Orsted, a leading U.S. renewable energy company, has started the Helena Energy Center, a 518 MW co-located wind and solar facility in Bee County that will generate enough power for over 110,000 homes and businesses annually.
Helena Wind Farm, Orsted’s first co-located project in the U.S. and globally, will generate 268MW of wind power, while Sparta Solar will generate 250MW of solar power annually.
Helena Energy Center is part of Orsted’s $20 billion investment in the U.S. to build domestic energy generation. Helena’s facility comprised of 66 wind turbines and over 600,000 solar panels in Mineral.
Construction of the Helena Energy Center created approximately 500 construction jobs. The project will also require additional roles for operation and maintenance of the wind and solar farms over the next several decades. The project spans over 18,000 acres and includes 40 participating landowners, who are expected to receive a combined $4 million annually in landowner payments over the projects’ lifetimes.
The project represents a nearly half billion-dollar investment in Bee County and will generate tens of millions in tax revenue that will enhance County and School services without raising taxes. Helena Wind and Sparta Solar facilities are expected to contribute over $115 million in property tax revenue over the projects’ lifetimes, said Trevor Sholly, Head of Onshore Project Execution at Orsted.