The project can supply enough energy to meet the needs of 85,000 American households. The new wind plants will avoid the release of about 750,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere every year, as well as avoiding the consumption of more than 175,000 metric tons oil equivalent per year.
The Smoky Hills wind project is owned by Enel and has been developed by TradeWind Energy. It is located in the Ellsworth and Lincoln counties, 30km west of Salinas. The project utilizes 56 Vestas 1.8MW turbines and 99 GE 1.5MW turbines.
Fulvio Conti, CEO and general manager of Enel, said: Today we are taking an important new step forward in our plan for the development of renewables and innovative generation solutions. The plan amounts to E7.4 billion to be spent between now and 2012 with the objective to strengthen our renewable activities which have been grouped into a newly established division.
