Testing of 225 MW wind farm currently underway
FORT COLLINS, Colo., June 8, 2020 – Testing of Platte River Power Authority’s largest source of wind energy began late last week after construction recently concluded on both the Roundhouse Renewable Energy Project and the generator outlet connecting the 225-megawatt facility to Platte River’s Rawhide Energy Station.
Noncarbon energy generated by the facility will serve Platte River’s owner communities of Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland, and furthers the organization’s progress on the Resource Diversification Policy adopted by Platte River’s Board of Directors in 2018.
“Completion of the Roundhouse wind project is one significant step of many we will need to take on the path toward achieving a 100% noncarbon energy portfolio,” said Jason Frisbie, general manager and CEO of Platte River. “Once online, this project will help us deliver approximately 48% noncarbon energy to our owner communities.”
A subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, owns and operates the Roundhouse site and will sell the electricity to Platte River under a 22-year power purchase agreement (PPA). Platte River owns the 230-kilovolt generator outlet that will carry power to the transmission interconnection at Rawhide, from which it will be delivered to Platte River’s owner communities. Owning the generator outlet guarantees the exclusive delivery of wind power from Roundhouse for the duration of the PPA and beyond, according to Frisbie.
Testing of the facility and of the transmission interconnection at Rawhide will continue through early June, with commercial operations expected to begin by the end of the month.
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Platte River Power Authority is a not-for-profit wholesale electricity generation and transmission provider that delivers safe, reliable, environmentally responsible and financially sustainable energy and services to its owner communities of Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland, Colorado for delivery to their utility customers. For more information, visit www.prpa.org