California utilities commission OKs PG&E-EnXco wind contract in Solano County

California utilities commission OKs PG&E-EnXco wind contract in Solano County
East Bay Business Times - by Mavis Scanlon
Thursday, April 10, 2008

The California Public Utilities Commission approved a new contract between Pacific Gas and Electric Co. and EnXco Inc. that calls for EnXco to build a 150-megawatt wind farm in Solano County.

PG&E and EnXco, an affiliate of the French renewable energy company EdF Energies Nouvelles, announced the 15-year renewable-energy contract in October. The EnXco Shiloh II generating facility is slated to come on-line at the end of this year and is expected to deliver 509 gigawatt-hours of electricity a year to PG&E customers in Northern and Central California.

Since 2002, PG&E has signed contracts for over 2,500 MW of renewable power as part of California's push for investor-owned utilities to increase the share of renewable energy to 20 percent by 2010. PG&E has made contractual commitments to have more than 20 percent of its future deliveries from renewables. For 2008, PG&E expects to have 14 percent of its energy delivered from renewable sources, according to the company.

EnXco first applied for a permit for Shiloh II in the fall of 2005. The project consists of 88 wind turbines situated in the Montezuma Hills Wind Resource Area in Solano County.

The new turbines will have a total generation capacity of up to 176 megawatts, according to the project's final environmental impact report.

PG&E will build and operate a new transmission line associated with the project.

During the approval process for the project, the Solano County Airport Land Use Commission brought up several concerns, including potential turbine impacts on new digital radar being installed at Travis Air Force Base this year and potential turbine impacts on weather radar used by low-flying aircraft.

The radar issues have been resolved, according to Greg Blue, regional manager of external affairs for EnXco.

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