DOE approves largest U.S. clean energy project to date

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) announced on Friday that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) approved the development of the Clean Line Energy’s Plains & Eastern Line transmission project, the largest U.S. clean energy infrastructure project to date.

The project will deliver wind turbines across the U.S., from the Oklahoma panhandle through the Midwest and the southeast. It is expected to greatly reduce carbon emissions throughout the country in a cost-effective and clean manner. It is also expected to deliver an output of 4,000 megawatts of wind energy – approximately four times that of the Hoover Dam.

“This approval exemplifies DOE’s strong leadership in supporting a clean, affordable and reliable energy future,” AWEA CEO Tom Kiernan said. “Over 99 percent of all installed utility-scale wind capacity is located in rural areas. By building more projects like this, we’ll be putting America’s abundant untapped wind resources to use.” 

The initiative was proposed under Section 1222 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. It has the potential to decrease electricity costs for rural Americans and is expected to result in the establishment of thousands of new jobs and support hundreds of manufacturing jobs.

The initiative will require a $2.5 billion investment and will provide a $7 billion investment opportunity.