APS Catches Wind of New Plant; Partners with Western Wind on Arizona's First Commercial Wind Farm.

Energy Editors/Business Editors

ST. JOHNS, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 25, 2004

The winds that whip through Eastern Arizona soon will power Arizona's first commercial wind farm.

APS and Western Wind Energy Corp. (WND) have partnered on a 15-megawatt wind turbine generating facility to be constructed approximately five miles east of St. Johns. WND will construct and operate the Eastern Arizona Wind Energy Center on 400 acres of land it owns. APS will purchase the power -- enough for up to 3,000 average-size homes -- and acquire the associated green credits.

Construction of the plant is scheduled to begin in September with first output expected by the end of the year. St. Johns is approximately 200 miles northeast of Phoenix.

"We are focused on developing renewable energy sources in Arizona, and we believe the Eastern Arizona Wind Energy Center is an exciting opportunity to develop Arizona's first wind farm," said Ed Fox, vice president of Communications, Environment and Safety for APS. "We are committed to developing clean renewable energy sources today that will fuel tomorrow's economy."

The Eastern Arizona Wind Energy Center will be located atop a mesa approximately 800 feet higher than the surrounding lands. The wind farm will consist of ten 1.5-megawatt machines standing more than 300 feet tall. Each wind generator will feature three blades that rotate 18 to 24 revolutions per minute. Combined with the design of the generators, this means there is little risk to birds that fly in the area.

WND's management brings approximately 23 years of continuous experience in the design, construction, operation and maintenance of wind energy electrical generation facilities in central California. Prior to partnering with APS, WND monitored wind at the Arizona location for more than a year. With collecting elevations as high as 200 feet, the companies estimate the long-term capacity factor to be at least 24 percent, considered suitable for such a project.

"From the start, we realized the tremendous potential the Eastern Arizona Wind Energy Center presented to Arizona," said Jeff Ciachurski, president and CEO of WND. "It was just a matter of finding the right partner. We know APS is committed to utilizing the benefits wind energy provides to the state of Arizona.

"Building a wind park in Arizona provides energy price stability, environmental stewardship, energy security in the form of reduced dependence on foreign fuels, and new jobs that will be created in the state of Arizona. We are proud to be working with a community leader such as APS."

In addition to generating electricity for APS' customers, the wind farm will help APS meet the goals of the Arizona Corporation Commission's Environmental Portfolio Standard, which encourages APS to generate 1.1 percent of its energy through renewable sources, 60 percent through solar. APS owns and operates approximately 4.5 megawatts of solar generation around the state and has partnered on a 3-megawatt biomass plant in Eager, Ariz., which came on line Feb. 17.

APS, Arizona's largest and longest-serving electricity utility, serves about 902,000 customers in 11 of the state's 15 counties. With headquarters in Phoenix, APS is the largest subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (NYSE: PNW).

Western Wind Energy Corp. (WND) is a Canadian public company that trades on both the Toronto and Berlin Stock Exchanges. WND has 11.9 million shares outstanding and a market capitalization of $55 million.

B-roll footage of wind generators available upon request.