Italy's Enel, through its subsidiary Enel Green Power North America, has started construction of a 300 MW wind farm in the US. The wind power installation is located in Rock Creek, Missouri and will be able to generate some 1,250 GWh per year of electricity, equivalent to the annual consumption of more than 100,000 american households, the company said.
The $500 million wind farm project is schedule to come in operation by 2017, Enel said, adding that this was entirely “financed through Enel's resources.”
It is estimated it will lead to a reduction in CO2 emissions by 900,000 tonnes/year.
The project “strengthens the growth (of Enel's) investments in the american market” commented Rafael Gonzalez, North America representative for Enel Green Power, Enel's renewable energy arm.
Electricity generated by the wind farm and related renewable energy credits are to be sold under two long term purchase agreements between Enel and Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L) e KCP&L Greater Missouri Operations Company (GMO).
Rock Creek is the latest of six renewable energy projects currently being developed by Enel in the US. The others are the wind farms in Drift Sand (108 MW) and Chisholm View II (65 MW) in Oklahoma, Cimarron Bend (400 MW) in Kansas and Lindhal (150 MW) nel Nord Dakota; and the 150 MW solar power plant in Aurora, Minnesota.
Enel Green Power North America controls some 2,5 GW of total installed capacity in the US and Canada, of which 2,090 MW of wind capacity, 316 MW of hydro, 72 MW of geothermal and 29 MW of solar.