Published on June 15, 2005

Washington Electric Cooperative (WEC) and UPC Vermont Wind have announced a partnership to study the feasibility of a potential wind generation project in Sheffield.  In an agreement signed recently, WEC has agreed to help study and determine the feasibility of a site in Sheffield. UPC Vermont Wind has previously made public its interest in the Sheffield site through regulatory filings and information provided in the community.

UPC Vermont Wind is a subsidiary of UPC Wind, a firm focused solely on wind development.  If UPC goes forward with the project, it will be the developer, owner, and operator.  WEC will provide some of the funding for assessing the site’s feasibility in terms of wind measurement, economic, environmental, and community considerations.  Assuming the analysis is favorable and UPC Vermont Wind then receives necessary regulatory approvals and builds the project, WEC would then have an option to purchase a portion of the output.  Pricing for WEC’s power purchase would be finalized under a separate agreement at a later date.  UPC will sell the balance of the project’s output to other utilities.

WEC was able to join this partnership thanks to a $941,400 appropriation to the U.S. Department of Energy for this purpose awarded to WEC through the help of Congressman Bernie Sanders.  The award was first announced by Mr. Sanders in December 2002, and funding was made available to WEC in 2003.  Since the funds were awarded, WEC screened a number of potential sites and partners before reaching agreement with UPC Vermont Wind.

WEC is a consumer-owned electric utility serving approximately 10,000 members in 41 towns in central and northern Vermont.  WEC is currently nearing completion of a 4.8 megawatt landfill gas generating facility in Coventry.  Its web site is at www.washingtonelectric.coop.

UPC Wind is based in Newton, Massachusetts, and has offices in Maine, Vermont, New York, California, and Hawaii.  Its web site is at www.upcwind.com.  — from WEC.