Wind power in Montana
Wind power in Montana is a growing industry. At a nameplate capacity of 210 megawatts (MW),[1][2] the $500 million[3] Glacier Wind Farm, which is located in Toole and Glacier counties,[1] became Montana's largest in October 2009,[3] surpassing the 135 MW Judith Gap Wind Farm in Wheatland County.[3]
Rim Rock Wind Farm, brought online in September 2012, is located about 25 miles due north of the Glacier project. The wind farm has 126 wind turbines of 1.5 megawatts each, to be supplied by Acciona.[4] The project had been delayed due to issues with the Montana-Alberta Tie Line, which connects wind farms in the area to Lethbridge, Alberta.[5][1][6] Montana added two significant wind projects in 2012. The Gordon Butte Wind Farm, 9 MW, was completed early in the year and the Rim Rock Wind Project, 189 MW, was completed in September.
Installed capacity growth
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Wind Farms
| Wind farm | Installed capacity (MW) |
Turbine Manufacturer |
County | Date in Service |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glacier Wind Farm I and II (NaturEner) | 210 | Acciona 1.5MW | Glacier/Toole | 2008-2009 |
| Rim Rock Wind Farm (NaturEner) | 189 | Acciona 1.5MW | Glacier/Toole | 2012 |
| Judith Gap Energy Center (Invenergy) | 135 | GE 1.5MW | Wheatland | 2005 |
| Diamond Willow Wind Farm (Montana-Dakota Utilities) | 30 | GE 1.5MW | Fallon | 2007 |
| Musselshell Wind Project 1 and II | 20 | GW 1.5-87 1.5MW | Musselshell | 2012 |
| Gordon Butte Wind | 9.6 | GE 1.6MW | Meagher | 2012 |
| Horseshoe Bend Wind Park (United Materials of Great Falls) | 9 | GE 1.5MW | Cascade | 2006 |
| Two Dot Wind Farm | 3.8 | Wheatland |
Wind generation
| Montana Wind Generation (GWh, Million kWh) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2009 | 821 | 104 | 59 | 81 | 77 | 64 | 41 | 37 | 24 | 49 | 75 | 130 | 82 |
| 2010 | 930 | 82 | 55 | 92 | 104 | 85 | 69 | 62 | 61 | 60 | 81 | 101 | 80 |
| 2011 | 1,265 | 144 | 108 | 85 | 112 | 102 | 84 | 74 | 59 | 73 | 113 | 138 | 164 |
| 2012 | 1,238 | 160 | 88 | 130 | 94 | 97 | 107 | 57 | 58 | 37 | 119 | 123 | 162 |
| 2013 | 530 | 204 | 186 | 140 | |||||||||
Source:[12]
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Wind power in Montana |
- ^ a b c "NaturEner plans another massive wind farm in Glacier, Toole counties in Montana". San Francisco Examiner. 2009-09-15.
- ^ "U.S. Wind Energy Projects - Montana". American Wind Energy Association. 2009-12-31. Retrieved 2010-03-27.[dead link]
- ^ a b c "210-Megawatt Glacier Wind Farm Becomes State's Largest" (PDF). Great Falls Tribune. 2009-10-22. Retrieved 2010-03-27.[dead link]
- ^ Acciona gets contract for nacelles
- ^ "NatureEner Wind Farm project a go; construction underway". Cut Bank Pioneer Press. Retrieved 27 December 2011.
- ^ Rim Rock Wind Farm near Cut Bank hosts welcoming ceremony
- ^ Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (2010-03-05). "U.S. Installed Wind Capacity and Wind Project Locations". United States Department of Energy. Retrieved 2010-03-12.
- ^ Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (2010-02-04). "Installed Wind Capacity by State". United States Department of Energy. Retrieved 2010-03-12.
- ^ a b "AWEA 4th quarter 2012 Public Market Report". American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). January 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
- ^ Department of Environmental Quality Retrieved September 29, 2012
- ^ Wind Project Retrieved February 25, 2013
- ^ a b EIA (January 23, 2013). "Electric Power Monthly". United States Department of Energy. Retrieved 2013-02-25.
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