Located on a sugar beet farm in Elmore County, about 60 miles east of Boise, Idaho, the 22 MW Sawtooth wind farm produces enough energy to supply approximately 6,000 homes with electricity. The project consists of 14 GE 1.6 MW wind turbines, delivering energy to the Idaho Power Company, under a 20-year power purchase agreement. PowerWorks performs the operations and maintenance (O&M) and asset management, with an average operating availability over 98%. Over 20 years, power produced by the project will avoid/displace harmful emissions from fossil-fired projects, including an estimated 3.5 tons of SO2, 256 tons of NOx, 32 tons of PM2.5, and 0.9 million tons of CO2. In turn, the avoidance of these pollutant emissions reduces adverse effects to humans, wildlife, and ecosystems. For example, 2,900 avian deaths are avoided/saved. Further, the local economic benefits (direct and indirect) from this wind farm over 20 years is estimated to be over $40 million, including property taxes, payroll from high-skilled jobs, land owner/farmer land leases, sales taxes, property taxes, various services purchased from local retailers, etc.
The proposed 695 MW Desert Ridge wind-solar-storage project, located in Elmore County, near Boise, Idaho, is in the advanced stages of development, including power marketing. Six major transmission lines transect the Project site. Over the first 16 years, power produced by the project will avoid/displace harmful emissions from fossil-fired projects, including an estimated 96,000 lbs of SO2, 3.7 million lbs of NOx, 1.3 million lbs of PM2.5, and 19 million lbs of CO2. In turn, the avoidance of these harmful pollutant emissions reduces adverse effects to humans, wildlife, and ecosystems. For example, 13 human mortality deaths and 9 heart attacks are avoided, as well as, 71,000 avian deaths are avoided/saved. Further, over the life of the project, it’s estimated that the local economic benefits will exceed $1 billion. This project will be built adjacent to our existing 22 MW Sawtooth wind project.
The Altamont wind project, located in the Altamont Pass, near Livermore, California, includes four projects, comprised of 920 wind turbines, totaling 95 MW. This project operates under four power purchase agreements with Pacific Gas & Electric Company. For 20 years, PowerWorks Services operated and maintained this project in its state-of-the-art maintenance facility in the Altamont Pass, requiring 50 employees, with an average operating availability over 98%, with wind turbines upwards of 30 years old. This project was decommissioned in 2018, then redeveloped for repowering, called the Summit wind project.
While decommissioning our Altamont Pass wind projects, we redeveloped the site and completed the permitting in Alameda County, to make way for a new 58 MW wind project, using GE 2.3 MW wind turbines. This project asset was ultimately sold and is currently owned by Greenbacker Capital. The project was completed, with a COD in 2021.
PowerWorks completed the development activities for the 54 MW Panther Creek wind project, located in Pike County (near Pittsfield), Illinois, including obtaining a conditional use permit and signing a 20-year+ power purchase agreement with Prairie Power Inc. The project installed GE 3.4 MW wind turbines and reached its COD in February 2025. This project asset was sold to Greenbacker Capital in 2022.
