Birth of a windfarm

Picture the scene: a hundred white wind turbines the size of 30-story buildings set on rolling grazing lands, with horses, goats and sheep grazing beneath the turbines.

Now, picture all these huge, expensive machines standing completely still.

Such was the case for most of today at the inauguration of the newest windfarm in the U.S.—a new 150 MW facility near Rio Vista, California in Solano County.

Organizers breathed a sigh of relief when, finally, toward the end of the bright, sunny day, enough wind showed up to make some of the monster turbines spin lazily for the cameras.

Environmental advocates, energy industry representatives and media had been invited to the dedication of the new Shiloh Wind Power Plant. The plant is the first renewable project to become operational since California's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) was adopted in 2002.

The RPS requires state utilities to procure 20 percent of their energy supply from renewable sources by 2017, one of the most aggressive such policies in the nation.

Attendees were treated to a drive through the wind farm, and even had the chance to tour inside a turbine tower to peek at the machinery inside.

Power from Shiloh is going to California customers through power and green tag purchase agreements with the City of Palo Alto Utilities, Modesto Irrigation District and Pacific Gas & Electric.

The project was funded by PPM Energy, a division of ScottishPower (NYSE: SPI). It incorporates 76 GE 1.5 SLE turbines on 80-meter towers and 24 on 65-meter towers. GE has been contracted to maintain the facility for PPE, and has 12 engineers dedicated to the project.

The Shiloh Wind Power Plant is approximately one hour from Sacramento and an hour-and-a-half from San Francisco, halfway between Rio Vista and Birds Landing.