AES Corp., an Arlington, Va.-based generator and distributor of electric power, plans to begin construction of Buffalo Gap III, a 170 MW expansion of its Buffalo Gap wind farm near Abilene, Texas. Once completed, the project will increase capacity at Buffalo Gap to 524 MW, making it one of the largest operating wind farms in the U.S., AES says.
The company has signed a seven-year power purchase agreement to sell all of the electricity it produces at the Buffalo Gap III wind generation facility to Direct Energy, a subsidiary of Centrica PLC. AES purchased 74 Siemens model SWT-2.3-93 wind turbines for the Buffalo Gap III project.
Commercial operations are expected to begin mid-2008, AES adds.
