"DOE Offers Loan Guarantee to Massive Ore. Wind Turbine Project"

"The Department of Energy plans to provide a loan guarantee to the world's largest wind farm, increasing the agency's total loan guarantees or conditional commitments to almost $16 billion.

If approved, the loan guarantee will help fund the Caithness Shepherds Flat wind project, an 845-megawatt electric generating facility in eastern Oregon. The project was delayed earlier this year when the Pentagon raised concerns that the turbines would interfere with radar signals, but Defense Department officials dropped their opposition in April.

Now, DOE hopes to help get the project off the ground by providing a partial guarantee for a $1.3 billion loan. The conditional commitment brings to 15 the total projects under the DOE's loan guarantee program, which is partly funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act."

Emily Yehle reports for Greenwire October 11, 2010.