Duke Energy Plans Third Wyoming Wind Farm, Latest Step on Renewable Path

April 1st, 2009 by Dave Tyler

Duke Energy said today it will build a third wind farm in Wyoming and the Charlotte, N.C., based company plans to have the facility online by the end of this year.

[social_buttons] The Silver Sage Windpower Project will generate 42 megawatts of electricity with 20 2.1 MW Suzlon wind turbines. It will join Duke’s 29-MW Happy Jack Windpower Project in Cheyenne and the 99-MW Campbell Hill Windpower Project near Casper which should also be online by year’s end.

Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) entered into 20-year power purchase agreements to sell all of the electricity generated at the site to Cheyenne Light Fuel & Power (CLF&P), a utility subsidiary of Black Hills Corp., and Colorado-based Platte River Power Authority.

While windy Wyoming is a target rich environment for wind farms, one of the more interesting aspects of this announcement was Duke’s update on its wind generating capacities. The company says it is currently generating 500 MW of wind power and has 5,000 more megawatts under development. If all those projects come to fruition, Duke would be generating just under 14 percent of its power from wind.

It’s another big step for a utility that has made some interesting alternative energy moves, including investments in wood biomass, small scale solar power generation and overall efficiency.

“The Silver Sage project is another sign of the momentum we’re building in our renewable energy business,” said Wouter van Kempen, president of Duke Energy Generation Services, Duke’s renewable power subsidiary.

As long as renewable energy keeps generating solid return on investment for publicly traded Duke you can expect that momentum to continue.

Photo Credit: Cory Grunkemeyer’s Flickr stream, via a Creative Commons License.









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