ENGIE has also signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Xcel Energy for the project’s full capacity.
Xcel Energy South Dakota president Chris Clark said: “We are pleased to once again work with Apex, and now ENGIE, to bring cost-effective renewable energy to our customers. We have a clean energy strategy to nearly double the amount of wind energy on our system in the Upper Midwest by 2022 and this investment in Dakota Range III gets us closer to that goal.”
The 151.2MW wind project is located in northeastern South Dakota and is expected to generate significant benefits to the local area.
The benefits include annual payments to landowners under land easements, providing local job opportunities during construction and commercial operation of the project, purchases of local goods and services, and local tax payments.
Apex Clean Energy president and CEO Mark Goodwin said: “Energy trends—including the falling cost of renewables and increased awareness around cutting emissions—are growing the market for the clean energy facilities and services that Apex delivers.
“Dakota Range III demonstrates Apex’s flexibility in completing transactions at every stage of the project life cycle, and we’re proud to expand our track record of partnering with forward-looking energy companies like ENGIE and Xcel.”
ENGIE North America senior vice president and head of U.S. wind development Matt Riley said: “Dakota Range III continues ENGIE’s significant expansion in the utility-scale renewable market via both greenfield development and acquisition.
“We look forward to completing development of the project with Apex by the summer of 2019, and to serving Xcel Energy, one of the most ambitious investors in renewable energy of any utility in the country.”
In September 2018, ENGIE North America has started construction at the 276MW Solomon Forks Wind Project in Kansas, US.
The project was acquired from Infinity Renewables, a joint venture between Infinity Renewables and MAP Energy.
The Solomon Forks project will consist of 105 Siemens Gamesa 2.625MW turbines with 120meter diameter rotors.
