Stuart Hemphill, Director of Renewable and Alternative Energy, Southern California Edison
photographed at the offices of Edison International® , Rosemead, California, January 2, 2007

On October 21, 2006, in a press release entitled "Southern California Edison Signs Largest Wind Energy Contract in U.S. Renewable Industry History," it was announced that:

"Southern California Edison (SCE), the nation’s leading purchaser of renewable energy, today signed a ground-breaking wind energy contract that will provide the utility’s customers with a major new source of emission-free power. 

"The agreement with Alta Windpower Development LLC, a subsidiary of Allco Financial Group Inc. of Australia, a global financial-services business, is the largest wind energy contract ever signed by a U.S. utility.  It secures for SCE customers 1,500 megawatts* (MW) or more of power generated by new projects to be built in the Tehachapi area of California.  The contract, which more than doubles SCE’s wind energy portfolio, envisions more than 50 square miles of wind parks in the Tehachapi region – triple the size of any existing U.S. wind farm.  Oak Creek Energy Systems Inc. of Mojave, Calif., is a partner with Allco in the development, construction, and operations of the projects."