Avangrid Renewables
“ At Avangrid Renewables , we want to be part of the solution . We strive to be the cleanest IPP in the US and are committed to combatting climate change . We believe that renewable energy is the right way to do this ”
– Erik Lallum , Vice President of Engineering & Construction
roughly 60 miles from the state capital , Albuquerque , and will produce more than 298MW of wind power once it is constructed and operating . El Cabo will feature up to 142 Gamesa G114 2.1MW turbines and produce enough energy to power at least 75,000 homes annually . Earlier this year , it was announced that the energy generated at the wind farm will be supplied exclusively to a California utility , Southern California Edison .
“ We will have back feed power to the plant and begin commissioning turbines in May of 2017 in order to meet New Mexico tax incentive requirements ”, Lallum says . “ And then the entire project will be completed prior to the end of the year .
Besides these two projects ,
Lallum indicated his team will be starting construction on 3 more projects yet this year . “ It feels good to be on a growth trajectory again and my team is ready and very capable of delivering safe , quality projects .”
However , building a wind farm is not as easy as simply showing up on a suitable plot of land and attaching rotor blades to towers . Avangrid Renewables must select its sites based on market need — and contend with the court of public opinion from there .
“ We select our sites for a couple of reasons ,” Lallum explains . “ We start with guidance from our energy management team . It is this team that provides our view of the market and through interface with existing and potential
50 August 2016