Crane Creek Wind Farm
The company will own and operate a 99-megawatt wind farm near Riceville in Howard County, in northeastern Iowa. Sixty-six turbines will be erected as the project has an anticipated operational date of December 2009. The project will be built and operated under contract by enXco operations, a California-based energy company.
August 5, 2009 - Crane Creek Wind Farm Dedicated
A great day of wind farm progress was celebrated as about 200 folks including local residents, business owners and elected officials showed up to participate in the project's dedication ceremonies, including a visit from Chet Culver, the Govenor of Iowa. See photo page for more
If you have questions or comments, please contact:
Kerry Spees
920-433-1589
KASpees@integrysgroup.com
Project Details
- Project Purpose
- To acquire a 99-megawatt wind farm and help WPS reach its state-mandated Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) target of generating 10% of its retail electric sales with renewable power by 2015.
- Project Description
- To purchase a 99-megawatt wind farm designed and constructed by
enXco,
an energy company based in California that is a subsidiary of
EDF Energies Nouvelles
of France. The enXco company will erect sixty-six turbines, each with a 1.5
megawatt output near Riceville in Howard County in northeastern Iowa.
Wisconsin Public Service will be responsible for maintaining land lease arrangements, routing, permitting and construction of the electrical connection between the wind farm and the Rice Substation. - Key dates
- 09/14/07 - Initial negotiations announced
04/18/08 - Public Service Commission of Wisconsin approves purchase
04/18/08 - Agreement of terms reached
09/11/08 - Three-year operations and maintenance agreement reached
12/18/08 - Sale is closed between WPS and enXco
Quarter 1 2009 - Land easement phase completed and project design
Quarter 2 2009 - Base structure and site preparations begin
Quarter 3 2009 - Equipment arrives and is erected
Quarter 4 2009 - Testing and commercial operation begins
12/31/09 - Anticipated operational date - Land Requirements
- Final land leasing agreements were completed in late 2008. The turbines will be constructed in a rural agricultural portion of Howard County in northeastern Iowa, about 65 miles west of La Crosse, Wisconsin. The city of Riceville, Iowa, population 840, is about one mile southwest of the project site. Crane Creek flows in the area where the project is being constructed.
- Cost
- Current project estimate is over $250 million.
- Project lifespan
- 30 years
- Interconnection
- Currently being studied by the Midwest Independent System Operator. WPS will be responsible for the interconnection of the project. The electric output will be connected to the electrical grid through the Rice Substation.
Wind Turbine and Equipment
- Turbine Design
- General Electric 1.5 sle megawatt units. Asynchronous. There are over 3,300 similar GE units now operating worldwide.
- Rotor
- 3 blades
- Rotor Speed
- Variable: 11 - 20.4 rpm
- Rotor Diameter
- 77m or 252 feet
- Power Control
- Active blade pitch control
- Control System
- Programmable Logic Controller
- Yaw System
- Electromechanical driven with wind direction sensor
- Lightning Protection System
- Lightning receptors along blades. Surge protection in electrical components.
- Tower
- Conical tubular steel, 80m or 262 feet, constructed in three sections with internal safety ladder and nacelle access.
- Cut-in wind speed
- 3.5 m/s or about 7 mph
- Cut-out wind speed
- 25 m/s or about 56 mph
- Rated wind speed
- 14 m/s or about 31 mph
- Braking system
- Electromechanical pitch control for each blade and a hydraulic parking brake.
- Noise reduction features
- Insulated gearbox and generator and noise reduced nacelle and rotor blades with minimized noise level.
- Rated voltage
- 690 volts