PG&E adds 103 MW of wind to portfolio

San Francisco-based Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) announced today it signed a long-term power purchase agreement with the Arlington Wind Power Project, a subsidiary of Houston-based Horizon Wind Energy.

Under the agreement, Horizon is to deliver 240 GW hours of renewable wind energy annually to PG&E’s customers throughout northern and central California.

Located in Gilliam County, Oregon, the Rattlesnake Road Wind Power Project is currently under construction and is expected to begin operation in the first quarter of 2009, said the public utility.

With this agreement, PG&E claims it now has more than 1,213 MW of renewable wind energy under contract or delivered. 

The company said the contract was filed today with the California Public Utilities Commission, the group managing the State’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS).

Under the RPS, California utilities are required to increase their procurement of eligible renewable generating resources by one percent of load per year to achieve a twenty percent renewables goal by 2010.

Since 2002 the San Francisco company has entered into contracts for more than 2,700 MW of renewable power to meet this legal obligation.

Earlier this year PG&E announced PPAs for geothermal, solar, biomass and small hydroelectric in addition to other wind agreements (see PG&E to meet renewable energy requirements - sort of and PG&E adds another 107MW of solar, biofuel to the mix). 

In an effort to meet the state requirements Southern California Edison, a division of Edison International (NYSE: EIX), has also made its share of renewable PPA announcements in the past year (see SCE brings more solar thermal to California, SCE signs large new renewable energy contracts and Southern California Edison signs seven new renewable power contracts).    

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