Biglow Canyon Wind Farm

Biglow Canyon Wind Farm is an electricity generating wind farm facility located in Sherman County, Oregon, United States. It is owned by Portland, Oregon, based Portland General Electric and began operations in 2007. Biglow has a generating capacity of 125 megawatts. It is located roughly five miles northeast of Wasco, Oregon and about ten miles (16 km) southeast of Rufus, Oregon. Biglow covers convert|25000|acre|km2 in the Columbia River Gorge.

History

In 2005, Orion Energy announced plans to develop a 450 megawatt wind farm with 225 turbines at Biglow Canyon in the Columbia River Gorge, at the time the largest project of its kind in Oregon. [Hill, Gail Kinsey. Wind farm in gorge may blow others away. "The Oregonian". August 1 2005.] Portland General Electric (PGE) acquired Orion’s development right to the $200 million project in 2006. [Hill, Gail Kinsey. PGE power project rides on the wind. "The Oregonian". April 12 2006.] In November 2006, PGE purchased the first 76 turbines for the project from Vestas, with the project cost increasing to an estimated $256 million for the first phase. [Hill, Gail Kinsey. PGE has the wind and adds the mills. "The Oregonian". November 28 2006.] PGE broke ground on the site in February 2007. In the middle of October 2007, ten Vestas V82 wind turbines were energized to produce the first electricity at Biglow.Sickinger, Ted. Demand for wind dwarfs supply. "The Oregonian", November 9 2007.] The last of the 76 turbines in the first-phase of the wind farm development became operational in December 2007. [http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=51000 PGE Completes Biglow Canyon Wind Farm.] Renewable Energy Access. Retrieved January 28 2008.] The turbines for phase 2 and 3 have been ordered from Siemens Energy. There will be one hundred and forty-one SWT-2.3-93 turbines with a capacity of 2.3 MW each. [ [http://www.theengineer.co.uk/Articles/305390/Siemens+to+supply+wind+farm+turbines.htm Siemens Energy to supply wind farm turbines.] The Engineer Online. Retrieved April 4 2008.]

Operations

The Biglow Canyon Wind Farm has an installed capacity of 125 megawatts. Additional phases, planned for construction in 2009 and 2010, are expected to bring its total generating capacity to between 400 and 450 megawatts. The site covers convert|25000|acre|km2 in Sherman County. The wind farm uses a feeder transmission line from the canyon to high-voltage transmission lines via a power substation located near The Dalles. [ Confusingly, the power substation near The Dalles is named "John Day substation". See cite web
url = http://www.usbr.gov/dataweb/html/pninter.html
title = Pacific Northwest-Pacific Southwest Intertie
publisher = US Bureau of Reclamation
accessdate = 2008-01-28 ] PGE does not own this line. Additionally, the line connects this and other wind farms to the Bonneville Power Administration run power grid built for use with the hydroelectric dams on the Columbia River.

Certification

The facility is authorized to install up to 225 wind turbines totaling 450 MW and averaging 150 MW distributed over convert|25000|acre|km2. Each turbine's supporting tower must be between 265 and 280 feet (80-85 m) tall; combined with windmill blades, each unit may be from 400 to 445 feet (122-136 m) tall. The turbines may be aligned in up to 30 corridors convert|500|ft|m wide on private farmland leased from the appropriate landowners. cite web
url = http://www.oregon.gov/ENERGY/SITING/docs/BCW2aSC.pdf
title = Second Amended Site Certificate for the Biglow Canyon Wind Farm
format = PDF
author = The Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council
publisher = Oregon Department of Energy
date = May 102007
accessdate = 2008-01-28 ]

The initial construction—termed phase I—provides a completed capacity of 125 MW or enough to power 34,000 homes. cite web
url = http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/071221/20071221005894.html?.v=1
title = PGE's Biglow Canyon Wind Farm Helps Make Holiday Lights Greener
date = December 212007
publisher = Yahoo
author = PGE press release
accessdate = 2008-01-28 ] Phase I is expected to cost between $255 and $265 million. Energy Trust of Oregon, Inc. contributed $6 million.

Turbine output is around 600 VAC and converted to 34.5 kV by a transformer at the base of each tower. The output is gathered by a substation which combines the individual turbine contributions. Most collector cabling and associated control and monitoring fiber optic cable (up to 99 miles) is buried convert|3|ft|m underground. Exceptions are made for aerial cables to span terrain such as canyons, wetlands, and cultivated areas to protect the environment. Up to convert|15|mi|km of aerial cabling is permitted. Bonneville Power Administration built a 12 mile 230 kV transmission line to collect the power. It has capacity for an expected additional 450 MW from two other proposed wind farms in Sherman County. [ cite web
url = http://www.transmission.bpa.gov/planproj/Wind/default.cfm?page=klondikeIII
title = Klondike III/Biglow Canyon Interconnection
publisher = Bonneville Power Administration
date = September 42007
accessdate = 2008-01-28 ]

The substation may be up to convert|6|acre|m2 including transformers, switching equipment, maintenance shops, control room, and offices.

As many as ten meteorological observation towers up to 279 ft (85 m) are allowed throughout the wind farm to collect wind resource data.

Notification to the Oregon Department of Energy is required if PGE chooses to install a turbine other than a General Electric 1.5 MW or 3.0 MW model.

Construction must begin by June 302009 and be completed by June 302011.

Visual impact restrictions are in force for the John Day Wildlife Refuge, John Day Wild and Scenic River, and the John Day State Scenic Waterway (from Parish Creek to Tumwater Falls). Wildlife protection must be provided for nesting bald eagles, peregrine falcons, Swainson's hawk, golden eagle, Burrowing owl, Ferruginous hawk and minimization of harm to other wildlife.

Noise levels during construction and operation of the facility must not contribute more than 50 dBA at 24 identified noise sensitive sites.

ee also

*List of wind farms
*Wind Power

References

External links

* [http://www.oregon.gov/ENERGY/SITING/BCW.shtml Oregon DOE] : all Oregon certificates for Biglow Canyon Wind Farm