Nebraska-based Lincoln Electric System (LES) has completed power purchase agreements (PPAs) to add 173 MW of wind energy and 5 MW of solar photovoltaic energy to its power supply resource portfolio by 2016.
According to Lincoln Electric, the wind and solar projects will increase the utility's renewable generation portfolio to 48% of LES' retail energy.
Chicago-based developer Invenergy received both wind PPAs for its 73 MW Prairie Breeze II Wind Energy Center, located in northeastern Nebraska, and the Buckeye Wind Energy Center, a 100 MW wind farm located in north-central Kansas.
LES says the PPAs follow on the heels of an August request for proposal, requesting up to 200 MW of wind energy. The company says it received 15 responses encompassing a total of 105 distinct proposals.
In addition to being environmentally friendly, the projects will also save customers' money.
‘When viewed as a package, our wind and solar contracts are expected to save LES customer-owners approximately $429 million over the next 25 years,’ says Kevin Wailes, administrator and CEO of LES.
