Vestas

EDF Renewable Energy Signs Agreement to Supply Google with 201MW of Wind Power

Google signed a deal with EDF Renewable Energy (EDF RE) to purchase renewable energy for its data center. The PPA will provide Google with the full output of the 201-MW Great Western Wind Project located in Woodward and Ellis counties near the base of the Oklahoma panhandle. The project will commence construction in the first quarter of 2016 and be fully operational by end of the year. Great Western will be comprised of 30 V117 (unit capacity of 3.3 MW) and 51 V100 (unit capacity of 2.2 MW) wind turbines supplied by Vestas.

Algonquin Power to Develop 150-MW Wind Project in the U.S.

Algonquin Power & Utilities jointly developed the 150-MW Deerfield wind power project with Renewable Energy Systems Americas. The project will utilize turbine technology comprised of 44 Vestas V110-2.0 wind turbines and 28 Vestas V110-2.2 turbines and is estimated to generate 555.2 GW-hrs annually. Deerfield has a 20-year PPA with Wolverine Power Supply Cooperative.

Google to Buy into Africa’s Largest Wind Farm in Northern Kenya

Google plans to buy Vestas’ 12.5 percent share in Lake Turkana Wind Power, Africa’s largest wind park, when the project is complete in 2017. The share purchase agreement is in connection with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's Climate and Clean Energy Investment Forum and builds on a relationship between Google and Vestas, which also includes the 270-MW Alta Wind Energy Centre in southern California and the powering of a Google data centre in Finland. The Lake Turkana wind park is owned by Lake Turkana Wind Power.

Vestas Receives 40-MW Contract for Wind Project in India

Vestas received an order for 20 V110-2.0 MW turbines for a wind power plant in Gujarat State, India. The order for the Khambaliya project is an extension of an existing contract with Powerica Ltd., a power solutions provider in India. Among the 40 MW for this project, 12 MW constitutes an upgrade from a part of a previous order for turbines with the V100 platform, and the remaining 28 MW is newly added. The order includes the supply, installation and commissioning of the turbines, which is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2016.

Digest (November 2014)

Siemens will provide the grid connection for an offshore wind farm off the coast of the U.K.; ABB will supply gas-insulated switchgear for substations in New Jersey; A team from the Microgrid Institute will design, simulate, and test microgrid control systems for two Maryland suburbs; Plus solar power developments by Xcel Energy, SunEdison, ReneSola, and Duke Energy; and others…

Duke Energy to Build Los Vientos V Wind Project in Texas

Duke Energy Renewables will build, own and operate a 110-MW wind power project, Los Vientos V, in Starr County, Texas. Garland Power & Light, Greenville Electric Utility System and Bryan Texas Utilities (BTU) have signed 25-year PPAs produced by the project. Vestas will supply 55 2-MW turbines for the project. The project is expected to be completed in late 2015.

Big Data

The buzzword of the day is ‘analytics.’ But what does it mean?

As utilities seek to extract value from their technology assets, smart grid and metering data is becoming a gold mine for insights about how to improve service and save money. Fortnightly’s Alyssa Danigelis speaks with experts in the growing field of data analytics, to learn how big data might reshape the utility landscape.

Vendor Neutral

(February 2012) Siemens acquires eMeter; Long Island Power Authority selects PSEG to manage T&D system; Mountain Parks Electric awards SCADA/DMS contract to Open Systems International; Kiewit and Sargent and Lundy award contract to Hitachi; plus announcements and contracts involving SAIC, Shell, Landis+Gyr, and others.

Vendor Neutral

(July 2011) Williams Partners L.P. expands Transco transmission lines; Google to provide fiber optic Internet service for Kansas City, Mo.; Constellation Energy picks Lynxspring Inc.; plus contracts and developments involving Servidyne, EnerNOC, Siemens Energy and others.

Vendor Neutral

(April 2011) GE Hitachi and Lockheed Martin team up on nuclear reactor controls; Elster wins metering contract in New Hampshire; Xcel hires Bechtel for nuclear services in Minnesota; Mitsubishi builds transformer HQ in Memphis; Northeast Utilities taps Siemens for transmission projects; Iberdrola sells wind output to FirstEnergy; Consumers and DTE invest $400 million to upgrade pumped storage facility; plus contracts and announcements from Alstom, URS, Areva, groSolar, Pattern Energy, S&C Electric and others.