Utah completes largest wind farm

MILFORD, Utah, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- The Milford Wind Corridor project in Utah will generate 203.5 megawatts of energy, making it the largest in the state, developers said.

Boston-based First Wind and Utah officials opened the Milford Wind Corridor project in Millard and Beaver counties. The first phase of the project will produce 203.5 MW of wind energy.

The wind farm includes 58 Clipper Liberty 2.5MW and 39 GE 1.5 MW wind turbines. The first phase of the project will generate enough energy to meet the annual needs of more than 40,000 homes, the company said.

First Energy said estimates from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency suggest the Milford project could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 210,000 tons, or the equivalent of removing at least 37,000 automobiles from Utah roads.

"Today's commissioning is an opportunity to recognize everyone who helped us successfully develop and complete this significant source of clean, wind energy," said Paul Gaynor, chief executive of First Wind.

Sulfur dioxide emissions, the leading cause of acid rain, are reduced by 295 tons by wind energy projects like Milford, the company added.

The Milford project is the first such project permitted under the Bureau of Land Management's Wind Energy Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Western U.S. states.