Langford Wind Power Project expands NRG Energy renewable portfolio

(15/12/2009)

The Langford Wind Power Project is a 150 megawatt (MW) wind farm 25 miles south of San Angelo, Texas.

NRG Energy, Inc. has announced it has begun commercial operations at the Langford wind farm. NRG subsidiary, Padoma Wind Power, developed the project that is capable of powering more than 100,000 Texas homes with emission-free electricity.

The project’s 100 General Electric 1.5 MW turbine generators are expected to generate more than 525,000 MW hours of wind energy per year, which will be sold into the ERCOT system. Approximately 200 jobs were created during the nine-month construction period. Now operational, the project will employ approximately 10 full-time professionals.

“The Langford Wind Power Project expands our renewable portfolio, giving NRG more valuable emission-free generation capacity in Texas,” said David Crane, President and CEO, NRG Energy. “Adding this clean wind generating capacity reduces the overall greenhouse gas intensity of NRG’s fleet and enables us to supply Reliant Energy zero-emission energy which it can offer to retail customers in Texas.”

“This project has already made a substantial investment in the local area through land lease payments, local materials and services procured, and jobs created during construction,” said Jan Paulin, President and Chief Executive, Padoma Wind Power. “Through the operation of these units, this investment in the community will continue for decades to come.”

In 2008, NRG brought two wind farms online. The first was Sherbino I, a 150 MW wind project near Fort Stockton, Texas, owned and operated in partnership with BP Wind Energy. It was followed by Elbow Creek, a 122 MW wind farm wholly owned by NRG near Big Spring, Texas. With Langford online, NRG now owns almost 350 MW of wind generating capacity in Texas.

Langford is part of NRG’s repowering program to meet the energy needs of high-demand, capacity-constrained markets by developing clean and efficient energy sources that include land-based and offshore wind farms, solar thermal and PV fields, and nuclear power generation facilities.

Related categories:  Wind power