The Wildhorse Mountain facility is powered by 29 wind turbines manufactured by Danish wind turbine-maker Vestas
Southern Power’s 100MW Wildhorse Mountain wind facility in US begins operation. (Credit: Southern Company)
Southern Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company has started operations on its 100MW Wildhorse Mountain wind facility in Oklahoma, US.
Located in Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, the facility features 29 wind turbines manufactured by Danish wind turbine-maker Vestas, which will be responsible for the maintenance and operation of the wind farm.
Southern Power will take care of the balance of onsite plant operations, while the turbine manufacturer will be responsible for the turbines long-term maintenance under a service agreement.
Southern Power CEO Mark Lantrip said: “Wildhorse Mountain Wind Facility is our fourth wind project in the state of Oklahoma, and we are pleased to see this project achieve commercial operation.
“This additional facility showcases our commitment to the development of wind energy and is an excellent addition to our growing renewable fleet.”
The electricity and associated RECs of the facility will be sold to AECC
The output along with associated renewable energy credits (RECs) generated by the wind facility will be sold under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) to Arkansas Electric Cooperative (AECC), which will also hold an option to keep or sell the associated RECs.
The wind facility was acquired by Southern Power from Renewable Energy Systems (RES) in May 2018.
RES has served as developer and constructor of the project that created 250 jobs during the peak construction period.
The wind portfolio of Southern Power now consists of over 2,058 MW and forms part of the firm’s 4,454MW renewable fleet. It has 40 solar and wind facilities, both operating or under construction.
In October last year, Southern Power has acquired the 136MW Skookumchuck wind facility from Renewable Energy Systems (RES) for an undisclosed amount.
The facility, located in Lewis and Thurston Counties, Washington, represents Southern Power’s 12th wind project and is its first in the state.
Developed by RES, the project is estimated to use 38 wind turbines manufactured by Vestas.