Enel Green Power has begun construction of the 300 megawatt Red Dirt wind farm in Oklahoma, US, which upon completion will sell its electricity under two long-term power purchase agreements — one with Grand River Dam Authority, and the second with new corporate partner, T-Mobile.
Construction on the 300 megawatt (MW) wind farm in Oklahoma, which is Enel Green Power North America’s largest wind farm in the state, began this month, and will bring the company’s cumulative capacity up to nearly 1,500 MW. The electricity and renewable energy credits from the project will be sold under two long-term power purchase agreements (PPA) — one to T-Mobile for 160 MW, and the other to Grand River Dam Authority for 140 MW.
“We are proud to continue our investment in Oklahoma and its communities and to do so with T-Mobile, a new corporate partner who shares our commitment to sustainability and community,” said Rafael Gonzalez, Head of Enel Green Power North America. “Red Dirt has been under development for several years and promises to be a project that will deliver millions in new revenue to support local services, education, and drive economic stimulus in the region.”
The total investment being poured into the project comes to approximately $420 million, and construction is expected to be completed by the end of this year. Red Dirt will be able to generate approximately 1,200 gigawatt-hours of renewable electricity annually — the equivalent of the power demand of more than 97,000 households, and equivalent to avoiding emissions worth 860,000 tonnes of CO2 annually.
“The 61,000-acre Red Dirt Wind Project will provide 300 MW of clean, abundant wind energy to businesses and homes throughout Oklahoma,” said Heath Herje, senior development director for Tradewind Energy. “Wind projects like Red Dirt give rural Oklahoma counties steady, long-term economic assurance for a sustainable and prosperous existence, now and in the future.”
Source: cleantechnica.com
