FirstEnergy to buy renewable energy from wind farm

February 10, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

By Kristen Russo

AKRON

FirstEnergy has signed an agreement to buy renewable energy from Iberdrola Renewables, an Oregon-based company that is building the largest wind-power project in Ohio.

The 304-megawatt Blue Creek Wind Farm, under construction in western Ohio, will provide 100 megawatts to FirstEnergy for 20 years beginning in October 2012.

Mark Durbin, spokesman for Akron-based First- Energy, said that’s enough energy to power 60,000 homes.

“This was a good opportunity for us to expand our renewable-energy offerings, and it allows us to meet the renewable-energy standards established by the government,” Durbin said.

Durbin said FirstEnergy has similar purchase-power agreements with five wind farms in Pennsylvania and one wind farm in Illinois, but this is the company’s first contract in Ohio. Overall, FirstEnergy has under contract 467 megawatts of wind power, enough to power 285,000 households.

The Blue Creek Wind Farm will have 152 wind turbines that will produce two megawatts each, Iberdrola spokesman Paul Copleman said.

Because Iberdrola is leasing the farmland, Copleman said landowners will receive about $1.1 million in annual lease payments.

The farm will create 15 to 20 permanent jobs and more than 300 construction jobs, Copleman said. There are 18 Ohio companies participating in the construction.

“It’s exciting to be working on a project in Ohio and to be doing it with a trusted partner like FirstEnergy,” Copleman said.

Copleman said construction at Blue Creek is projected to be finished by the end of this year.

Iberdrola has 44 wind farms operating in the United States and at least five others under construction, including Blue Creek.