BHE Renewables 54 MW Independence Wind Energy project begins supplying CIPCO in Iowa
Work finished on a 54 MW wind energy project from BHE Renewables last week, and it will provide a new source of power for the Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO) for the next 20 years.
That arrangement is thanks to a 20-year power purchase agreement. This will be supplied through 20 wind turbines produced by GE, 18 of them 2.82 MW turbines, along with two smaller 2.3 MW turbines. For BHE, completion also brought its total wind portfolio to 1,719 MW throughout the country.
“The Independence Wind Energy project represents BHE Renewables’ first renewable energy project in Iowa,” Alicia Knapp, president and CEO of BHE Renewables, said. “We’re pleased to be delivering wind energy to Central Iowa Power Cooperative in support of their renewable energy goals.”
The company also owns wind projects in Texas, California, Illinois, Nebraska, and Kansas, although its headquarters are in Des Moines, Iowa. This latest project sprang up near Ryan, Iowa.
For CIPCO, the project will help power the more than 300,000 Iowa customers that participate in the generation and transmission electric cooperative.
“We are very pleased to be working with BHE Renewables to continue expanding wind energy in this area,” Bill Cherrier, CIPCO executive vice president & CEO, said. “The Independence Wind Energy project will help us continue to grow our wind portfolio on behalf of our customers.”
