Arizona's first commercial-scale wind project was dedicated at a ceremony attended by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, and other federal, state and local officials.
Located in Navajo County, the Dry Lake Wind Power Project sits on a combination of private, state and federal lands. Approximately one-third of the project is on the private Rocking Chair Ranch, with one-third each on Arizona State Land Department and Bureau of Land Management public lands.
The project, which was developed by Iberdrola Renewables, is composed of 30 Suzlon S88-2.1 MW turbines. It generates 63 MW of energy, which will be delivered to customers of Salt River Project.
The wind farm was honored with an award from the Department of Energy's Wind Powering America.
‘Wind Powering America gives an award for the first wind farm in each state because it's a big deal,’ says Marguerite Kelly of Wind Powering America. ‘It represents working through all of the issues and barriers that first-of-a-kind activities must deal with. It demonstrates to all of the parties the benefits of a wind project – economic benefits, price stability and portfolio diversity.’
During the peak of Dry Lake's construction, 200 direct construction jobs were created, as well as hundreds of indirect jobs through the supply chain and construction support. In addition, the wind farm supports the local community through tax benefits to Navajo County.
SOURCE: Iberdrola Renewables
