Wind joins the mainstream as AES buys out developer

AES Corp, a Virginia-based utility, plans to buy SeaWest Holdings, a company that operates 1,371 wind turbines near Palm Springs with a capacity of around 230 MW. The $60 million purchase will make AES one of the nation’s biggest wind farm operators and developers, with projects in 13 states. Founded in 1982, SeaWest is one of the oldest and largest privately owned wind energy firms in California, but it has faced more competition recently from global energy conglomerates. AES chose SeaWest because of its vast portfolio and the number of projects under development.