EDF boosts Texas wind holdings with 200MW purchase

OREANDA-NEWS. June 29, 2015. EDF Renewable Energy has bought a wind farm in Texas from developer Cielo Wind Power, adding up to 200MW to its holdings in the state.

The Salt Fork wind farm in north Texas is expected to begin commercial operation by the end of 2016 and will supply regional utility Garland Light and Power with output from an initial 150MW of capacity and associated renewable energy credits over a long-term power purchase agreement, EDF said.

The deal for Salt Fork was finalized this week, though terms were not made public.

The acquisition brings EDF's Texas portfolio to 1.2GW of wind projects operating, under construction or in development.

The project will use 75 2MW of Vestas turbines, the first delivered to EDF under a long-term 1,000MW supply agreement the companies signed last year.

EDF recently started operation at three other Texas wind projects: The 520MW Spinning Spur projects, 200MW Longhorn wind farm and 200MW Hereford wind farm.

Wind capacity in the ERCOT grid reached about 16,000MW in April, which could grow to 23,000MW by 2017 based on the pipeline of planned projects, according to the state grid operator.