January 2, 2013
Pennsylvania

Somerset County’s largest wind farm operational

VICKI ROCK, Daily American Staff Writer | January 2, 2013 | www.dailyamerican.com

The 139.4-megawatt Twin Ridges Wind Farm – the largest wind farm in Somerset County – became operational on Dec. 24, Dan Lagiovane, project communications manager for EverPower Wind Holdings, said in a telephone interview on Wednesday.

Harry Benson, senior development director, said it was a difficult project because there are 68 wind turbine generators over seven ridges. The Twin Ridges Wind Farm is located on the Big Savage Ridge area in Somerset County, north of the Maryland-Pennsylvania border. The project is located in Southampton, Northampton, Larimer and Greenville townships on mixed use and forested lands owned by private landowners.

Renewable Energy Systems Americas of Colorado was the contractor. Each turbine generator has a rating of 2.05 megawatts. In total the Twin Ridges Wind Farm has the capacity to generate approximately 140 megawatts of electric power – producing enough electricity to power more than 45,000 households each year, according to the company. While it is the largest wind farm in Somerset County, it is the second largest in the state.

“Completion of the Twin Ridges Wind Farm is a milestone for EverPower and the commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Jim Spencer, CEO of EverPower Wind Holdings, said in a written statement. “Pennsylvania now has over 1,000 MWs (megawatts) of installed wind capacity when it had only 35 MWs (megawatts) ten years ago. Because of this significant growth, the state and local communities are benefiting from the economic and environmental benefits wind power provides.”

The four townships are expected to share up to $223,040 annually in payments in lieu of taxes, Lagiovane said. The Berlin and Meyersdale school districts will divide up to $93,000 per year. Somerset County will receive up to $37,000 a year. The 89 landowners will receive more than $1.5 million per year in royalty, easement and other payments. Twin Ridges will require eight to 12 new jobs to operate and maintain the project. Operation and maintenance will require approximately $2 million of local goods and services.

The Department of Community and Economic Development awarded Twin Ridge a $12.7 million grant that leveraged $250 million in private funds.

“We thank the local community for their patience during the construction process,” Lagiovane said. “We hope that this will be a long and fruitful partnership.”

Founded in 2002, EverPower Wind Holdings is a Pittsburgh-based developer of utility grade wind energy projects with offices in New York City and Bellefontaine, Ohio. EverPower’s portfolio includes four commercially operational wind projects: the 62.5-megawatt Highland Wind Farm in Cambria County; the 75-megawatt Highland North Wind Farm in Cambria County; the 150-megawatt Mustang Hills Wind Farm near Tehachapi, Calif.; and the 55.35-megawatt Howard Wind Project in Steuben County, N.Y.

EverPower has 17 projects in eight states in various stages of development totaling more than 2,100 megawatts. Four projects are in the advanced state of development, and one project is nearing completion: the 30-megawatt Patton Wind Project in Cambria County. EverPower is owned by its employees and the European private equity firm Terra Firma.