FirstEnergy to buy 250 megawatts of energy from W.Va. wind farms

March 16 -- FirstEnergy Corp. has signed 20-year agreements to buy 250 megawatts of output from two wind power generation projects under development in West Virginia.

U.S. Wind Force LLC, a Wexford, Pa., renewable energy firm, is developing both projects with its joint venture partner, Padoma Wind Power LLC of La Jolla, Calif.

The projects include a 150-megawatt wind farm near Bayard, W.Va., called Mt. Storm, and the Liberty Gap wind farm, a 100-megawatt project near Franklin, W.Va. Both projects are expected to be operational by December 2007 and will generate 650,000 megawatt-hours of electricity annually.

The two projects will more than double the 234 megawatts of installed wind power in the Mid-Atlantic region, said David McAnally, U.S. Wind Force CEO.

"We are excited to partner with FirstEnergy on these projects," he said.

The deal is a positive sign that major utilities view wind power as a viable option to diversify their energy portfolios, said Frank Maisano, a spokesman for U.S. Wind Force.

It also gives communities in the Mid-Atlantic region more certainty that they can benefit from wind-energy projects, he said.

The deal is the second renewable energy agreement that Akron, Ohio-based FirstEnergy has completed in the region, said Guy Pipitone, senior vice president for operations, strategy and development for FirstEnergy.

The company also has a purchase agreement with FPL Energy LLC to buy electricity from its 30-megawatt wind farm in Somerset County, Pa.