Puget Sound Energy signs long-term contract for more wind energy

PSE signs power purchase agreement for Haymaker Wind out of Montana

Bellevue, Washington (7/23/2024) As part of its continued efforts to procure clean energy, Puget Sound Energy has signed a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Clearway Energy Group (“Clearway”) for a 315 MW wind farm under development in Wheatland and Meagher County in Montana.

Once operational, the Haymaker Wind Farm will contribute approximately 15% toward PSE’s remaining need to meet its 2030 clean energy targets. 315 MW translates into enough energy to power about 116,000 average homes in PSE’s service territory.

“This agreement with Clearway helps us meet some of the most ambitious clean energy laws in the nation while delivering on our customer’s expectations for energy that is safe, reliable and affordable,” said Ron Roberts, PSE’s senior vice president of Energy Resources. “We are proud to be a partner in developing Montana’s wind resources—this project is another milestone in our continued investment in the state’s energy economy.”

The Haymaker Wind facility is being developed by Clearway, one of the largest clean energy developers and owners in the country with over 11.5 GW of wind, solar, storage, and natural gas assets in operation. Clearway has committed to ensuring that Haymaker will be constructed using community workforce or project labor agreements and to using local and diverse suppliers (including small businesses, minority owned businesses, and women owned businesses) when available. Construction is expected to start in June of 2026 with completion and commercial operation targeted for 2028.

“We are proud to partner with Puget Sound Energy in delivering low-cost clean energy to their customers and supporting their ambitious renewable energy goals,” said Valerie Wooley, Senior Vice President of Origination at Clearway. “Reinforced by the Inflation Reduction Act, Haymaker represents a major investment in central Montana’s economy, and we’re eager to work with the community through development, construction, and our long-term stewardship of the project.”

The wind project will create numerous construction jobs, permanent jobs, and will generate millions of dollars of spending in the local community, including, for the full size of the project, millions in landowner payments and over $100 million in property tax revenue over the life of the project.

Wind energy from Haymaker will be delivered to PSE’s customers using existing PSE transmission.

PSE is currently in the process of developing the Beaver Creek Wind Farm, a utility-scale wind project located in Stillwater County, Montana. Other recent examples include power purchase agreements with Energy Keepers, Inc., the tribally owned corporation of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes for hydroelectric power, and an agreement with NextEra for power from Montana’s largest wind farm, Clearwater Wind, based in Rosebud, Custer and Garfield Counties. PSE has been part of Montana’s energy economy since the 1970s; more about PSE’s work in Montana can be found at www.psemontana.com.

Media Contact:

Andrew Padula, 1-888-831-7250, psenewsroom@jnkjdc.com