SDG&E in legal tangle with Montana wind farms

NaturEner, which operates three wind farms in Montana, has filed a suit in Montana District Court against San Diego Gas & Electric, according to the publications North American Windpower and Power Engineering. Those three wind farms account for 62 percent of the wind-power generation in the state.

NaturEner charges SDG&E breached contracts to invest in the Rim Rock wind farm. SDG&E, a unit of San Diego's Sempra Energy, had agreed to invest $285 million in the Rim Rock farm and to buy renewable energy credits that are required under California law. SDG&E has been purchasing the credits since the project began 16 months ago, according to North American Windpower, but then notified NaturEner that it would not honor its commitment because NaturEner had not satisfied some contract provisions, such as protection of birds.

NaturEner denies the charge, noting that it has installed radar systems to locate eagles and that the company also employs biologists who can pause the operation if birds are in danger.