Southern Power, a U.S. wholesale energy provider and subsidiary of Southern Company, says the 200 MW Reading Wind Facility in Osage and Lyon counties, Kan., is now operational.
This project, Southern Power’s 11th wind facility, is the first to be validated as a carbon offset project under the Verified Carbon Standard Program through an agreement with Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
This initiative, which is expected to annually offset more than 10% of Royal Caribbean’s emissions, is the latest addition to that company’s extensive sustainability efforts, which include programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through innovations at sea and in port.
“Reading Wind Facility is our first wind project in the state of Kansas, and we are pleased to see this project achieve commercial operation,” says Bill Grantham, president of Southern Power.
“The addition of this facility showcases our commitment to the development of wind energy and is an excellent addition to our growing renewable fleet,” he adds.
The carbon offsets generated by the Reading Wind Facility are being sold to Royal Caribbean under a 12-year power purchase agreement. These carbon offsets are certified with Verra using the Verified Carbon Standard Program, the world’s most widely used voluntary greenhouse gas program.
Reading Wind Facility consists of 62 wind turbines manufactured by Siemens Gamesa. Siemens Gamesa is responsible for the annual maintenance service plan and providing qualified personnel to support the 20-year long term program (LTP) that covers all up-tower maintenance. Southern Power will perform the balance of onsite plant operations and maintenance. Southern Power’s Remote Operation Center is responsible for 24-hour monitoring and responding to Southwest Power Pool operational instruction.
Southern Power acquired Reading Wind Facility in August 2018. Renewable Energy Systems (RES) served as the developer and constructor of the site, which created 200 jobs at peak construction.
Southern Power’s wind portfolio consists of more than 2,100 MW of wind generation. Southern Power’s wind facilities are a part of the company’s 4,510 MW renewable fleet, which consists of 41 solar and wind facilities operating or under construction.
