Vestas to Supply Turbines for Northern California Wind Project
WASHINGTON — Danish wind energy giant Vestas Wind Systems announced Wednesday that it is supplying 86 MW in new turbines for the Mulqueeney Ranch wind repowering project in northern California.
The project, which was first proposed in 2019, entails replacing as many as 518 previously existing wind energy turbine sites with up to 36 new wind turbines.
In addition to providing the turbines, Vestas has also entered into a 10-year service agreement with developer Brookfield Renewable.
The Mulqueeney Ranch wind energy facility is located on 29 privately owned parcels in the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area, which is considered one of the most favorable wind energy sites in the United States.
The pass itself is located in the Diablo Mountain range in Northern California. Because of the difference in air temperature between the valley and the cooler air flowing in from nearby San Francisco Bay, a sea breeze blows consistently over the area at about 15 miles per hour.
In preparing for the environmental review of the proposal, Brookfield identified 36 possible turbine sites with the final configuration of the facility being determined on the basis of site constraints, data obtained from meteorological monitoring of the wind resources in the area, the results of bird use surveys and the cost of energy.
The project will use existing roads where possible, and temporary widening and construction of some new roads would be necessary.
The project would also require the installation of underground electrical lines connecting the turbines to a new substation that would be built adjacent to the Pacific Gas and Electric Company Tesla substation.
Delivery of the new turbines is expected during the fourth quarter of 2025, with commissioning of the revamped facility scheduled in the first quarter of 2026.
Dan can be reached at [email protected] and at https://twitter.com/DanMcCue
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