EDP Renewables North America (EDP Renewables), a renewable energy developer and operator in North America, announced the start of construction at the 202-MW Indiana Crossroads II Wind Farm in White County, Indiana. The project is slated to be operational in 2023 and will annually power the equivalent of more than 54,000 average Indiana homes.
During the peak of construction, Indiana Crossroads II Wind Farm will employ 250 full-time jobs and will hire eight permanent positions to operate and perform routine maintenance on the project throughout its multi-decade operational life. In addition, Indiana Crossroads II will drive increased spending at community businesses within its footprint, including restaurants, hotels, and shops. The project will also pay an estimated US$37 million to landowners through land lease payments and disburse more than US$48.5 million to local governments, which fund schools, roads, infrastructure, and other essential services. Throughout the life of the project, Indiana Crossroads II will save more than 350 million gallons (1325 liters) of water each year, which is the amount of water that conventional generation sources would need to produce the same amount of capacity as the wind farm.
“Wind and White County go hand-in-hand, and EDP Renewables is proud to be a part of this clean energy movement, with Indiana Crossroads II representing our soon-to-be seventh operational wind farm in the area,” said Tom LoTurco, EDP Renewables North America executive vice president of Eastern Region and Canada and Government Affairs. “Our partnership with White County and Indiana residents is an example of how communities can flourish with renewable energy development. Indiana’s clean energy leadership has contributed to the development of more than a dozen renewable energy projects that are essential to EDP Renewables’ business operations, and we look forward to what lies ahead.”
EDP Renewables considers itself a renewable energy leader in Indiana, with 1400 MW of installed capacity that generates electricity equivalent to the consumption of more than 372,000 average Indiana homes. It is also the largest operator of wind energy generation in the state; the company’s operating wind portfolio comprises six phases of the Meadow Lake Wind Farm (White and Benton Counties) and two phases of the Headwaters Wind Farm (Randolph County). Riverstart Solar Park in Randolph County was the company’s first greenfield solar development project in Indiana and is now operational.
Indiana Crossroads II Wind Farm has an executed power purchase agreement between EDP Renewables and Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO), a subsidiary of NiSource Inc. The companies have also partnered to bring three other renewable energy projects to White County, including the 102-MW Rosewater Wind Farm, which is now fully operational and owned by NIPSCO; the 302-MW Indiana Crossroads I Wind Farm, which is now fully operational and owned by NIPSCO; and the 200-MW Indiana Crossroads Solar Park, which is currently under construction.
