Michigan utility Consumers Energy has signed power purchase agreements (PPAs) for three wind farms totalling 230.4MW – more than the state's total installed wind capacity.
The utility signed agreements with John Deere Wind Energy for the 90MW Michigan Wind 2 facility in Sanilac County and the 59.4MW Harvest II wind farm in Huron County.
It also signed a joint PPA with John Deere and Great Lakes Wind, LLC for their 81MW Blissfield Wind Energy project in Lenawee County. All of the PPAs are for 20 years, while the projects are due to come online in 2012.
Michigan currently has 143.4MW of wind, of which Deere has built 52.8MW.
Consumers Energy, which provides electricity and natural gas to six million of Michigan’s ten million residents, also signed a PPA for a 12.8MW landfill gas project.
The utility must derive 10% of its electricity from renewables by 2015 to comply with Michigan’s renewable energy standard.
Consumers Energy says that currently 4% of its electricity sales come from renewables. The four contracted projects will raise that to over 6.2%. The PPAs must be approved by the Michigan Public Service Commission.
Earlier this year Goldman Sachs said it was reviewing the options for John Deere’s $1billion wind portfolio, including a possible sell-off.
