Enel Green Power North America Inc. (EGPNA), the U.S. renewables subsidiary of Italy-based Enel S.p.A., has begun operations of its 298 MW Thunder Ranch and 300 MW Red Dirt wind farms, both located in Oklahoma. As a result, EGPNA claims to now be the largest wind player in the state.
EGPNA says it now has more than 1.7 GW of managed capacity across 10 wind farms in Oklahoma. The company already manages Rocky Ridge (150 MW), Chisholm View I & II (300 MW in total), Origin (150 MW), Osage Wind (150 MW), Little Elk (74 MW), Goodwell (200 MW) and Drift Sand (108 MW).
The investments in the construction of Thunder Ranch and Red Dirt were approximately $435 million and $420 million, respectively.
The Thunder Ranch wind farm – located in Garfield, Kay and Noble counties – is able to generate more than 1,100 GWh annually. The plant will be the first of EGPNA’s wind farms to have an operational rooftop solar PV system, which will power its operations and maintenance building with around 55 kWh per year. The rooftop system is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2018. Thunder Ranch is fully contracted with long-term agreements, including one power purchase agreement (PPA) with Anheuser-Busch, the U.S. subsidiary of beer corporation AB InBev, for a 152.5 MW portion.
The Red Dirt wind farm, located in Kingfisher and Logan Counties, is able to generate approximately 1,200 GWh each year. Red Dirt is supported by two long-term PPAs, one with T-Mobile US Inc. for a 160 MW portion and another for the remaining 140 MW portion with the Grand River Dam Authority, which will sell the renewable energy to Google under a separate agreement between the two.
“We are extremely pleased about becoming the largest wind operator in the state of Oklahoma with the completion of both Thunder Ranch and Red Dirt,” says Antonio Cammisecra, head of Enel’s global renewable energies division, Enel Green Power. “This milestone is testament to our continued investment in the U.S. energy market, which is strategic for Enel Green Power. We are growing our U.S. footprint through traditional avenues such as organic development and small-scale acquisitions, boosted by more innovative and diversified solutions such as the ‘Build, Sell and Operate’ model and the sale of energy to corporate customers.”
