Pattern Energy Continues to Pick Up Momentum In 2012

Pattern Energy Group has secured approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for a 20-year power purchase agreement with with San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) for wind energy to be produced at a new wind farm in Imperial Valley, California.

The Ocotillo Wind Energy Facility, located near the town of Ocotillo, will use a mixture of Siemens 2.0 and 2.3 turbines that will combine to generate up to 315 MW of renewable energy. Energy generated from the wind farm will be delivered to the power grid via the Sunrise Powerlink transmission line which was recently permitted right-of-way use by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and is currently under construction.

Despite CPUC's approval the wind project is waiting on several other government bodies to issue their decision on the power facility. Among other governmental decisions, Pattern is waiting for the BLM to approve the project's use of public land. However, in March of last year the BLM placed the project along with 18 other proposed renewable energy projects requesting to use public lands on a priority list. Even while it waits Pattern seems confident that it will begin construction in the first half of 2012 and that Ocotillio Wind by year's end will be fully operational.

This may seem like a short time frame to build a wind farm which is estimated to produce enough electricity to power 130,000 homes a year. "We have plenty of experience working with this kind of time frame," Matt Dallas told EnergyBoom on Friday.

"Both our Cedar Creek and Gulf Wind installations were built in similar amounts of time," he continued.

For Pattern Energy, time seems to be blazing by. With this announcement the company starts 2012 where it left off in 2011 -- demonstrating rapid growth. On the surface it may seem that the now nearly three year old company has had modest success, claiming 520 MW of operating capacity.

Yet, a deeper look reveals a company that has more than just a lofty development pipeline but rather a juggernaut of projects that are either in or will enter go into construction in the next 12 months. Before the calendar turns over to 2013,i kno Pattern expects 1,000 MW to have been constructed or under construction.

"Pattern has strong goals for growth and this last year we have expanded into countries outside of the border of the United States" says Dallas.

In October 2011, the company closed financing on the 75 MW Finca de Viento Santa Isabel project in Peurto Rico and just over a month later signed a 20-year power purchase agreement for energy produced at its 115 MW El Arrayan project in Chile. The Finca de Viento project is expected to be the largest wind installation in the Caribbean and the El Arrayan the largest in Chile.

Its wind market footprint doesn't stop there. In Ontario, Pattern, alongside partner Samsung Renewable Energy, is developing four wind projects capable of generating 870 MW.

Also, it cannot be forgotten that Pattern Energy is also a transmission developer. After completing the 53 mile submarine Trans Bay Cable project in 2010, the company is now making progress on the Southern Cross Project which would connect the abundant wind supply in Texas with Southeastern States.

Beyond a look at the surface lurks a renewable energy developer which is setting itself up to shatter its current operational capacity and continue to grow into a major player in the wind energy market.

Image Credit: Eidoloon via Flickr