GMP selects Vestas turbines for Kingdom Community Wind

Increased Efficiency Means Lower Cost of Energy

Green Mountain Power on June 7, 2011 announced that it has selected a turbine for its renewable wind project in Lowell that is 20 percent more efficient and will lower the expected cost of power from the project for GMP customers and Vermont Electric Cooperative members. With the Vestas V112 three megawatt turbine, the forecasted energy of the facility will increase, providing power to more homes and businesses at a lower cost than earlier projections.

Vestas Americas is headquartered in Portland, Oregon and produces towers, nacelles and blade in Colorado. Other Vestas turbines in the northeast include those installed at Kibby Mountain in Maine, which utilizes the Vestas V90 3.0, and the Granite Reliable project in New Hampshire, which is under construction.

"We are tremendously pleased that we have been able to make this renewable energy project even more affordable for our customers and VEC members," said Mary Powell, president and chief executive officer of Green Mountain Power. "With energy costs increasing, we are committed to ensuring that this project provides stable and cost-effective power to Vermonters. The increased production of the Vestas V112 3.0 also means a larger education tax fund payment, as well as higher payments to the Good Neighbor Fund."

The turbine choice was identified in a filing Green Mountain Power made today with the Vermont Public Service Board of several of the documents required before construction of the project can begin. As anticipated, the Public Service Board order included a number of conditions that must be met, including final selection of the turbines and the site plan among them.

As a result of the increased efficiency of the V112 3.0 turbine, the project's levelized energy costs will decrease from a projected 10.3 cents per kWh, an attractive price for a renewable project, to a projected 9.2 cents per kWh, well below the price for similar renewable projects.

The renewable energy project will generate enough electricity for 24,000 homes, and is expected to provide eight percent of all the electricity GMP customers use and four percent of the electricity VEC members use.

"Choosing the Vestas turbine is a major step in our ability to provide cost-effective power for decades to come and bring significant economic benefits to the Northeast Kingdom," said Ms. Powell.