CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Black Hills Corp. (NYSE: BKH) today announced that the company has completed construction on its $79 million Corriedale Wind Energy Project near Cheyenne, Wyoming, and the project is producing wind energy for customers who subscribed to its Renewable Ready Program.
The 52.5-megawatt wind generation project is jointly owned by the company’s affiliate electric utilities, South Dakota Electric and Wyoming Electric. The project’s output is fully subscribed and will serve large commercial and industrial customers and governmental agencies through voluntary renewable energy tariffs.
“We are delivering on our responsibility to provide clean energy and creative solutions as the energy provider of choice for our customers,” said Linn Evans, president and CEO of Black Hills Corp. “Completing this renewable energy project on schedule and on budget for our customers during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is a testament to our team’s ability to deliver results.”
Building on the company’s history of generation innovation, the Corriedale project includes a suite of digital wind power tools to improve turbine performance. The customized wind turbine analytics software, combined with project design enhancements, should increase annual energy production of the 21 wind turbines, each rated at 2.5 megawatts, by up to 7%.
The Renewable Ready Program provides customers cost-effective, utility-scale renewable energy for up to 100% of their electric energy needs. The project is located on a 5,000-acre site in Laramie County near Cheyenne, Wyoming, taking advantage of one of the best wind resources in the United States.
“I would like to thank the South Dakota and Wyoming policymakers, area landowners and customers who supported making this project a reality,” continued Evans. “This project provides local jobs, property taxes and lease payments to local landowners, benefitting the local community for decades to come.”
With the completion of Corriedale, Black Hills Corp. now owns and operates approximately 281 megawatts of renewable wind generation with an additional 132 megawatts of wind energy under contract, representing 25% of the company’s total owned generation plus long-term purchased power.
