Alta Projects
Alta Wind Energy Center: 1,550 MW Power Purchase Agreement
Oak Creek conceived and originated 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 of these projects will be in the part of the Tehachapi Wind Resource Area designated by Kern County (in their Master Environmental Assessment) for wind energy development and will utilize Segments 1 through 3 of the Tehachapi Regional Transmission Plan already approved by CAISO and permitted by the California Public Utility Commission. Segments 1 and 3 are currently under construction. Other projects are anticipated to follow after approval by the California Public Utility Commission of the balance of the Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project. This is a key part in implementing California's Renewable Portfolio Standard; a groundbreaking energy policy requiring 20% of California's electric energy needs to be met by renewable sources by 2010.
Oak Creek played a major role in the conception, planning, development and approval process for the Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project (TRTP), the largest renewable transmission project under construction in the US. 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.
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 will be 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
- Offtaker: California Portland Cement Company