Rocky Mountains to See Nearly $4.2 Billion in Second-Quarter Power Project Starts

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The Rocky Mountains market region, which includes Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming, is seeing a variety of Power Industry projects coming up in second-quarter 2021, including solar, wind, transmission and distribution, and hydropower. Industrial Info is tracking nearly $4.2 billion in power projects planned to kick off in the region in the upcoming quarter. Nevada and New Mexico, both with more than $1.1 billion in planned spending, lead in terms of project value.

Click on the image at right for a breakdown by state of planned second-quarter power project starts in the Rocky Mountains region.

Most U.S. market regions are dominated by renewable energy projects rather than traditional forms of generation such as natural gas and coal, and the Rocky Mountains region is no exception. Wind and solar projects represent some of the largest projects seen in the region in the upcoming quarter. In Nevada, NextEra Energy Incorporated (NYSE:NEE) (Juno Beach, Florida) plans to begin construction on the Dodge Flats photovoltaic solar facility near Wadsworth, about 30 miles northeast of Reno. The facility will generate 200 megawatts (MW). Construction is expected to last about a year. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) that accompany solar facilities are becoming more common, and near Waterflow, New Mexico, Centaurus Energy Limited Partnership (Houston, Texas) plans to construct a 300-MW solar facility with 150 MW of battery storage. The facility will be built at the site of a decommissioned coal-fired plant. The projects are expected to kick off early this summer and take about a year to complete. They have a combined total investment value of approximately $480 million. For more information, see Industrial Info's project reports on the solar array and BESS.

Windfarms also are taking hold in the region, especially in New Mexico. In Quemado, New Mexico, about 140 miles southwest of Albuquerque, NextEra Energy plans to construct its Borderlands Windfarm, which will use 34 General Electric (NYSE:GE) wind turbines of between 2.3 MW and 3 MW to generate about 100 MW. Wanzek Construction Incorporated (West Fargo, North Dakota) is providing engineering, procurement and construction services on the project, which is expected to take about a year to complete. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

Gallegos Wind Farm LLC (Larkspur, Colorado) will construct the 180-MW Don Carlos Windfarm near Grenville, New Mexico, which will use 72 2.5-MW wind turbines. Construction is expected to last about a year. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

Some of the largest upcoming power projects in the region are for transmission and distribution in Wyoming. Idacorp Incorporated (NYSE:IDA) (Boise, Idaho) will be undertaking a large transmission project that involves sections of line running from the Aeolus Substation in Medicine Bow, in the southeast of the state. Approximately 91.9 miles of 500-kilovolt (kV) transmission line will be constructed from Aeolus to the Creston Substation, which will serve as a point of interconnection for the 400-plus miles of 500-kV transmission line that will be constructed between Aeolus and the Clover Substation near Mona, Utah. The projects represent the Gateway South portion of the Energy Gateway Transmission Expansion project. For more information, see Industrial Info's project reports on the Aeolus-Creston line and Aeolus-Clover line.

While grassroot hydropower projects in the U.S. are few and far between, upgrades and equipment replacement continue to occur at existing, aging facilities. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will be performing an upgrade to the 35-MW Crystal Hydropower Plant in Montrose, Colorado, by installing and testing new medium-voltage breakers and refurbishing the switchgear to extend the facility's service life and reliability. The project is expected to be completed by the end of this year. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

In Fort Peck, Montana, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be replacing the governors for units 1-5 (generating 185 MW) at the Fort Peck Hydropower Station. The old hydraulic, mechanical governors will be replaced with new digital systems to improve plant efficiency and extend service life. The project is expected to be completed by the end of this year. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. Follow IIR on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn. For more information on our coverage, send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.com or visit us online at http://www.industrialinfo.com.