Energy

Cielo Wind Power of Austin is developing the Brazos Wind Ranch, a 160-megawatt wind farm located 70 miles southeast of Lubbock. The project, a partnership between Cielo and Oakland, Calif.-based Orion Energy, will consist of 160 towers in the Borden and Scurry counties in Northwest Texas. Construction began in July 2003 and will progress on an aggressive six-month schedule so the wind farm can be operational by year-end. Contractor for the project is MA Mortenson Co. of Minneapolis.

Houston-based Tractebel North America will build a $300-million, 800-megawatt power generating system in Ennis, Texas. The plant is the third in north Texas for Tractebel and the second of its kind in Ennis. Tractebel is the energy division of French-based global energy services conglomerate Suez Group. 

San Diego-based Guepard Energy will construct four 5-megawatt plants in Imperial County, Calif., that will use methane gas from cow manure to make electricity. Construction of the first facility, located near a beef-processing plant in Brawley, will begin in April 2003. The four plants will cost $50-million to build and will process 1.6 million pounds of manure a day. The San Diego office of Archer Western, a division of Chicago-based Walsh Group, will oversee the project.

Keyspan Energy will relocate its New England headquarters from Boston to Waltham, consolidating several offices including locations in downtown Boston and West Roxbury. Keyspan will lease between 115,000 sf and 125,000 sf in the new location at 52 Second Ave.

The Food and Drug Administration has contracted Sempra Energy Solutions to construct a central utility plant at its 2.3 million-sf Silver Spring, Md. administration campus. The plant will use renewable energy by incorporating the use of photovoltaic panels, as well as efficient combined heat and power technology. Sempra's $98 million services contract includes supplying electricity as well as the heating and cooling infrastructure for the campus.

Valero Energy Corp. has completed construction of a $50-million, 51-megawatt cogeneration plant to power its Benicia refinery. The facility came online in October 2002 and eliminates the possibility of involuntary shutdowns due to rolling blackouts, as well as returning approximately 50 megawatts to the power grid. The plant is the first of two planned cogeneration units, the second of which will fuel plant operations and supply power to the grid.

The 32,000-sf San Diego Electrical Training Center just became the largest commercial building in San Diego powered by solar energy. The facility's photovoltaic system, installed by students, currently provides 50% of needed electricity, with the remaining sections to be installed by classes throughout the school year. The completed system will be large enough to power the entire facility. The Center provides hands-on training for union electricians in installation of traditional and renewable energy solutions.

Progress Energy will begin construction in late 2002 on a new $80-million facility in downtown Raleigh. Located behind the company's current high rise, the 19-story building will house up to 400,000-sf of office space accompanied by 27,000-sf of street level retail space, 72 condominiums, and seven parking levels.

Valero Energy Corp. is expanding its San Antonio campus located on the 148-acre former Ultramar Diamond Shamrock campus. Designed by architectural firm Rehler Vaughn & Koone, the 450,000-sf project will include the addition of two new wings to Valero's existing 225,000-sf facility, which will also be upgraded. The cafeteria and 8,000-sf fitness center  will be expanded and improved, and 2,000 parking spaces will be added. Slated for completion in early fall of 2003, the addition will reach full occupancy in spring 2004.

Washington Gas, a natural gas utility, began renovating its 500,000-sf Springfield Operations Center in October 2002. The project, designed by architectural firm McKissack & McKissack of Washington, D.C., will be the first renovation performed on the 1971 light industrial building since its construction. The renovation is expected to reach completion in three to five years. Washington Gas is also seeking to relocate its headquarters to a new 80,000- to 90,000-sf site in the greater Washington area.

Advancing California's Emerging Technologies (ACET) may team up with Catellus Development to create ACET's new home on 3.3 acres of the 213-acre former U.S. Naval Air Station Fleet Industrial Center. Originally a bioscience incubator, ACET has expanded its focus to include technology and energy applications. Currently operating from 8,800 sf of smaller Alameda Naval Air station labs, the ACET is seeking a $64-million grant to cover land, design and building costs for the new facility.

The Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative Inc. (GVEC) is building a Lineman's Training Facility on 11 acres of company-owned land in Gonzales. The Texas Electric Cooperatives, an Austin trade association, has partnered with GVEC to share building costs. The facility, slated for completion in August, is GVEC's third Texas site where journeyman linemen can benefit from educational programs and safety training. The first training facility opened in Levelland in 2001; GVEC is now building a Northeast Texas training facility in Henderson.

The Lower Colorado River Authority is planning to upgrade the 30-year-old Dalchau Service Center. Located in Southeast Austin, the transmission services center currently houses 180 to 240 employees who maintain and build power transmission lines. The $43-million expansion project will remodel the center to accommodate current and future growth. Four separate facilities will be upgraded and converted into a single 260-desk facility, housing additional offices and a conference center.

Progress Energy is planning to lease over 450,000 sf in two new office towers to be developed in downtown Raleigh in order to consolidate operations currently scattered in 250,000 sf across Raleigh. The towers, which may rise as high as 18 to 20 stories each, will be located on a two-acre site adjacent to Progress's current 21-story, 250,000-sf office. Progress, providing only the land and the lease guarantee, has issued a request for proposals to 14 development companies and plans to make a selection in April 2002.

Oil refiner Valero Energy Corp. has contracted SpawGlass Contractors of San Antonio to build its new headquarters on the existing 148-acre Ultramar Diamond Shamrock Corp. campus recently acquired by Valero.