Montana Gov. Steve Bullock and Sen. John Tester recently were a part of the grand opening ceremony of the state’s newest wind power facility — the 79.75 MW Stillwater Wind in Stillwater County, Montana owned by Pattern Energy.
“Montana ought to be in the driver’s seat when it comes to realizing renewable energy opportunities — and we can do so with new facilities like Stillwater Wind,” Bullock said. “We have incredible wind potential in this state, and I look forward to how this facility will benefit our clean air and water, grow our economy and local revenue, and support jobs in the community.”
“This facility shows that, with responsible energy development, we can have the best of both worlds,” Tester said. “We can create new jobs and economic opportunities, while also working to address climate change.”
“Our first wind power facility in Montana is now generating strong benefits for the state, including millions of dollars in tax revenue, while producing enough clean energy to power 23,000 homes each year without any emissions,” said Mike Garland, CEO of Pattern Energy. “Montana has one of the strongest wind resources in the U.S., and we’re proud to be harnessing the power of its wind through this new facility.”
Stillwater Wind is using 31 Siemens Gamesa wind turbines comprised of five 2.3-MW turbines with 108-meter rotors and 26 2.625-MW turbines with 120-meter rotors.
Construction of the project created approximately 80 jobs within the local and regional communities and it is employing up to six full-time personnel during operations. The two construction contractors responsible for construction of the Stillwater Wind project, Dick Anderson Construction and EPC Services Company, are both headquartered in Montana.
Over the first 25 years of the facility’s operational life, it is expected to produce more than $18 million in tax revenue. The local county will also receive impact-fee payments over the first three years, in addition to royalty payments to participating landowners.
Stillwater Wind has a 25-year power purchase agreement for 100 percent of the energy produced. The facility interconnects to the local transmission provider’s 230-kV transmission line via a newly constructed 230-kV switching station.
MORE INFO www.patternenergy.com
