US-based energy company Avista has chosen to purchase the power generated from the proposed Rattlesnake Flat Wind project in Adams County, Washington.
Image: Rattlesnake Flat Wind is a wind energy facility located in Adams County, Washington. Photo: Courtesy of makunin from Pixabay.
Rattlesnake Flat Wind is a wind energy facility that is being developed by the renewable energy developer Clearway Energy (Clearway). Avista has selected the project through a request for proposal issued in June 2018.
With supply starting in 2020, the wind farm is expected to provide approximately 50MW average of renewable energy, or 144MW of nameplate wind capacity, under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) to Avista.
The PPA is expected to provide additional renewable energy, capacity and environmental attributes to the company and aligns with its 2017 Integrated Resource Plan. Avista is planning to recover the cost of the power purchased through its retail rates.
Avista Energy Resources senior vice president Jason Thackston said: “Recent market changes, including reductions in the cost of wind power facilities and tax incentives that remain in effect, have combined to make this an excellent time to acquire long-term output from a cost-effective wind resource, which has the added benefit of being located in our service territory.
“Rattlesnake Flat will help Avista meet its goal of providing reliable energy to our customers at a reasonable cost, while bringing even more renewable energy to our region, now and in the future.”
Rattlesnake Flat Wind marks the largest renewable energy facility in Adams County, which is capable of generating adequate clean, renewable energy to power approximately 37,600 households.
Avista said that the Rattlesnake project is located on a privately owned 20,000 acres site near Lind, WA, and is expected to tie into the company’s electric system through its Lind/Washtucna transmission line.
Clearway wind development senior director Benjamin Fairbanks said: “We’ve been closely working with key stakeholders in Adams County, developing partnerships with landowners, businesses and local government to enable this project, and entering into this long term partnership with Avista is a very exciting next step.
“We’re proud that Rattlesnake Flat will be a source of home-grown renewable energy for the state of Washington and for Avista’s customers for many years to come.”