Construction of a 120-turbine, $550 million worth Mud Springs Wind farm is currently under progress in south-central Montana.
One of the biggest wind projects in Montana, Mud Springs is being developed by Huser’s Mud Springs Wind Project and Pittsburgh-based EverPower Wind Holdings.
The four- phase development plan of the farm located near the south of Bridger is scheduled for completion by the end of 2016.
The groundbreaking of the Mud Springs project coincides with the announcement by U.S. Senate to pass tax credit of 2.3 cents for every kilowatt hour of energy produced for 10 years for projects beginning in 2014.
In addition, the project will offset around 489,754 tons of carbon dioxide annually.
A new 230-kilovolt transmission line will run from the project to a point just over the state line in Park County, Wyo., where it will connect to a transmission line owned by PacifiCorp.
The project’s power is being sold to PacifiCorp and the project will consist of three separate 80-megawatt facilities, each with 40 wind turbines, and a commonly held power collection substation.
Each turbine will consist of a 328-foot-high steel tube tower supporting three 164-foot-long blades.
In future, there is a potential for power to be supplied to transmission lines connecting the Pacific Northwest to coal-fired power plants in Colstrip.
The Colstrip is at present facing tough carbon emission standards from the states of Washington and Oregon.
It is expected that when people will begin to draw less power from Colstrip, transmission possibility for wind energy will automatically get higher.
Montana is overflowing with opportunity in the clean energy sector. The country has the potential to create thousands of jobs by developing vast renewable energy resources.
Sabeena Wahid
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