Once complete, the wind farm will be the largest in Colorado, as well as the most economical. It will also be the first to be entirely owned and operated by Xcel Energy through its subsidiary Public Service Company of Colorado. Flexibility and speed were key, which was one of the reasons Vaisala was selected by Xcel Energy to support the project. Xcel Energy must begin work on the project before the end of 2016. Meeting this deadline will help the company preserve $125 million in tax credits.
As a pioneer in utility-scale wind energy assessment, Vaisala delivered comprehensive energy due diligence reports for the project. The reports included detailed analysis of meteorological observations at the project sites, weather simulation, expected energy production and uncertainties surrounding generation predictions for the project.
The purpose of Vaisala's reports was to characterize expected generation at the Rush Creek site, and in the process create investor certainty for Xcel Energy. Vaisala's report concluded that the Rush Creek Wind Farm I site is expected to produce just over 2,311 GWh on an annual basis, enough to power more than 200,000 homes. This total accounts for the real-world effects that can cause wind farm energy losses, including availability issues, wake effects, line losses and turbine inefficiencies and degradation.
“Vaisala worked fast” said Gerald Kelly, Project Manager for Rush Creek at Xcel Energy. “They are flexible, and they met our deadline. This allowed us to continue with our plans, and will save Colorado customers money.”
The Rush Creek Wind Farm will in turn deliver a boost to Colorado's economy, as the wind project's transmission lines and distribution facilities will all be locally designed, manufactured, installed and operated. As a result, the Rush Creek Wind Project is expected to expand the local tax base, create hundreds of jobs and generate more than $180 million in landowner lease payments and property taxes.
Vaisala is a global leader in environmental and industrial measurement and provider of industry-leading renewable energy consulting services. Xcel Energy is Colorado's largest utility
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