Capricorn Ridge Wind Farm
The Capricorn Ridge Wind Farm is located in Sterling and Coke counties, Texas. It is a 662.5 MW wind farm, with 342 GE 1.5 MW wind turbines and 65 2.3 MW Siemens turbines that are capable of generating enough electricity for more than 220,000 homes. The wind farm is built, owned and operated by a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, the U.S.' largest wind energy generator. The project is part owned by San Antonio-based Sullivan Trillian Fund Private Equity.[1]
| Capricorn Ridge Wind Farm | |
|---|---|
| |
| Country | United States |
| Location | Texas |
| Coordinates | 31.903°N 100.901°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Commission date |
|
| Owner(s) | NextEra Energy Resources |
| Wind farm | |
| Type | Onshore |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 407 |
| Make and model | GE Wind Energy: GE 1.5MW Siemens: Siemens 2.3MW |
| Nameplate capacity | 662.5 MW |
| Capacity factor | 33.2% (average 2010-2018) |
| Annual net output | 1,927 GW·h |
Facility details
The Capricorn Ridge's first phase began commercial operation in 2007 and the second phase in 2008. It is in one of Texas' Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ) – resource rich, high-wind areas in West Texas and the Texas Panhandle that will increasingly supply renewable energy to major population centers in eastern Texas via new transmission projects. The Capricorn Ridge project avoids more than 952,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year—equivalent to taking approximately 186,000 cars off the road—according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency methodology.[2]
On 27 February 2012, GE Energy Financial Services and Lestis Private Capital Group announced that they had joined U.S. bank JPMorgan Chase to invest $225 million in the wind farm.[3]
Capricorn Ridge Wind Warm is sponsored by Sustainable Travel International as an emissions reduction project, with proceeds from carbon offsets benefiting the project.[4]
Electricity production
| Year | Total Annual MW·h |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 1,460,355 |
| 2009 | 1,155,420 |
| 2010 | 1,740,178 |
| 2011 | 2,039,176 |
| 2012 | 2,016,999 |
| 2013 | 1,983,817 |
| 2014 | 2,066,584 |
| 2015 | 1,659,524 |
| 2016 | 1,829,154 |
| 2017 | 1,821,192 |
| 2018 | 2,183,532 |
| Average (years 2010-2018) ---> | 1,926,684 |
References
- Capricorn Ridge Wind Energy Center
- "Expanding Its Texas Footprint, GE Unit Joins JP Morgan to Jointly Invest $225 Million in NextEra Energy Resources' 662.5-MW Wind Farm". MarketWatch. 27 February 2012.
- "GE unit and JP Morgan invest in NextEra Texas wind farm". Reuters. 2012-02-28. Retrieved 2018-07-21.
- "Capricorn Ridge Wind Farm". Sustainable Travel. 2019-01-08.
- "Capricorn Ridge Wind, Annual". Electricity Data Browser. Energy Information Administration. Retrieved March 23, 2019.
