County wind farm work goes out for bids

Bid packages are going out for construction on Palouse Wind’s north county wind farm.

Ben Fairbanks, western regional business development manager for Palouse Wind’s parent company First Wind, said the package for concrete work is currently out for bids, and contracts for civil and electrical work will open for bids in the near future.

Fairbanks said contracts are being put together now so full construction can begin in April. The mild winter meant the crews were able to work late enough into the calendar to grade and gravel roads and pads for 20 to 25 turbines.

“It’s been a good winter. I think we’re ahead of schedule at this point,” he said.

Construction began in October and ran through December.

Lead contractor for the project is RMT, Inc., headquartered in Madison, Wis.

Construction on the wind farm must be done by the end of this year. Palouse Wind has signed a 30-year deal to supply an average of 40 megawatts of power to Avista beginning at the end of the year.

The $170 million project will install turbines on Naff Ridge, Granite Butte and Steam Shovel Hill between Oakesdale and Highway 195.

Fairbanks said the firm hopes to receive bids from local firms in every phase of the project.

“Our intent is to work with local contractors and, if not Whitman County, then definitely local Washington state contractors,” he said.

Under an apprenticeship program through the state, Palouse Wind receives two-tenths of a renewable energy credit for every killowatt it produces.

Palouse Wind, RMT and Vestas, Denver-based manufacturer of the turbines that will be erected on Naff Ridge, conducted an open house for contractors last month.

Vestas is supplying Palouse Wind with 58 V100 turbines capable of producing 1.8 megawatts of electricity.

The wind farm will have the capacity to generate power for about 30,000 homes of Avista customers.