TXU inks wind deal with Airtricity

TXU Wholesale has increased its portfolio of wind power contracts with a 209MW agreement with Airtricity, a renewable energy company based in Dublin, Ireland.

Under terms of the five-year contract, Airtricity will provide the wind power generated by its Roscoe Wind Farm, currently under construction about 45 miles southwest of Abilene in West Texas. The project, Airtricity’s third in Texas, will use 209 1MW Mitsubishi 1000A turbines.

The contract is TXU Wholesale’s second with Airtricity and will boost TXU’s renewable energy portfolio to 914MW from 965 wind turbines. TXU Wholesale’s other contract is for 125MW from Airtricity’s recently opened Forest Creek Wind Farm 25 miles southeast of Big Spring, Texas.

The Roscoe Wind Farm will stretch into three West Texas counties and will cover nearly 30,000 acres when it is completed. The project, which is scheduled for completion by the end of the year, will produce enough power annually for 60,000 homes and save approximately 375,000 tons per year in greenhouse gas emissions.