ALLETE Clean Energy, a subsidiary of US-based electric services firm ALLETE, has reached renewable energy sale agreements with Oshkosh Corporation and Hormel Foods for a combined 100MW from its Caddo wind facility.
The 303MW Caddo facility is currently under construction in Caddo County in southern Oklahoma, and now has renewable energy sale agreements with three Fortune 500 customers.
ALLETE Clean Energy said that the current agreement is expected to double its capacity to address the corporate demand for clean energy.
ALLETE Clean Energy president Allan S Rudeck Jr said: “We’re proud to work with two leading Upper Midwest corporations to help them achieve their sustainability goals with Caddo’s renewable energy.
“Projects like Caddo help diversify and decarbonize the nation’s energy supply while strengthening local economies.
“We are grateful for our partnerships with landowners, communities and lawmakers, who have together created a business environment in Oklahoma that encourages and enables 21st century energy infrastructure investment.”
Caddo site to feature 110 wind turbines
The project is expected to create nearly 200 jobs during construction and 12 to 15 long-term operations jobs.
Caddo site is planned to feature 110 wind turbines and is expected to produce adequate energy to power nearly about 110,000 homes.
The project is expected to increase ALLETE Clean Energy’s total operating, under construction and build-transfer wind energy projects to more than 1,450MW of nameplate capacity.
The company has acquired both Diamond Spring and Caddo projects from Apex Clean Energy, where the two companies work together on development and construction.
The Caddo site is anticipated to be operational by the end of 2021 and qualify for the safe harbor provision of federal renewable energy production tax credits.
ALLETE president and chief executive officer Bethany Owen said: “ALLETE’s strategy of sustainability in action is powered by clean energy projects such as Caddo. ALLETE Clean Energy is increasingly seen as a trusted partner as it brings more renewable energy online to help corporations meet their commitments to sustainability.”