US company Duke Energy has announced it will build, own and operate a 69MW wind farm in central Pennsylvania. Electricity generated at the site will be sold to the Delaware Municipal Electric Corporation (DEMEC) under terms of a 25-year power purchase agreement.
The Laurel Hill facility will consist of 30 turbines provided by Siemens each with a generating capacity of 2.3MW. Duke broke ground on the site last month and expects it to become operational by September 2012. It is the second wind project the company has worked on in the state.
Greg Wolf, president of Duke's renewables division, said, 'The remarkable growth we've seen in Duke Energy Renewables' wind and solar business lines this year is a testament to customers like DEMEC that understand the long-term value of affordable renewable energy.'
Patrick McCullar, president and CEO of DEMEC, added, 'DEMEC is a leader in the development and support of renewable energy. We've been providing green energy products to our members since 2004, well before the Delaware Renewable Portfolio Standard became law. The Laurel Hill Windpower Project is the perfect addition to our expanding renewables portfolio. We look forward to our partnership with Duke Energy Renewables and value the experience they bring as wind farm developers and managers.'
In July, Duke revealed a plan to construct a 131MW wind facility in Kansas and in May purchased a 20MW wind farm in Wisconsin, bringing the company's renewable capacity to more than 1GW