ScottishPower's PPM Energy announces new 200MW windfarm

ScottishPower's competitive US energy business, PPM Energy, today announced plans to build a 200 megawatt (MW) windfarm at Big Horn in the south east of Washington state with completion expected in summer 2006. Approximately $270 million will be invested in the project and it is expected to be immediately earnings enhancing upon completion.

Terry Hudgens, PPM Energy CEO said: "PPM owns seven wind projects, with Big Horn being the largest wind project we have developed to date. We are pleased with the enthusiasm of Klickitat County and the surrounding community for this outstanding project with many local benefits.”

PPM is in advanced discussions to sell the output of the Big Horn project under a long-term contract to a major utility. This month PPM Energy also contracted all the future power from its 150 MW Shiloh wind project now under construction in Northern California. Approximately 93% of PPM Energy’s windfarm output is sold under long-term contract.

PPM Energy also expects to have four other wind power projects operational this year – the 100 MW Trimont project in Minnesota, the 150 MW Elk River project in Kansas, the 150 MW Shiloh project in California and the 198 MW Maple Ridge project in New York that PPM is building as a joint venture with Horizon Wind Energy, a unit of Goldman Sachs. PPM Energy now has around 1,600 MW of wind energy under its control in operation or construction, well on target toward its goal of at least 2,300 MW online by 2010.