July 11, 2012
California

Shell Windenergy Inc. “exiting” the Bear River Wind Project

Submitted by Evan Schreiber | News Channel 3 | kiem-tv.com 11 July 2012

A major local energy project loses force, as the plans come to a screeching halt.

Shell WindEnergy Inc. has announced they’ll be exiting the Bear River Wind Project – and thus, stopping all development activities.

Tuesday, the company said they’ve made the decision to exit the project due to unfavorable market conditions – specifically telling News Channel 3 of the financial difficulties, as the price for power from renewable sources has come down more than 30% in the last two years.

Additional issues with the project include those pertaining to transportation logistics. A Shell WindEnergy Inc. spokesperson tells us that while the project was possible from a technical perspective, the cost of the alternative routes and multiple handling of turbine components –- everything from docks, to trucking, to road improvements, and staging areas – was just not economically feasible.

The spokesperson says the community’s negative response to the project was absolutely a factor in their decision to cancel plans.

Early project development began back in January, as company advisors met with Humboldt County officials, and the Ferndale City Council, to discuss the preliminary strategies.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/07/11/shell-windenergy-inc-exiting-the-bear-river-wind-project/