BP plans five new wind projects in U.S.

BP Alternative Energy North America (BP) today announced it expects to begin construction on five wind power generation projects in the U.S. this year.

Located in four states - California, Colorado, North Dakota and Texas - the projects are expected to deliver a combined generation capacity of about 550 megawatts (MW).

BP's U.S. wind portfolio includes the opportunity to develop almost 100 projects with a potential total capacity of some 15,000 MW.

Construction is already under way on the Cedar Creek project in Weld County, Colorado, a development venture between BP and Babcock & Brown Operating Partners LP. The 300 MW wind power generation project will be comprised of 274 wind turbines. Initial operation is expected in the second half of 2007, and when fully commercial, the project will be expected to generate enough carbon-free electricity to power 120,000 homes.

BP's other projects include re-powering the Yaponcha wind power generation project in California's San Gorgonio Pass, which is expected to have a capacity of 20 MW, and projects in North Dakota, Central Texas and West Texas - the latter to be in excess of 100 MW.

BP plans to deploy 150 MW of Clipper Liberty turbines as part of the supply and joint development agreement it entered into in 2006 with Clipper Windpower.

BP Alternative Energy, launched in November 2005, combines all of BP's interests in low and zero-carbon power generation: wind, solar, hydrogen power with carbon capture and storage and gas-fired power generation. It's one of the leading wind developers in the United States, and also has operations in Europe, Asia & Latin America.