The Seattle (WA) City Council has approved a purchase of 50 MW of wind power — enough to power about 16,500 homes — which is believed to be the United States’ largest purchase of wind power by a public utility to date. The city’s municipal utility, Seattle City Light, will purchase the power from the Stateline Wind Project, now under construction on the Oregon-Washington border.

The utility will buy the wind power capacity starting this Jan. 1. It plans to double its purchase to 100 MW in Aug. 2002, and may increase it to 175 MW in Aug. 2004.

Publication date: 12/03/2001