EDP Renewables, through its subsidiary EDP Renewables North America LLC, has started commercial operation of the 209-MW Reloj del Sol wind farm in Zapata County, Texas.
Reloj del Sol will help strengthen Texas’ grid and is estimated to provide about $36 million in direct payments to local governments and $100 million in payments to landowners throughout the life of the project. The commissioning of this project supported 101 full-time-equivalent jobs during construction and created 10 permanent jobs, dedicated to operating and maintaining the wind farm. Reloj del Sol will also save more than 372 million gallons of water each year that would otherwise be used to for cooling traditional power plants, EDPR said.
This project joins EDPR’s other four operating wind farms in Texas. Collectively, EDPR’s Texas portfolio totals 909 MW in operating renewable energy capacity – producing enough energy to power the equivalent of about 236,000 average Texas homes each year.
EDPR NA is committed to continuing to grow Texas’ leadership in renewable energy and increasing the $1.5 billion it has invested in the state. It is also constructing the 200-MW Wildcat Creek Wind Farm in Cooke County, about 50 miles north of Dallas-Fort Worth.
EDPR is a global leader in the renewable energy sector and the world’s fourth largest renewable energy producer. Earlier this month, Renewable Energy World reported on EDPR NA’s repowering work at an Oklahoma wind farm.