FERC approves partial buy of 97-MW Oregon wind farm

October 17, 2013 Barry Cassell Generation

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on Oct. 17 approved a sale of interests related to Wheat Field Wind Power Project LLC, which controls a 97-MW wind farm in Oregon.

On Sept. 17, Wheat Field Wind Power Project applied for authorization for the disposition of jurisdictional facilities resulting from the transfer of 49% of the indirect membership interests in Wheat Field from EDP Renewables North America LLC (EDPRNA) to Fiera Axium Wheat Field Inc.

Wheat Field is an exempt wholesale generator (EWG) with market-based rate authority. It is a wholly owned direct subsidiary of EDPRNA. Wheat Field owns and operates a 97-MW wind facility in Gilliam County, Ore. The Wheat Field Facility is interconnected with the Bonneville Power Administration Transmission system. All of the output from the Wheat Field Facility is committed to Snohomish County Public Utility District No. 1 under a long-term power purchase agreement.

The purchaser in this deal is a wholly owned direct subsidiary of Fiera Axium Infrastructure US LP, which is an investment fund managed by Fiera Axium US Inc. These and related entities are controlled by Fiera Capital, which is an investment manager that is based in Canada.

EDPRNA develops, owns, and operates, through wholly or partially owned subsidiaries, renewable electric generation facilities throughout the United States. It is a wholly owned direct subsidiary of EDP Renovaveis, S.A.

Wheat Field told FERC that the following affiliates of EDPRNA also own or control generation in Wheat Field’s relevant market:

  • Arlington Wind Power Project LLC is an EWG with market-based rate authority that owns and operates a 103-MW wind facility in Gilliam County, Ore. The output from the Arlington facility is sold to Pacific Gas and Electric under a long-term power purchase agreement.

  • Sagebrush Power Partners LLC is also an EWG with market-based rate authority that owns and operates a 100.8-MW wind facility in Kittitas County, Wash. The output from the Sagebrush facility is sold to Exelon Generation Co. LLC under a long-term power purchase agreement.

About Barry Cassell 20414 Articles
Barry Cassell is Chief Analyst for GenerationHub covering coal and emission controls issues, projects and policy. He has covered the coal and power generation industry for more than 24 years, beginning in November 2011 at GenerationHub and prior to that as editor of SNL Energy’s Coal Report. He was formerly with Coal Outlook for 15 years as the publication’s editor and contributing writer, and prior to that he was editor of Coal & Synfuels Technology and associate editor of The Energy Report. He has a bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University.
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