Pattern Energy Establishes Advanced 24/7 Wind Project Operations Control Center in Houston

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Pattern Energy Group LP (Pattern) today announced that it has established an advanced new 24/7 Operations Control Center in Houston, Texas. The new facility, located in downtown Houston, was developed to actively monitor, coordinate and direct the operation of Pattern's growing portfolio of wind energy projects 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The new 24/7 Operations Control Center employs a team of highly-skilled wind operators that constantly monitor and control all aspects of the wind turbines at Pattern's projects, from wind speed and energy output to oil levels. The operations team in Houston coordinates closely with the on-site operators and maintenance teams at each wind project. Currently monitoring more than 220 wind turbines across North America, the 24/7 Operations Control Center has significant expansion capacity for Pattern's extensive pipeline of wind projects in development.

"Pattern's new 24/7 Operations Control Center represents a new era in wind energy where the conditions at each wind farm and efficiency of each turbine is maximized around the clock through its remote monitoring and control by a team of highly-trained technicians," said Mike Garland, CEO of Pattern Energy. "Our operations team includes skilled technicians, wind experts and meteorologists that now have all the tools needed in one location to remotely monitor every technical and visual aspect of our projects, track local weather patterns and respond immediately to any changing conditions to ensure safety and maximize the project's performance."

Designed and developed by Pattern, the 24/7 Operations Control Center utilizes state-of-the-art computer systems, sophisticated and proprietary software, and highly-skilled personnel. A dynamic video wall, measuring six feet by 20 feet, displays up to 32 separate video sources with live images. The advanced computer systems process and store a complex array of technical data from each project and also perform project statistical reporting and advanced analytics. In addition, mission critical software analyzes performance against "key performance indicators" that provide turbine, sub-station, meteorological, maintenance, regulatory, and safety data, while alerting technicians of any changes in the performance of any aspect of the wind farm. The center also acts as the central nervous system of Pattern's operations to perform scheduling, market notifications, and communications both inside and outside of Pattern Energy.

Pattern's 24/7 Operations Control Center is now monitoring and controlling its wind projects in operation, including its 283.2 megawatt (MW) Gulf Wind project in Texas, the 101.2 MW Hatchet Ridge Wind project in California, and the 138 MW St. Joseph Wind project in Manitoba, which has begun generating power while in the final phase of construction. Pattern has additional wind projects in development in 11 states across the U.S. and four provinces in Canada, as well as Latin America and the Caribbean.  

About Pattern Energy

Pattern Energy Group LP is an independent, fully integrated energy company that develops, constructs, owns, and operates renewable energy and transmission assets in the United States, Canada and Latin America. With a long history in wind energy, Pattern's highly-experienced team of scientists, engineers, construction experts, and legal and financial professionals has developed, financed and placed into operation more than 2,000 MW of wind power. Pattern's development pipeline exceeds 4,000 MW of renewable energy projects and includes multiple transmission projects. Pattern currently has 384.4 MW of wind energy in operation in the U.S. and 138 MW under construction in southern Manitoba, Canada. With offices in San Francisco, San Diego, Houston, New York, and Toronto, Pattern is strongly committed to promoting environmental stewardship and is dedicated to working closely with landowners and communities to develop and operate premier renewable energy projects. For more information, please visit www.patternenergy.com.

SOURCE Pattern Energy