Babcock and Brown and BP Alternative Energy announced full commercial operation of the Cedar Creek wind farm in Weld County, Colorado. The 300.5 megawatt (MW) wind-power facility has been delivered on time, on budget and without a single lost time incident during its construction. General contractor Mortenson Construction has received industry recognition for construction performance of one of the largest single-build wind projects in the U.S. to date.
"Cedar Creek will be a long-term contributor to Colorado's New Energy Economy, providing enough wind-powered electricity for 90,000 Colorado homes," said Colorado Governor Bill Ritter. "The folks who built Cedar Creek have shown how a project like this can be done in the right way — working with landowners and local elected officials and building a major project with a superb safety record. They have set a high standard and we're pleased to have the Cedar Creek project in Colorado."
Construction of the 274-wind turbine facility located approximately eight miles east of Grover in north-central Weld County, Colorado, began last December. Phase one of the development, totaling 280.5 MW, became commercially operational in November. The final 20 MW has now been brought on line. The power produced from the Cedar Creek wind farm is sold to the Public Service Company of Colorado, a subsidiary of Xcel Energy Inc.
"The completion of Cedar Creek brings one of the state's largest wind farms to full capacity, providing a significant source of in-state, renewable energy, as well as an exciting economic development in Weld County," said Mike Garland, head of Babcock and Brown Americas Infrastructure Group.
Bob Malone, chairman and president of BP America said: "This marks an important step for BP in helping Colorado increase its important role as a provider of energy to help meet growing state and national demands. We appreciate Colorado's support of the Cedar Creek project — it's a win, win for Colorado consumers and local landowners, and helps achieve important national energy and economic objectives."
Babcock and Brown is the managing member and operator of Cedar Creek, which was a joint development venture between Babcock and Brown and BP Alternative Energy North America. The project employs a full-time staff of more than 30 workers who will monitor and maintain the site.
