Headwaters Wind Farm LLC asked the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission on June 28 to decline jurisdiction over its 200-MW wind project to be built in Randolph County, Ind.
Such requests, for the commission not to govern a project like it would an electric utility, are routine for independent power producers in Indiana.
Headwaters Wind Farm is a subsidiary of EDP Renewables North America LLC (EDPR NA), which is ultimately controlled by Energias de Portugal S.A., a major Portuguese utility. EDPR NA’s expertise includes the development, construction and operation of wind power facilities in the United States.
The anticipated aggregate nameplate capacity of the Headwaters Wind Farm is 200 MW. Transmission and switchyard facilities for the project are planned to be situated in Randolph County.
The company said it intends to certify the Headwaters Wind Farm as an Exempt Wholesale Generator (EWG) at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Requests for any authorizations required to sell the electrical output from the Headwaters Wind Farm into the wholesale market will be made to FERC. The Headwaters Wind Farm will exclusively serve the wholesale power market, and the company said it does not intend to recover the costs of the facility from Indiana ratepayers through rate base, rate of return or comparable methods typically associated with retail public utility rates.
EDP said June 10 that it has signed a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement with Indiana Michigan Power, a subsidiary of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), to sell the renewable energy produced from its 200-MW Headwaters wind farm, which is expected to be installed in 2014.
