Ohio State University buys 50 MW renewable energy from Iberdrola Renewables Blue Creek Wind Farm

Iberdrola Blue Creek Wind Farm

Greentech Lead America: Iberdrola Renewables announced Ohio State University, in its ongoing efforts to become a carbon-neutral campus, has purchased 50 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy from its Blue Creek Wind Farm, located in Van Wert and Paulding counties in Ohio.

Ohio State University joins two previously announced customers for the project. FirstEnergy is purchasing 100 MW, and American Municipal Power (AMP) is purchasing 52.16 MW. With the Ohio State purchase, more than 202 MW of the project’s 304 MW have been sold under long-term agreements.

The wind purchase provides the University with about $1 million in annual savings for two years over what it would have spent with the standard tariffed rate.

Blue Creek will now pay approximately $2 million in annual lease payments to local landowners, and $2.7 million in annual payments to local taxing bodies.

In Van Wert County, where 75 percent of Blue Creek is located, Iberdrola Renewables will be the largest single taxpayer—larger than the next 14 businesses combined.

Even before the plant became operational, building Blue Creek contributed more than 500 construction jobs, $25 million in local spending, and put more than 30 Ohio companies to work on this project. Blue Creek represented a $600 million investment—Ohio’s largest in 2011.

The Blue Creek Wind Farm consists of 152 Gamesa 2-MW wind turbines. Those turbines are located in the Tully, Union, and Hoaglin townships of Van Wert County, Ohio; and the Benton, Blue Creek, and Latty townships of Paulding County, Ohio.

Iberdrola Renewables is the U.S. renewable energy division of parent company IBERDROLA. Iberdrola Renewables is headquartered in Portland, Ore., and has nearly $10 billion of operating assets including more than 5,700 MW of wind generation.

Iberdrola Renewables has added three new wind farms to its U.S. fleet at the end of 2012, representing a total investment of approximately $700 million. Read the details here.

[email protected]