The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is moving forward with its first wind farm, the 120 MW Pine Tree Wind Project.
Located some 176 km north of Los Angeles, near Mojave, in Kern County on the southern edge of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, the project will use 80 GE Energy 1.5 MW turbines. GE is also selling about a third of the land required for the project to the city of Los Angeles.
The project was first announced in 2003, but delayed due to permitting and technical challenges, and is now expected to be completed by the end of 2007.
LADWP will construct a new transmission line and substation to connect the Pine Tree project site to a high-voltage transmission line running up the east side of the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Output from the facility will be used to help meet the 20% Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) set out by LADWP for 2020.
In related news, 14 GE 1.5 MW turbines are also to be used for a 21 MW project on the South Point of the island of Hawaii. The Pakini Nui Wind Project is being developed on behalf of the Hawaiian Electric Light Company (HELCO), by owner/developer Tawhiri Power.