Dec 8 2009
Pacific Gas and Electric Company have announced on 3 December, 2009 that they have signed a contract with Iberdrola Renewables, which is considered as the largest wind power provider in the world. With this contract, Pacific Gas and Electric Company will purchase and operate a wind generating plant that will be built in Southern California with an intention to provide better service to its customers.
The Manzana Wind Project, which is the first wind project, owned by Pacific Gas and Electric Company will hold a power capacity of up to 246 megawatts. This project follows a proposal that was developed by the company in February, 2009. Through this proposal, the company expressed intention to own solar photovoltaic power of 250 MW.
By December 2011, this project expects to receive an approval from the California Public Utilities Commission, which will enable the project to start with its power production process. About 7,000 acres in the Tehachapi region of Eastern Kern County is the site allocated for the Manzana Wind project. California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard will be well maintained by the Manzana project, and will have the capacity to deliver an annual output of about 670 gigawatt-hours every year. This output energy is equal to the energy used by almost 10,000 homes.
The Manzana project will cover a total cost of about $900 million. This includes all the costs that are developed by the company along with the company’s payments to Iberdrola Renewables whose responsibility is to establish and construct the entire facility. These payments will be regularly maintained as the company’s goals are fulfilled one by one.
Customers receiving transmission, distribution services and electric generation will see an increase in rates to about 1.1 percent in the year 2010. A normal residential customer consuming 550 kilowatt-hours every month will have to pay an extra of $0.25 as a result of an increase in rates from $74.13 to $74.38.
Source: http://www.pge.com/