDF or viewing the video clip below.
