Chinese firm to build wind farm in Texas

Chinese firm A-Power Energy Generation Systems has announced it is to build a $1.5 billion wind farm project in west Texas, in partnership with US companies. The wind farm, which will be one of the largest wind development projects in the country, will have a capacity of 600 megawattsÔÇöenough to supply electricity to 180,000 Texan homes. Production is expected to commence from 2011. The project is to be majority-funded by Chinese banks, the company said, but will also rely on a US stimulus grant worth up to $450 million.  A-Power, which is China's largest provider of distributed power generation systems in China, is supplying the 240 wind turbines for the project, with delivery expected in March 2010. The turbines will include components made by German company Fuhrlander and General Electric. The wind farm will be the first instance of a Chinese manufacturer exporting wind turbines to the US. A-Power is partnering with asset management firm US Renewable Energy Group and the Austin, Texas-based wind development company Cielo Wind Power. "A-Power welcomes the opportunity of participating in this high-profile wind power project in the United States," said Jinxiang Lu, chairman and CEO of A-Power, commenting on the agreement. ÔÇ£We like the tremendous opportunities in the United States, which is the world's largest wind power country.  ÔÇ£We are cognizant of the recent policy push by the Obama Administration in the renewable energy sector, and a stabilizing financing environment for renewable energy projects,ÔÇØ he continued.  He added: ÔÇ£We look forward to entering into a sales agreement with the JV Project and moving ahead with the production schedule as set forth in today's JV Agreement.ÔÇØ The project marks a significant step forward for China in its efforts to enter the US renewables market. In turn, the US has welcomed the investment, as wind farms often struggle to attract funding due to the low price of natural gas, which heavily influences the price of power in Texas. The wind farm will span a total of 36,000 acres and is expected to create up to 300 temporary jobs and 30 permanent jobs. Construction is required to commence by 2010 in order to qualify for the stimulus grant funding. The exact location of the project has not yet been announced, with officials saying it will be announced in spring next year. *┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á *┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á *