2011-02-08 22:18:15 -

Iberdrola Renewables, the world’s leading provider of wind power, today announced that FirstEnergy Solutions, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., will purchase 100 megawatts (MW) of output from the 304-MW Blue Creek Wind Farm, which Iberdrola Renewables is building in western Ohio. The Blue Creek Wind Farm is the first large-scale wind operation in Ohio to begin construction.

Under terms of an agreement the companies recently reached, FirstEnergy Solutions will purchase 100 MWs of the total output of the project for 20 years beginning in October of 2012.

"Blue Creek Wind Farm would represent our first wind power agreement in Ohio and will help us meet the renewable energy standards that have been established for the state,” said Gary R. Leidich, executive vice

president and president, FirstEnergy Generation. “Overall, FirstEnergy Solutions continues to play a key role in the development of renewable energy in the region with 476-MWs of wind power under long-term contracts and 451 MW of pumped-storage hydro-power facilities.”

“We are very pleased to partner with FirstEnergy Solutions on a second power purchase agreement and look forward to supplying them with clean, homegrown power,” said Martin Mugica, executive vice president of Iberdrola Renewables. “By building the Blue Creek Wind Farm, we are expanding our business into a new state and delivering immediate and long term benefits to Van Wert and Paulding Counties, as well as the rest of Ohio.”


Construction for Blue Creek Wind Farm, located in Tully, Union and Hoaglin townships in Van Wert County, and Benton, Blue Creek and Latty townships in Paulding County, began in September. Iberdrola Renewables expects construction to be completed within the year. The Blue Creek Wind Farm also brings approximately $1.1 million in annual lease payments to local landowners, $2.7 million in annual local taxes, 15 to 20 new permanent jobs, over 300 construction jobs, and local purchase of some supplies and construction materials. Already 18 Ohio companies are supporting or supplying the construction effort. Ultimately, the project will include 152 Pennsylvania-built wind turbines rated at 2 MW each.

Iberdrola Renewables, Inc. is headquartered in Portland, Ore, with more than 850 employees at the end of 2010. It is part of the Iberdrola Renovables global group, the world's leading provider of wind power with more than 12,000 megawatts of renewable energy in operation around the world, and more than 4,600 megawatts of that wind power located in the U.S. www.iberdrolarenewables.us : cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww .. .

FirstEnergy is a diversified energy company headquartered in Akron, Ohio. Its subsidiaries and affiliates are involved in the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity, as well as energy management and other energy-related services. Its seven electric utility operating companies comprise the nation’s fifth largest investor-owned electric system, based on 4.5 million customers served, within a 36,100-square-mile area of Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey; and its generation subsidiaries control more than 14,000 megawatts of capacity.

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Iberdrola RenewablesPaul Copleman, 207-351-3284orIberdrola
RenewablesJan Johnson, 503-796-7070orFirstEnergy Corp.Mark
Durbin, 330-761-4365