Enel Starts Operations at 252 Solar and 66 Wind Project in the US

Enel has started operations at two renewable energy plants in the US, including a 252 MW solar energy project in Texas and a 66 MW Wind project in Illinois

Enel, through its US renewable energy subsidiary Enel Green Power North America, has started operations at two renewable energy plants in the United States (US) totalling around 318 MW of capacity. The projects include the first 252 MW phase of the Roadrunner solar project in Texas and the 66 MW Whitney Hill wind project in Illinois.

This announcement follows the recent start of operations of 450 MW of the company’s High Lonesome wind farm in Texas bringing Enel’s total new renewable capacity added in the US in 2019 to nearly 800 MW with another 1 GW currently under construction across six renewable energy projects.

“This milestone emphasises the scale of Enel Green Power’s capability to develop, build and operate projects across diverse geographies and technologies in the US,” said Georgios Papadimitriou, Head of Enel Green Power North America. “We continue to aggressively pursue opportunities for growth in North America, capitalising on strong C&I demand sustainable power and accelerating the transition to a carbon-free economy.”

The 497 MW Roadrunner solar project began construction in February and will be the largest operational solar farm in Texas upon completion of its second phase, expected in late 2020. Once fully operational, the project will sell its energy in a 65 MW power purchase agreement (PPA) with Mondelēz International and a 70 MW PPA with The Clorox Company. Upon completion of the second phase, the solar plant will be able to generate approximately 1,200 GWh annually while avoiding the emission of over 785,000 tons of CO₂ per year.

The 66 MW Whitney Hill wind project is located in Logan County, Illinois, adjacent to the company’s 185 MW HillTopper wind farm that began commercial operation in December 2018. The project is expected to generate around 246 GWh annually, equivalent to approximately 161,000 tons of CO2 emissions avoided each year. Both the Whitney Hill and HillTopper wind projects were developed by Swift Current Energy.

The firm has another six projects under construction including the second 245 MW phase of the Roadrunner solar project, the 236.5 MW White Cloud wind project in Missouri, the 299 MW Aurora wind project in North Dakota, the 50 MW expansion of the High Lonesome wind project in Texas and the 105 MW Riverview and 29.4 MW Castle Rock Ridge II wind projects, both in Alberta, Canada. Combined, these six projects represent nearly 1 GW of renewable capacity currently under construction by Enel Green Power in the US and Canada, all are expected to begin operations in 2020.