Alta Projects
Alta Wind Energy Center: 1,550 MW Power Purchase Agreements
Oak Creek conceived the long-term major expansion of wind capacity in the Tehachapi Wind Resource Area of California. In December, 2006, Alta Windpower Development, LLC signed a power purchase agreement with Southern California Edison to deliver 1,550 MW of wind energy from new projects under long-term development in the Tehachapi Wind Resource Area. The power purchase agreement was announced by Southern California Edison as the largest renewable energy contract ever signed by a utility in the United States. The first phases of the Alta Wind Energy Center are now in commercial operation.
The Alta Wind Energy Center is made possible by new transmission capacity from the Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project (TRTP), which is the largest renewable transmission project under construction in the US. Oak Creek played a major role in the conception, planning, development and approval process of TRTP. This project has involved a number of precedent setting regulatory and judicial decisions, and is an example of how to develop other badly needed transmission infrastructure projects across the US.
In 2010, Oak Creek and Alta transferred all development rights, as well as construction and operation activities, to CHiPs, who is currently responsible for the implementation, including financing, of all the Alta projects located in the counties of Kern and Los Angeles.
Alta Development: Alite Project
Oak Creek developed and managed construction of the Alite Project in the Mojave area. This project is the strategically important first project to be completed by ALTA as part of the ALTA Wind Energy Center. The American Wind Energy Association has called the Alite project the largest "behind the meter" wind project in the United States, as it is capable of delivering up to 24 MW of energy directly to the off taker without having to transmit the energy through the electrical grid. Other details of the project are as follows:
- Project Size: 24 Megawatts
- Wind Turbine Generators: 8 Vestas V90 model
- Off-taker: California Portland Cement Company
- Operators: TGP and OCES
- Project Completion: Q4, 2008