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Fire Island Wind Project—Summary
and Lessons for Rural Alaska
April 30, 2013
Fire Island Wind Project Video http://youtu.be/SLqZq3FVMLY
Fire Island Wind Project
As of April 28, 2013:
•FIWP produced 37,776
megawatt-hours of electricity
•Caused no electrical system
operational issues*
•Saved CEA approximately 196
million cubic feet of now scarce
Cook Inlet natural gas in 2012*
*(data provided by CEA in Jan. 16, 2013 RCA filing)
Fire Island Wind Project An important piece of the Southcentral energy puzzle
Project statistics for January
2013:
•Produced 6,812 megawatt-
hours of electricity
•Average wind speed of 8.5 m/s
(19.0 mph)
•Predominant north wind
Fire Island Wind Project Private investment supporting Railbelt energy production
• Chugach Electric
Association Power
Purchase Agreement
• 25-year PPA
• Flat net price of
$97/MW-hour
throughout contract
• $65 million of private
investment in local
energy
Project Facts • 11 GE XLE 1.6 MW wind turbines with total project
nameplate capacity of 17.6 MW
• Expected to generate 51,000 MW hours annually
• Save 500 million cubic feet of Cook Inlet natural gas
annually (4 percent of CEA’s annual gas consumption)
• Power for 4,000 Alaska homes
Why Fire Island? Chugach Electric Association led a
group of utilities to survey Southcentral
Alaska for potential commercial wind
project sites in the 1990s.
Fire Island identified as best site
based upon:
• Wind resource
• Proximity to grid and load
• Minimal environmental impacts
• Lack of conflicting land uses
• Available land for construction
History • 1980’s – CIRI obtains Fire Island property
• 2000 – utility study identifies wind resource
at Fire Island, installs first met-towers and
conceives a 36-turbine project idea
• 2005 – CIRI becomes project developer
• 2008 – Radar software upgraded
• 2009 – Key permits issued, FAA VOR
mitigation plan negotiated
• 2010 – site clearing and preliminary
construction
• 2011— CIRI receives FAA permits, RCA
contract approval, closes project financing
Fire Island Wind Project layout
• 11 commercially operating turbines
• 22 turbine sites available for development
Project Timeline • Fall 2011
• Financing closed.
• Shoreside transmission work begins
• April 2012
• Mobilize to the island
• Start on-island construction
• July 2012
• Wind turbine installation
• September 2012
• First power generated
• Project commissioning
2011 • FAA determination of no hazard issued
• Commercial contracts and Power Purchase Agreement
• RCA approval of PPA
• Project financing closed
• On-shore transmission line construction
2012 • On-island civil and electrical construction
• Finished transmission interconnection
• Erected wind turbines on Fire Island
• Project commissioning completed and commercial operation began Sept. 2012
Transmission • Two 34.5 KV submarine transmission cables from north
point of Fire Island, 3.1 miles across Turnagain Arm to transition cabinet near Point Campbell
• 8.6 miles terrestrial transmission line
• Buried line along existing utility corridor, overhead transmission line north of Connor’s Bog
• Termination at International Substation
• System to be owned and operated by Chugach Electric
Wind Turbine Information
GE 1.6 MW XLE wind turbine:
Blade Length = 131 feet (40 meters)
Hub height = 262 feet (80 meters)
Turbine rotational speed = between 9.8
and 18.7 RPM
Turbine foundation =
steel reinforced concrete
GE Energy
1.6MW wind turbines
Relative heights
Conoco-Phillips Building 296 ft.
Atwood Building 265 ft.
Fire Island Wind Turbine hub 262 ft.
A Fire Island Wind turbine superimposed on the downtown Anchorage skyline
Lessons applicable to rural Alaska
• Logistics are key risk and cost driver
• Private investment in community energy infrastructure
• Value of expert energy project developer
• Tenacity & Vision
Contact: 907.274.8638 [email protected] facebook.com/fireislandwind www.fireislandwind.com