The Dillon Wind Power Project in Riverside County is one of Iberdrola Renewables’ wind farms. | Photo courtesy of Iberdrola Renewables

An Oregon company is seeking approval to build a wind farm in eastern San Diego County by the end of next year. The 100 to 133 wind turbines could produce up to 200 megawatts of energy, enough to power 60,000 homes.

“As projects go, that’s medium-sized,” said Andy Linehan, wind permitting director for Iberdrola Renewables. The Portland, Ore.-based subsidiary of Iberdrola Renovables in Spain. The parent claims to have 9,000 megawatts of operating wind power in 23 countries, including 2,400 megawatts in the United States. It posted a profit of €390.2 million in 2008, or about $490.95 million.

Even though Iberdrola Renewables filed a right-of-way application for McCain Valley nearly four years ago, efforts were stalled as the Bureau of Land Management updated its resource management plan for the county, Linehan said. Most of the site 70 miles east of San Diego is on BLM property. The company also is negotiating with a couple of American Indian tribes for use of their land.

If all goes as planned, crews would start construction early next year.

The site covers 15 square miles, but the turbine towers would take up only 200 to 500 acres scattered throughout.

“Typically, there is a mile between strings of turbines, and typically a quarter-mile between turbines,” Linehan said.

The wind farm would connect to transmission lines at the town of Boulevard. Contracts for the power would be negotiated during construction.

“Certainly, San Diego Gas and Electric is very interested,” Linehan said. “If not them, there are plenty of others.”

Renewable Resources Mandate

California utilities have an incentive to look seriously at wind power. The state has a mandate for investor-owned utilities to get 20 percent of their energy from renewable resources by 2010. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an executive order this past November setting a goal of 33 percent by 2020.

“We have 6 percent currently in our portfolio,” said SDG&E spokeswoman Jennifer Briscoe, noting that the mix also includes solar and geothermal power. “We have contracted for nearly 16 percent by 2010 and 21 percent by 2011. And we continue to sign agreements.”

The state Independent System Operator, which manages California’s power grid, has requests from renewable energy developers to tie 6,000 megawatts into the Sunrise Powerlink that SDG&E has approval to build into the Imperial Valley, Briscoe said.

Santa Ana winds in eastern San Diego County, which occur when high pressure builds over the Great Basin east of the Sierra Nevada, create ideal conditions for wind turbines, according to the California Center for Sustainable Energy.