Fire Island Project Still Going Forward
Despite a split with the developer last month, the Cook Inlet Region Corporation has announced that it still plans to continue with the Fire Island wind farm project. The developer, EnXco, based in California, had been an equity partner in the 54 megawatt project.
The company says that it can fund the project itself that is going to cost areound $165 million. It is also hoping that another deal will be reached and signed with another developer next month. The Legislature has already committed $25 million that will be used for a transmission line to the Anchorage grid.
Jim Jager, Cook Inlet Corporation spokesman said that the split with the previous developer has not caused any lapses in the projects timeline. Over $1 million has already been spent on clearing the ground where the turbines will be built and studying the island’s rugged geology.
In order to qualify for a federal stimulus grant that will cover one third of the construction costs, turbine costs and transmission line costs, the project needs to be operational by 2012. However, the current time line estimates that by the end of 2011, the project could already be generating enough power for 18,000 homes.