TXU Wholesale has announced that it has increased its portfolio of wind power contracts with a 209-megawatt (MW) agreement with Airtricity, a world-leading renewable energy company based in Dublin, Ireland. Under terms of the five-year contract, Airtricity will provide the wind power generated by its Roscoe Wind Farm, currently under construction about 45 miles southwest of Abilene in West Texas. The project, Airtricity's third in Texas, will use 209 1-MW Mitsubishi 1000A turbines.
"We're proud of our position as the No. 1 purchaser of wind power in the state of Texas, and this contract only solidifies that," said Mike McCall, chairman and CEO of TXU Wholesale. "We are well on our way to more than doubling our wind power purchases to 1,500 MW and increasing our investments in alternative energy, as announced as part of our merger agreement with Texas Energy Future Holdings Limited Partnership."
The contract is TXU Wholesale's second with Airtricity and will boost TXU's renewable energy portfolio to 914 MW from 965 wind turbines. TXU Wholesale's other contract is for 125 MW from Airtricity's recently opened Forest Creek Wind Farm 25 miles southeast of Big Spring, Texas.
"Airtricity is playing a leading role in helping Texas and America meet its fast-growing energy needs," said Airtricity North America CEO Declan Flanagan. "As electricity demand and natural gas prices continue to rise, policymakers and businesses like TXU are seeing the benefit of tapping into Texas's vast wind energy resource."
The Roscoe Wind Farm will stretch into three West Texas counties and will cover nearly 30,000 acres when it is completed. The project, which is scheduled for completion by the end of the year, will produce enough power annually for 60,000 homes and save approximately 375,000 tons per year in greenhouse gas emissions.
