Ohio Governor Ted Strickland today announced grant awards totaling $5 million for the development of utility-scale wind energy projects. Two projects will receive funding for production projects: The Buckeye Wind project developed by EverPower Renewables in Champaign and Logan Counties, and the JW Great Lake’s Wood County Wind Farm in Wood County.
The awards are the result of the first round of the Ohio Wind Production and Manufacturing Incentive Program administered by the Ohio Department of Development, Ohio Energy Office.
“This investment is an important first step as we aim to create thousands of good-paying jobs by focusing on advanced energy production,” Strickland said. “Ohio’s commitment to wind energy will create economic development opportunities for communities across the state.”
“As Governor Strickland stressed yesterday with the unveiling of his energy strategy, Ohio must move beyond the status quo and into a position of global leadership in advanced energy technologies,” said Lt. Governor Lee Fisher, who also serves as Director of the Ohio Department of Development. “The potential for job growth is substantial with a commitment to renewable energy.”
EverPower’s multi-million dollar Buckeye Wind project is rated at a peak capacity of 100 megawatts (MW) and will have sites in Logan and Champaign Counties. The Buckeye Wind Project was approved for a grant of up to $3 million based on the amount of energy produced. The project will generate enough electricity to supply all the electricity needs for approximately 30,000 homes and is expected to be installed and operational by June 30, 2009.
JW Great Lakes’ Wood County Wind Farm is also a multimillion dollar project that is rated at a peak capacity of 49.5 MW. The Wood County project was approved to receive up to $2 million based on the amount of energy produced. The project will generate enough electricity to supply all the electricity needs for approximately 15,000 homes in Wood County and is expected to be installed and operational by June 30, 2009.
The awardees will receive a payment of 1 cent per kilowatt-hour for electricity generated and an additional 0.2 cents per kilowatt-hour will be available to projects that utilize Ohio-manufactured wind turbines. Payments will continue for five years or until the maximum funding award is reached, whichever comes first. It is likely that the wind turbines used for these projects will contain Ohio-made components.
Wind Production and Manufacturing applications underwent a thorough internal and external review process with assistance from the Lawrence Berkeley Livermore Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy.
Funding for the Ohio Wind Production and Manufacturing Incentive was authorized by House Bill 251, introduced by Representative Joseph Uecker (R- House District 66), passed in early 2007. The Ohio Department of Development administers the production incentive through the Advanced Energy Fund. Originally called the Energy Efficiency Revolving Loan Fund, it was established in 1999 by the Ohio General Assembly during electric restructuring. The Ohio Department of Development also supports wind development in Ohio by maintaining an on-line, high-resolution interactive wind map and by participating actively in the Ohio Wind Working Group. More information is available at www.ohiowind.org.
Source: Ohio Governor
30 August 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/08/31/ohio-governor-strickland-announces-5-million-for-wind-energy-production-projects/