(Milford, UT) - The 102 megawatt Milford Wind Corridor Phase II wind project has began commercial operation, according to First Wind, an independent US based international wind energy company with wind energy projects in Utah's Millard and Beaver counties. The Milford First Wind Phases I and II are the two largest wind energy projects in Utah.

The 102 MW Phase II project which utilizes 68 1.5 MW GE turbines is located north of the 204 MW Milford Wind Corridor Phase I project. The combined output of Phase I and II generates 306 megawatts or enough energy to power up to 64,000 homes.

Power generated by Milford II is being supplied to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) and Glendale Water and Power pursuant to a power purchase agreement with Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA). Milford II adds to the significant renewable energy already being produced and delivered to Los Angeles, Burbank and Pasadena, California from the Milford I project.

Paul Gaynor, Chief Executive Officer of First Wind said, “We are proud to announce the completion of this high quality wind project now delivering clean, renewable power for use by thousands of homes and businesses. Putting the pieces together on Milford II has been a remarkable experience, and we are proud to have partnered with the State of Utah, the counties of Beaver and Millard, our PPA partners – SCPPA, LADWP and Glendale, our landowner group including the Bureau of Land Management and the State of Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration, said Gaynor. "This is a day of celebration for our general contractor RMT, sub-contractors, and our lenders," he said. It's a day of celebration for everyone involved," Gaynor said.

Los Angeles Water and Power General Manager Ronald O. Nichols said, “The Milford II Wind Power Project is an example of LADWP working smarter while boosting the amount of renewable energy provided to customers and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. With the completion of this project we ensure the delivery of 102 megawatts of wind power at a set price for the next 20 years," he said.

Bill D. Carnahan, Executive Director of the Southern California Public Power Authority saod, “We are pleased with the continued and successful working relationship with First Wind. These projects are cost effective resources that benefit the local communities in Utah, while also supporting the renewable objectives of our communities in California. Delivering clean energy is a partnership in which we all share common objectives," Carnahan said.

RMT, which led the construction of the Milford I project in 2009, again was the lead contractor for construction of the Milford II project. Construction on the Milford II project began in the summer of 2010.

Steve Johansen, RMT President said, “We are pleased to have completed another project with First Wind. Like the first phase of the project, RMT hired local workers and subcontractors whenever possible so the expansion construction provided economic benefits to the surrounding community and Utah," Johnson said.

The Milford Wind project has been an ongoing source of jobs, business activity, and tax revenue for Millard, Beaver and adjacent counties. Milford II supported about 200 on-site construction jobs during peak months. Additionally, First Wind and RMT hired many Utah-based sub-contractors, suppliers and local businesses. The combined 306 megawatt facility will require 20 full-time, on-site operations and maintenance jobs.

Millard County Commissioner Daron Smith said, "The local communities in Millard and Beaver Counties have benefited in many ways from the Milford Wind projects. Through direct spending or local sub-contractors, the facility development has been an economic benefit for our communities, while also helping our environment. Southern Utah has tremendous potential for generating renewable power and these types of projects send the right message to our young people," Smith said.

Based on successful financings in Utah and other states, First Wind secured financing for the project through experienced providers. RBS Securities Inc. was the lead arranger and the following banks acted as joint lead arrangers: Banco Espirito Santo S.A. New York Branch, Santander Investment Securities Inc., CoBank, ACB, and SG Americas Securities, LLC.

Creating the clean energy from both the Milford I and Milford II projects requires no use of water. In addition, with an aggregate of 306 megawatts of clean, wind energy between the two projects, the power produced by Milford Wind is the equivalent of decreasing carbon dioxide emissions by almost 300,000 tons annually, calculated in accordance with the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Emissions and Generation Resource Integrated Database (E-GRID).

First Wind is an independent wind energy company exclusively focused on the development, financing, construction, ownership and operation of utility-scale wind projects in the United States. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, First Wind has wind projects in the Northeast, the West and in Hawaii, with the capacity to generate up to 635 megawatts of power and projects under construction with the capacity to generate up to an additional 121 megawatts.

For more information on First Wind go to www.firstwind.com.



First Wind has operating wind farms in Hawaii, New York, Maine, and Utah generating real, renewable energy every day. First Wind shows how they manage and track the energy produced at their Data Analysis Control Center (DACC).