Solar Competition Clouding Wyoming-to-California Wind Plans
CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — A major Wyoming wind project designed to deliver electricity to California faces growing competition from solar energy.
Renewable energy requirements in California are encouraging development of solar power. Roxane Perruso with Power Company of Wyoming told Wyoming legislators in Casper last week that solar development alone could succeed in meeting those requirements.
California's standards will require utilities to get half their electricity from clean, renewable sources by 2030. The requirement is a big driver of Power Company of Wyoming's plans to build one of the largest wind farms in the U.S. in southern Wyoming.
Road work for the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre wind farm began last year. The first of as many as 1,000 wind turbines could go up as soon as next year.