EDF Renewable Energy, formerly enXco, started operations at the 150-MW Bobcat Bluff wind project in Archer County, 20 miles south of Wichita Falls, Texas. The project, consisting of 100 GE 1.5-MW turbines, spans about 12,500 contiguous acres. EDF Renewable Services will operate and maintain the facility, while EDF Trading provides energy management services and acts as the qualified scheduling entity. EDF Renewable Energy acquired the project in March 2012 and began construction in April.

Pattern Energy’s Ocotillo wind project in Southern California began commercial operation, transmitting energy to the Sunrise Powerlink, a newly constructed 117-mile 500-kv transmission line connecting San Diego and the Imperial Valley. The 265-MW Ocotillo project in Imperial Valley has 94 turbines now operational. An additional 18 turbines are expected to be installed in the spring of 2013. San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) will buy the output under a 20-year agreement.

Caterpillar will develop a turnkey power plant using 10 Cat G16CM34 natural gas generator sets, for Alberta Newsprint Co. (ANC) in Whitecourt, Alberta, Canada. Caterpillar’s medium-speed, reciprocating engine generator sets will provide ANC with 65 MW of total output capacity, making it Caterpillar’s largest power plant installation in Canada. 

GE will install WindControl advanced software to help maximize energy output at two First Wind projects in Maine. The two wind farms are located in Rollins and Stetson. The Rollins site has 40 GE 1.5-77 turbines while Stetson contains 55 turbines. The WindControl software automatically controls the output of each wind turbine in the wind farm, versus an approach that depends on starting and stopping units to match changes in power demand.