| Biglow Canyon Wind Farm | |
|---|---|
 Part of the Biglow Canyon Wind Farm, with a turbine under construction | |
 | |
| Country |
|
| Location | Sherman County, Oregon, United States |
| Coordinates | 45°38′15″N120°36′19″W / 45.63750°N 120.60528°W /45.63750; -120.60528 |
| Status | Operational |
| Commission date | 2005 |
| Owner | Portland General Electric |
| Wind farm | |
| Type | Onshore |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 217 |
| Make and model | Vestas V82-1.65 MW Siemens SWT-2.3 MW |
| Nameplate capacity | 450 MW |
| Capacity factor | 27.1%(average 2012-2018) |
| Annual net output | 1,069 GW·h |
| External links | |
| Commons | Related media on Commons |
Biglow Canyon Wind Farm is an electricity generatingwind farm facility inSherman County, Oregon,United States. It is owned byPortland, Oregon-basedPortland General Electric and began operations in 2007. With the completion of phase 3 of the project it has a generating capacity of 450megawatts. It is located roughly five miles (8.0 km) northeast ofWasco, Oregon,[1] and about ten miles (16 km) southeast ofRufus, Oregon. Biglow Canyon Wind Farm covers 25,000 acres (10,000 ha) in theColumbia River Gorge.
In 2005,Orion Energy announced plans to develop a 450-megawatt wind farm with 225 turbines at Biglow Canyon in the Columbia River Gorge, at the time the largest project of its kind in Oregon.[2] Portland General Electric (PGE) acquired Orion's development right to the $200 million project in 2006.[3] In November 2006, PGE purchased the first 76 turbines for the project fromVestas, with the project cost increasing to an estimated $256 million for the first phase.[4] PGE broke ground on the site in February 2007. In the middle of October 2007, ten Vestas V82wind turbines were energized to produce the first electricity at Biglow.[5] The last of the 76 turbines in the first-phase of the wind farm development became operational in December 2007.[6]
The turbines for phases 2 and 3 were purchased fromSiemens Energy. There will be 141 SWT-2.3-93 turbines, with a capacity of 2.3 MW each.[7] Phase 2 of the project was completed in August 2009, adding 65 turbines to the wind farm.[8] The expansion brought generating capacity to 275 megawatts.[8] Phase 3 added 76 wind turbines, with the cost of phases two and three totaling $700 to $800 million.[8] Phase 3 completed the project and brought the maximum generating capacity to 450 megawatts, though the anticipated generation is estimated to average 150 megawatts.[8] The final phase was completed in September 2010, with the project totaling 217 turbines at a cost $1 billion.[9]
On February 1, 2022, a turbine lost a blade which traveled about 100 yards before landing. This resulted in the farm being shut-down for months for inspections.[10]
The Biglow Canyon Wind Farm has an installed capacity of 450 megawatts.[6] The site covers 25,000 acres (10,000 ha) in Sherman County.[5] The wind farm uses a feeder transmission line from the canyon to high-voltage transmission lines via a power substation located nearThe Dalles.[5][11] PGE does not own this line. Additionally, the line connects this and other wind farms to theBonneville Power Administration run power grid built for use with thehydroelectric dams on theColumbia River.[5]
The facility is authorized to install up to 225 wind turbines totaling 450 MW and averaging 150 MW distributed over 25,000 acres (10,000 ha). Each turbine's supporting tower must be 265–280 feet (81–85 m) tall; combined with wind turbine blades, each unit may be 400–445 feet (122–136 m) in height. The turbines may be aligned in up to 30 corridors 500 feet (150 m) wide on private farmland leased from the appropriate landowners.[1] The initial construction—termed phase I—provides a completed capacity of 125 MW or enough to power 34,000 homes.[12] Phase I cost some $250 million.Energy Trust of Oregon contributed $6 million.[12]
Turbine output is around 600V AC and is converted to 34.5 kV by atransformer at the base of each tower. The output is gathered by asubstation which combines the individual turbine contributions. Most collector cabling and associated control and monitoringfiber-optic cable (up to 99 miles) is buried 3 feet (0.91 m) underground. Exceptions are made foraerial cables to span terrain such ascanyons,wetlands, and cultivated areas to protect the environment. Up to 15 miles (24 km) of aerial cabling is permitted.[1]Bonneville Power Administration built a 12-mile 230 kV transmission line to collect the power. It has capacity for an expected additional 450 MW from two other proposed wind farms in Sherman County.[13]
The substation may be up to 6 acres (2.4 ha) including transformers, switching equipment, maintenance shops, control room, and offices.[1] As many as tenmeteorological observation towers up to 279 ft (85 m) are allowed throughout the wind farm to collect wind resource data.[1] Construction must be completed by June 30, 2011.[1]
Visual impact restrictions are in force for the John Day Wildlife Refuge, John Day Wild and Scenic River, and the John Day State Scenic Waterway (from Parish Creek to Tumwater Falls). Wildlife protection must be provided for nestingbald eagles,peregrine falcons, Swainson's hawk,golden eagle,Burrowing owl,Ferruginous hawk and minimization of harm to other wildlife.[1]Noise levels during construction and operation of the facility must not contribute more than 50dBA at 24 identified noise sensitive sitesAmbient noise level.[1]
| Year | Annual MW·h |
|---|---|
| 2007 | 11,400 |
| 2008 | 381,598 |
| 2009 | 343,833 |
| 2010 | 311,962 |
| 2011 | 486,281 |
| 2012 | 1,108,517 |
| 2013 | 1,190,817 |
| 2014 | 1,142,486 |
| 2015 | 1,045,257 |
| 2016 | 1,058,132 |
| 2017 | 894,881 |
| 2018 | 1,041,840 |
| Average (2012-2018) : | 1,068,847 |
| Wind power by state |
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| Large wind farms | ||
| Offshore wind farms |
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