The project has the added benefit that it can be brought on quickly to meet our immediate needs. Throughout the West, severe shortages of electricity have led authorities to call for stepped up construction of new power plants. Even the speediest construction of conventional fossil plants takes years to bring on line. Most of the Stateline Project will be generating this year, helping to ease shortages. This facility will help meet the increasing demand for electricity in our region while providing economic development to eastern Washington.
Wind powered energy is both cost competitive with gas, and friendlier to the environment.
Spring and fall night bird migration studies will be conducted to determine location of some turbines. Once in operation, the project will monitor impacts on birds and bats though a program approved and reviewed by a technical advisory committee consisting of scientists, representatives of government agencies, local landowners, environmentalists and FPL Energy. Wednesday's announcement makes PPM the leading supplier of renewable resources in the Pacific Northwest. FPL Energy is the largest developer and operator of wind energy facilities in the nation with more than 1,000 megawatts of wind turbines in operation or construction in seven states. Recent snow storms and below normal temperatures have created an above normal threat for flooding in northern New Jersey, extreme northeastern Pennsylvania and southern New York State, including the Catskill area, the Weather Service reports.