Pattern Development is to sell electricity from the 200MW Duran Mesa wind farm in New Mexico to Silicon Valley Clean Energy and Monterey Bay Community Power under two 15-year power purchase agreements.
Silicon Valley Clean Energy will buy 110MW, with Monterey Bay purchasing the remaining 90MW.
Construction of Duran Mesa is expected to start in late 2019, with commercial operations scheduled for towards the end of 2020.
Power will be transported to the customers in California by the SunZia Southwest transmission project, which is an 837km 500kV link under development in New Mexico and Arizona by SouthWestern Power Group. SunZia will also be operational in 2020.
Silicon Valley Clean Energy board chair Courtenay Corrigan said: “As a community choice energy agency, signing onto a project of this magnitude marks a significant step in our maturity, financial strength and shows our commitment to supplying renewable energy for our communities.
“Silicon Valley Clean Energy is dedicated to the promise we made to our customers when we formed this agency – that we will provide clean, carbon-free power at competitive rates. This project helps us to continue reaching our decarbonisation goals.”
Monterey Bay Community Power board chair Bruce McPherson said: “Through strategic partnerships with other community choice energy agencies like Silicon Valley Clean Energy, Monterey Bay Community Power can leverage additional resources and buying power to develop bigger and more affordable renewable energy projects.”
Pattern Development chief executive Mike Garland said: “It’s a very positive sign for our industry that these two important public agencies are making their first long-term wind power purchase agreements – and we’re honoured to partner with them in New Mexico.
“These contracts will increase Pattern Development’s contribution to California climate goals to well over a gigawatt of wind energy serving California customers.”
Renewables developer Pattern Development is also known as Pattern Energy Group 2.
Image: Pattern Energy
Pattern inks New Mexico double
By EBS