Kumeyaay Wind Energy 

Project

San Diego County’s first commercial 

wind project

Councilman Michael Connolly Miskwish

Campo Kumeyaay Nation
Location 

map
Tribal Energy Planning

 Commercial

 Wind

 Solar

 Bioreactor

 Residential

 Home efficiency – lighting, attic fans, cottonwoods, 

orientation

 Closed loop geothermal, solar, wind, solar thermal
Residential Wind Options
Kumeyaay Wind Project Description

 Started producing energy on 12/22/2005.

 25 – 2 MW turbines in operation.

 Facility is owned by Babcock & Brown

 Managed by enXco

 Campo tribe receives revenue on the land lease 

contract and royalties on electricity purchased 

from the project.
Confirmation of wind

 Wind monitoring since 1990

 Kenetech Windpower collected data.

 Kenetch was sold to Enron.

 Campo site data was sold to GE.

 Data then found it’s way into the California Energy 

Commission wind maps

 Superior Renewable heard of lost data

 Superior Renewable contacted the Tribe.

 New data was collected from 2002-2005 and 

reconfirmed the wind resources were available.
Kumeyaay Wind Project Location

 Campo Reservation is located in Southern 

California in the southeastern portion of San 

Diego County.

 The elevation at the wind project site is 4,169-

4,600 feet or 1,271-1,402 meters
Terrain map
Elevations
The Turbines

 Each turbine has its own controls that adjust 

blade pitch. 

 Wind speed must be 5 mph to operate.

 Turbine must be shut down if wind is above 55 

mph.

 Each turbine produces up to 2 megawatts.

 Turbines are 228 ft tall to cone. Blades are 145 

ft. and weigh 12 tons. 
Positive points for site

 Substations are close to the turbine location

 Transmission capacity easily upgraded

 Close to market. Over 3 Million in San Diego 

County. Additional 10 Million in 100 mile 

radius.

 Good Road Access: Interstate 8 

 Ridge perpendicular to wind direction

 Low turbulence – very laminar flow

 Low ice/ mild climate 
Infrastructure

 SDG&E 69 kilovolt lines to existing substation

 Upgraded from 269 to 418 Amp capacity 

 45 acres of tribal land utilized for 25 towers

 2.5 square miles restricted use 

 Limited construction of high rise structures
Finances

 SEMPRA owns San Diego Gas & Electric

 pays $49.50-$51.75 per mega watt-hour on 20 yr 

power purchase agreement

 Construction debt approximately 80 million 

 Tribe did not purchase the turbines or finance any 

construction

 100% decommission bond by the 15th year
Environmental Considerations

 Potential for raptor deaths

 First year 4 have been recorded

 Potential for bat deaths

 First year 1 has been recorded

 Noise not considered detrimental

 Visual impacts not considered detrimental

 Restrictions on future development
Approval by Tribe

 Negotiated over a 3 year time frame

 Several meetings with Campo Tribe’s General 

Council giving detailed information

 Final Approval by General Council in January 

2005
Additional wind projects

 Potential for 300 MW additional capacity

 Net metered usage for Casino is being reviewed.

 Residential wind.
Tribal Ownership Considerations

 Production Tax Credit

 Accelerated depreciation

 Flip agreements

 Rising market $80+ / MW-h

 8-A utility

 Double credits for military portfolio

 Utility pre-pay agreements

 New Market Tax Credits

 Green Credits, Renewable Energy Credits (RECs)

Climate Change

 The Climate Registry

 www.theclimateregistry.org

 Impacts- fires, water quantity & chemistry

 Future market trading programs
Conclusion

 The Campo Kumeyaay Nation will continue to 

explore and expand the efforts to create 

additional economic diversity through energy 

production.

 Mandated energy portfolio standards and/or 

carbon tax are essential components for long 

term project feasibility.

 New technologies, ie plug-in hybrids could 

radically alter the paradigm