Oct 10 2012
E.ON Climate & Renewables (EC&R) North America celebrated the Wildcat I Wind Farm today with an onsite ceremony.
The project, located in Tipton and Madison counties, is EC&R's first wind energy project in Indiana. One hundred twelve GE 1.6 megawatt turbines provide more than 200 megawatts (MW) of power—enough to generate clean power to more than 60,000 households in the Midwest.+We are honored to be a part of the local community, and we look forward to providing economic support and renewable, homegrown energy for many years to come," said Steve Trenholm, CEO, EC&R North America, at a celebration ceremony today. "Wind farms create jobs, and provide an economic shot in the arm to farmers, ranchers, and rural communities across America."
White Construction is currently leading the assembly of the project, which will be complete by the end of the year.
More than 200 people have been hired during construction and the project will employ approximately 10 permanent positions on the wind farm in Tipton and Madison counties.
Under a 20-year Power Purchase agreement, Indiana Michigan Power (I&M), an operating company of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), will purchase 100 MW of wind power from the wind farm.
EC&R has invested more than $4 billion dollars in the U.S. in the last four years, creating more than 4,000 construction jobs and another 200 permanent jobs to keep its wind farms up and running.
Overall, the wind industry has invested more than $60 billion in providing 35 percent of the of all the new generating capacity in the U.S. in the last four years and employs more than 75,000 people, including 30,000 in good American jobs in the manufacturing sector from coast to coast.
"We appreciate the support this community has given us helping harvest a new source of clean renewable energy from these corn and bean fields," said Trenholm, during the ceremony.
When operational, this project will mark the 17th operational wind farm in North America for EC&R, giving the company more than 2,500 MW online.
Source: http://www.eon.com/