Reported by Staff

A new wind-energy generating project launched in March is already delivering power to the city of Fort Collins.

Beginning yesterday, the Silver Sage project near Cheyenne has started delivering electricity to Platte River Power Authority, which serves Fort Collins, Longmont, Loveland and Estes Park.

As part of its ongoing plan to acquire new renewable energy, Platte River contracted in March of this year with Charlotte, N.C.-based Duke Energy, to purchase 12 megawatts of generation from the project. Delivery of the wind energy came earlier than originally planned, authority officials said today.

“Silver Sage allows Platte River to increase renewable energy supply for its four owner communities with a new wind source that’s close to home,” said Brian Moeck, general manager of Platte River Power, said in a statement. “We look forward to our continuing partnership with Duke Energy.”

“It’s more apparent than ever that renewable energy sources like wind are going to be playing an increasingly important role in the country’s energy future,” said Wouter van Kempen, president of Duke Energy Generation Services (DEGS), a business unit of Duke Energy that owns and develops renewable power assets. “We look forward to providing Platte River Power Authority’s owner communities with clean, renewable wind energy for decades to come.”

Silver Sage more than doubles Platte River’s wind generation resources. Platte River has owned and operated the 8 MW Medicine Bow Wind Project near Medicine Bow, Wyo., since 1998. The utility’s long-term plan calls for adding about 80 megawatts of renewable energy by 2020. Renewable energy sources, including hydropower, currently amount to about 20 percent of Platte River’s supply to the owner communities.

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