OREANDA-NEWS. January 9, 2013. BP Wind Energy and Sempra US Gas & Power announced today that the Mehoopany Wind Farm has moved into full commercial operation. The wind farm is the largest wind project in the state of Pennsylvania and represents a combined investment of approximately USD 250 million.

Located on a 9,000-acre site some 20 miles northwest of Scranton, the Mehoopany Wind Farm utilizes 88 GE xle wind turbine generators each with a rated capacity of 1.6 megawatts (MW) to produce 141 MW of electricity.

Some 10-15 permanent jobs have been created to monitor and maintain the facility now that it is in commercial operation. Over 400 jobs were created during the peak of construction of the wind farm.

“Today’s announcement is an important milestone that marks yet another success for the BP and Sempra US Gas & Power teams that have worked so hard to deliver this project into full commercial operation,” said John Graham, president and CEO, BP Wind Energy. “We appreciate the on-going support that we have received at both the state and local level and look forward to a long-term partnership in the community.”

“This is a great project all the way around," said Jeffrey W. Martin, president and CEO of Sempra US Gas & Power. “The State of Pennsylvania has been a recognized leader in providing critical fuels to help grow our nation's economy for over a century. This project continues in that proud tradition by harnessing clean, sustainable wind energy that will benefit mid-Atlantic customers for decades to come.”

The entire power output has been sold under long-term power purchase agreements with Old Dominion Electric Cooperative and Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative Inc. The agreements were made possible through the efforts of the National Renewables Cooperative Organization, which enables cooperatives nationwide to pool the ownership and benefits of renewable resources.

BP and Sempra US Gas & Power are 50:50 joint venture partners in the Mehoopany Wind Farm. A wholly-owned affiliate of BP Wind Energy will be the operator.