| July 9, 1997 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Eugene Water & Electric Board signed the final agreement to build a 41 megawatt wind project in southeast Wyoming with several partners on Tuesday, July 8. Part of a Bonneville Power Administration program initiated in 1992, participants in the project include, EWEB, BPA, PacifiCorp and SeaWest Energy Corporation of California. The proposed project will include constructing a total of 69 600-kilowatt wind turbines, a new substation and approximately 28 miles of 235 kilovolt transmission line to connect to the existing transmission system in the area. "The project, planned for construction in Carbon County, Wyoming, is intended to determine the viability of renewable energy projects in the region," says EWEB Energy Resource Projects Manager Ken Beeson. "The Foote Creek Rim site is considered to be one of the premier wind energy development sites in the United States with an average wind speed of approximately 24 miles per hour." EWEB and PacifiCorp will be joint owners of the project. The final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is expected to be completed in July. Construction will begin this year, with an expected completion date in 1998. BPA may purchase 15 megawatts of the project's capacity with a final decision to be made following completion of the federal EIS process. Total cost of the project is estimated at $60 million. The wind plant portion of the project will be constructed by SeaWest, while EWEB and PacifiCorp are responsible for construction of the substation and transmission line. Beeson expects that EWEB will receive approximately 2.75 average megawatts from the project and will market the output on a retail basis within the utility's service territory. The output is equivalent to approximately one percent of EWEB's electric system load. For additional information, contact Ken Beeson at 341-3772. -30-
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