xcel energy gets final approval for big wind farm projects

Just a month after a proposal to build the largest wind farm in New Mexico was approved in Santa Fe, the project has been given its final green light in Texas.

Members of the Public Utility Commission of Texas have voted in favor of Excel Energy’s plan to build the Hale Wind Farm just north of Lubbock.

That farm is part of a two-project undertaking by the Minneapolis-based Excel Energy, which will also see the construction of the 522-megawatt Sagamore Wind Project on 100,000 acres south of Portales, New Mexico.

Together, the two projects will cost more than $1.6 billion to build, and upon completion will provide power for up to 360,000 homes in western Texas and eastern New Mexico.

In late March, Xcel Energy’s wind farm plans won the support of the New Mexico Public Utility Commission.

When Xcel Energy officials announced plans for the two projects last year, they predicted that upon completion the facilities would be capable of producing up to 1.2 gigawatts of electricity.

Work on both projects is expected to begin next year, with a general completion date set for 2019 for the Hale Wind Farm, and 2020 for the Sagamore facility.

In a statement, David Hudson, the president of Xcel’s New Mexico and Texas operations, said, “Not only will these wind farms save customers money, but they’ll also preserve precious water resources and spawn regional economic activity.”

By Garry Boulard

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