USA Wind Power Grows To More Than 28,200 Megawatts

New Mexico Has One 100-Megawatt Wind Facility Due For Completion In 2009





















The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) recently issued its first-quarter report on wind energy installations in the USA.

The AWEA 1st Quarter Market Report April 2009 is a 9-page brief listing new wind power projects completed through the end of March 2009, wind power projects under construction as of April 2009, and a glossary of definitions of terms associated with wind projects.

Easily readable tables show state and project names, project capacity in megawatts (MW), number of wind turbines in each project, turbine rating in megawatts (MW), turbine manufacturer, project developer, and power purchaser.

A summary on the report cover says, "The U.S. wind industry installed over 2,800 MW of new wind capacity in the first quarter of the year, bringing the total installed capacity to over 28,200 MW overall. Some 3,400 MW more are under construction for completion this year (2009) or next year (2010)."


High Lonesome Wind Ranch, New Mexico

The AWEA report lists one project for New Mexico, the High Lonesome Wind Ranch being built on private land about 55 (fifty-five) miles southeast of Albuquerque. The wind power facility is located on Mesa de los Jumanos about 10 (ten) miles south-southeast of Willard, NM and west of NM State Highway 42 in Torrance County.

The High Lonesome Wind Ranch is expected to begin producing power in 2009. The project will contain 40 (forty) three-bladed wind turbines, each rated at 2.5 megawatts (MW), for a total of 100 (one hundred) megawatts (MW). The project was about 60 percent complete as of March, 2009.

The wind facility power is connected to an electrical substation at Willard, NM by a new 14-mile-long overhead transmission line.

The project is being developed by High Lonesome Wind Ranch LLC, a partnership of Foresight Wind, Karbon Zero, and Edison Mission Group. Primary contractors are Wind Energy Constructors, Inc. and the wind turbine manufacturer Clipper Windpower. Construction began in early July 2008 with a peak employment of 300 workers and 50 support staff.

APS Renewable Energy of Phoenix, Arizona has a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for 100 megawatts (MW) of power from the High Lonesome Wind Ranch. This power is estimated to serve the electrical demands of up to 30,000 residences.


New Mexico Wind Energy Center, Eastern New Mexico


















Wind Turbines, New Mexico Wind Energy Center (NMWEC).

The NMWEC facility went online October 1, 2003. There are 136 turbines that can produce up to 200 megawatts (MW) of electricity, enough to power about 94,000 average-sized New Mexico homes. Florida-based NextEra Energy (formerly FPL Energy) owns and manages the facility, and PNM, a New Mexico public utility, purchases all of its output.







Wind Turbines, Road and Vehicle, New Mexico Wind Energy Center (NMWEC). The NMWEC is located 170 miles southeast of Albuquerque and 20 miles northeast of Fort Sumner, New Mexico.