 WIND POWERS AMERICA |
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A wind farm that will feature the largest wind turbines ever erected in North America will be unveiled Wednesday, December 3, at the dedication ceremony of the Big Spring Wind Power Project in Big Spring, Tex. State utility Texas Utilities Electric (TU) of Dallas, Tex. and York Research Corporation of New York, N.Y., will start up generation in the first phase of the $40 million project that will soon provide 117 million kilowatt-hours of green power annually. Four Vestas V-47 wind turbines will be activated during the ceremony to begin providing power for TU, the local electric utility buying the power. In February 1999, when the entire wind farm is completed, it will have the capacity to power 7,300 homes, and it will feature 46 wind turbines reaching as high its 370 feet, with rotors more than 216 feet in diameter (see graphic below). York Research is responsible for the development, construction and management of the new wind farm. Spurred by overwhelming support from TU customers for renewable energy, the utility decided to commit to purchasing all of the electricity generated at Big Spring Wind Power facility for the next 15 years. When asked in a survey conducted last October whether their local utility should invest in renewables, 96% of TU customers said yes. By a 10 to 1 margin, those same customers said they would be willing to pay at least one dollar more per month for energy from renewable energy sources such as wind power. "Texans have overwhelmingly told their electric companies that they want more renewable energy because they want clean air," said Patrick Wood III, Chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas. "We are thrilled by the fact that customers have requested clean, low-cost green power, and are getting it," said Randall Swisher, executive director of the American Wind Energy Association. "We are also equally excited that the largest turbines in the U.S. and North America are part of a surge in wind power's growth across the U.S. over the next seven months. During that time, our country will increase its wind power capacity by 50%, and Big Spring is the first in that new wave of wind farm development." This illustrates the size of the turbines at the Big Spring Windpower Project.
Big Spring Wind Power Project
WIND POWERS AMERICA is a special series of news releases that highlights new wind projects as the U.S. wind industry undergoes a major expansion between now and July 1999. As new wind farms are completed, WIND POWERS AMERICA will encapsulate information from each project, including the local or regional environmental and economic impact. For other releases in this series, go to the AWEA News page on this Web site. American Wind Energy Association 122 C St., NW, 4th floor, Washington, DC |
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©
1998 by the American Wind Energy Association. |
