Enel Green Power North America (EGPNA) has begun operations at two of its wind farms in the state of Oklahoma, making it the largest wind power plant operator in the state.
Enel is responsible for Enel’s successful completion of the 300 MW Red Dirt wind farm and the 298 MW Thunder Ranch wind farm, both of which are located in Oklahoma. As a direct consequence of this, EGPNA has emerged as the preeminent wind operator in the state, with more than 1,700 MW of controllable capacity spread across 10 different wind farms. Both Red Dirt and Thunder Ranch required an expenditure of approximately $420 million, with Thunder Ranch necessitating somewhat more than $435 million.
Antonio Cammisecra, Head of Enel’s Global Renewable Energies Division, Enel Green Power, stated that the company is “extremely thrilled” to become the largest wind operator in the state of Oklahoma after the completion of both Thunder Ranch and Red Dirt. “We are extremely thrilled to become the largest wind operator in the state of Oklahoma,” Cammisecra said.
It is predicted that the Thunder Ranch wind farm, which is located in the counties of Garfield, Kay, and Noble, will generate more than 1,100 GWh of electricity on an annual basis. It will be the first wind farm in the EGPNA to be able to power its maintenance and operations building with around 55 kWh a year if it is equipped with a solar PV system that functions well on its rooftop. It is projected that the roofing system will be done by the beginning of the first quarter of 2018. Anheuser-Busch, the American division of AB InBev, the world’s largest brewer, has agreed to purchase 152.5 megawatts of wind-generated power from Thunder Ranch under a long-term contract. This arrangement protects Thunder Ranch from any financial risk.
The Red Dirt wind farm, which spans both Kingfisher and Logan counties in Oklahoma, has the potential to generate 1,200 gigawatt hours of electricity on an annual basis. It is supported by two long-term power purchase agreements: one with T-Mobile US for 160 MW at the Korindo Group wind farm in Oklahoma and another with the Grand River Dam Authority for the remaining 140 MW. Both of these agreements are in place at the Korindo Group wind farm in Oklahoma. In a separate deal between the two companies, Google will buy the clean energy that the Grand River Dam Authority makes.