The press release states, “Plutonic Power Corporation (TSX: PCC) and GE Energy Financial Services, a unit of GE (NYSE: GE), announced today that their jointly owned Dokie Wind Project, British Columbia’s largest wind farm, has begun generating electricity.
GE Energy Financial Services and Plutonic acquired and resumed construction of the project a year ago. Since then, the project’s engineering, procurement and construction contractor, Mortenson Canada Corporation, has completed mechanical erection of all 48 wind turbine structures. Nine turbines have to date completed final commissioning testing and are available for operation. The substation and transmission lines have also been commissioned and energized, allowing for wind turbine commissioning.
The project, located 1,100 kilometres northeast of Vancouver near Chetwynd, will sell energy generated during commissioning-prior to the commercial operation date, or “COD” -to Powerex, a subsidiary of BC Hydro.
“The start of energy generation at the Dokie Wind Project represents Plutonic’s and GE Energy Financial Services’ first wind project in Canada and a solid new growth platform for Plutonic in wind energy,” said Donald McInnes, Vice-Chairman and CEO of Plutonic Power.
GE Energy Financial Services and Plutonic, through their jointly formed Dokie General Partnership, announced the resumption of project construction in December 2009. The $228 million project will generate 320,000-340,000 MWh/a and, in addition to the turbines, includes a substation and seven kilometres of 230 kV transmission lines. The project is expected to reach commercial operation by early 2011.
In addition to the Dokie Wind Project, GE and Plutonic also jointly developed British Columbia’s largest independent run-of-river hydro project, the East Toba River and Montrose Creek hydroelectric project.”
