Jul 1 2014
Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc. (RES Americas), a leader in the development and construction of wind, solar, transmission, and energy storage projects in North America, is pleased to announce it has received notice to proceed (NTP) for construction on the Border Winds Project in Roulette County, North Dakota.
RES Americas is the developer and engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor of the Border Winds Project. The company purchased the partially developed project from Sequoia Energy in August 2013 and, upon completion, will transfer ownership of Border Winds to Xcel Energy which will own and operate the project.
Located near the U.S./Canada border, the 150 megawatt (MW) project is comprised of 75 V100-2.0 MW Vestas turbines. Construction of Border Winds is expected to begin in June 2014 with completion in October 2015. The project is expected to employ up to 300 workers during peak construction.
Xcel Energy estimates that Border Winds will reduce customer costs by approximately $45 million over the project's life and avoid approximately 320,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. The Vestas V100-2.0 MW turbine, launched in 2013, generates approximately 13% more energy than earlier models at medium wind speeds. It is expected that the cost of energy generated by the project will be competitive with or below wholesale power prices in the region.
"Technological improvements in the wind industry continue to drive down the cost of generating clean, carbon-free electricity for consumers," said Andrew Fowler, Chief Operating Officer of RES Americas. "RES Americas is committed to playing a leading role in developing and constructing wind and solar projects that will further advance a sustainable energy future for North America. Border Winds puts us one step closer."
"We are committed to meeting our customers' needs in clean and affordable ways," said Dave Sparby, president and CEO of Northern States Power Co.-Minnesota, an Xcel Energy company. "The Border Winds project is one of four new wind projects under development in our Upper Midwest region. These projects will add 750 megawatts of clean wind energy to our system and demonstrate that we can achieve both environmental and economic benefits for our customers."
RES Americas currently has more than 770 MW of wind and solar power under construction in the United States and Canada. The company recently completed construction on Canada's largest wind farm, the 270 MW South Kent Wind Project in Ontario, and Texas' largest solar PV project, the 41 MW Alamo 1 facility in San Antonio.
About RES Americas
Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc. (RES Americas) is a fully-integrated renewable energy company that develops, constructs, owns, and/or operates projects across North America. The company employs approximately 275 full-time professionals working throughout North America, has a construction portfolio of more than 7,000 MW of renewable energy, and offers a full suite of development and construction services for wind, solar, transmission, and energy storage projects. RES Americas' corporate office is located in Broomfield, CO with regional offices located in Austin, TX and Minneapolis, MN. RES Americas is part of the RES Group, a leading international renewable energy developer.