Wind farm west of billings lands 25-year contract

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - A wind farm west of Billings has a new 25-year contract to sell power to NorthWestern Energy.

The Billings Gazette reports (https://bit.ly/2i0I078 ) that Billings-based WKN Montana will break ground in late spring on the Vivaldi Springtime Wind Project in the hills north of Reed Point.

The 25-to-35-turbine project is expected to be finished in early 2018. It will produce about 80 megawatts of energy, enough to power 19,000 to 30,000 homes.

WKN will receive $37.65 a megawatt hour for its energy.

Under 40-year-old federal laws to promote renewable energy, the Vivaldi project is classified as a “qualifying facility” and Northwestern cannot say no to the power and must offer a long-term contract. Projects are, however, subject to a negotiated price.

___

Information from: The Billings Gazette, https://www.billingsgazette.com