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BP Wind Energy today announced full commercial operation of Phase I of the Sherbino Wind Farm in Pecos County in west Texas. The first 150 megawatts (MW) of the project, which has a potential capacity of 750 MW, has been built through a 50-50 joint venture agreement with Padoma Wind Power LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of NRG Energy Inc.
"Wind energy is one of America's most plentiful and important natural resources. The Sherbino wind farm will produce clean, renewable electricity for the next twenty years."
-- Robert Lukefahr, President, BP Wind Energy North America
Construction of the 50-wind turbine facility located some 40 miles east of Fort Stockton in Texas moved into full construction in February 2008. Phase I utilizes 50 Vestas V-90 wind turbine generators, each with a rated capacity of 3 MW. BP will operate phase I of the project. The power produced from phase I of the project will be delivered into the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) transmission system and sold on the wholesale power market.
"The successful commercial operation of phase I of the Sherbino wind farm with our partner NRG Energy is another example of BP's commitment to grow its wind portfolio in the U.S.," said Robert Lukefahr, president of BP Wind Energy North America Inc. "Wind energy is one of America's most plentiful and important natural resources. The Sherbino wind farm will produce clean, renewable electricity for the next twenty years."
This is the second wind project in Texas that BP has brought into commercial operation in the past month. The 60 MW Silver Star I Wind Farm located 80 miles southwest of the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area became operational on September 24, 2008. The project utilizes 24 Clipper Windpower 2.5 MW Liberty turbines.
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The largest single opponents of alternative fuels are the railroads,and it surprises me they have not seen the sudden windfall if they electrify their systems using the wind power suggested by Pickens.I'm afraid the enormous capital expenditures made by railroads and pipelines from Canada will push these industries to oppose any wind or solar development.
On the other hand, the effective transition can be made by railroads and the Canadian tar oil sands if they are willing to invest or absorb the costs of the new infrastructure.
The shift from centralized power production to distributed energy generation and interconnection via regional and local grids WILL come, because the total cost is cheaper and public utilities now are seeing the economies of scale. For railroads to fight this is like 'featherbedding' the status quo. It won't work forever... They would be far better disposed to see how they can cash in and take advantage of distributed power production and the national shift toward greater reliance on electricity, perhaps by re-instituting the concept of local and regional electrically-powered PASSENGER trains that can provide a good, cost-effective transportation alternative to the airlines and the personal (and now expensive) motorcar for travelers.
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