/ Energy / RES Begins Construction of EDP Renewables’ Hog Creek Wind Project

RES Begins Construction of EDP Renewables’ Hog Creek Wind Project

Parul Dubey on September 19, 2017 - in Energy, Renewables

Broomfield, CO – Renewable Energy Systems (RES), a leader in the development, construction, and operation of wind, solar, transmission, and energy storage projects in the Americas, is pleased to announce that construction has begun on the Hog Creek Wind Project located in Hardin County, OH. The project, owned by EDP Renewables (EDPR), is on schedule to be operational before the end of 2017 and will provide enough clean electricity to power approximately 19,000 Ohio homes. RES completed the project development and transferred Hog Creek wind project ownership to EDPR in 2017.

 

Hog Creek Wind Project will be a 66-MW project comprised of 30 Vestas V110 2.2-MW turbines. The National Renewables Cooperative Organization (NRCO) facilitated the 20-year power purchase agreement with Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO). The project is expected to create 235 jobs during the peak of construction and up to seven permanent jobs once operational.

 

“RES is grateful to the surrounding community for being supportive during the development cycle for this project. That patience has paid off and now Hog Creek Wind Project will bring significant benefits to the region,” stated Shalini Ramanathan, VP Origination, RES in the Americas. “RES is pleased to construct our third project for EDP Renewables, a tremendous partner in bringing the benefits of renewable energy to communities across North America.”

 

“The Hog Creek Wind Project is a great addition to EDP Renewables’ growing wind portfolio in Ohio,” said Ryan Brown, EDP Renewables North America Executive Vice President – Eastern Region and Canada.  “Moreover, EDP Renewables is eager to make additional investments in Ohio to provide more economic benefits to the state’s residents and its communities.  EDP Renewables applauds those who are working to ease Ohio’s onerous siting regulations, which, if amended, would encourage more wind development in the state.”

 

“Once again, NRCO has assisted SMECO with procuring wind energy to help the cooperative meet state requirements. As we add more and more renewable energy to our power portfolio, we demonstrate our commitment to environmental stewardship,” said Jeff Shaw, SMECO Vice President of Distributed Energy and Sustainability.

 

With the completion of the Hog Creek Wind Project, EDPR will expand its operational capacity to more than 260 MW in the state of Ohio. The project will have a significant impact on the region in providing a number of economic benefits to its surrounding communities. Hog Creek Wind Project will make property tax payments to Hardin County estimated at $594,000 per year and more than $10 million will be paid to local landowners through the life of the project. And in the community, Hog Creek Wind Project recently donated $20,000 to the Hardin County Historical Museum to upgrade the electrical system in the building. In addition, the project has established an internship program with Ohio State University that is expected to begin in 2018. 

 

Hog Creek Wind Project is the first wind project that RES has developed or constructed in Ohio. The company has previously developed three innovative energy storage facilities across the state (Clinton, Willey, and Battery Storage of Ohio).  With the addition of the Hog Creek Wind Project, EDP Renewables will now own and operate a total of three wind farms in Ohio.  Others include the 100 MW Timber Road II Wind Farm (operational since 2011) and the 101 MW Amazon Wind Farm US Central (operational since 2016).

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About RES in the Americas

Since 1997, RES has been providing development, construction, and operations services to the utility-scale wind, solar, transmission, and energy storage markets across the Americas. The company employs more than 1,500 employees and has over 9,000 MW of utility-scale renewable energy and energy storage projects and has constructed more than 1,000 miles of transmission lines throughout the U.S. and Canada. RES’ U.S. corporate office is located in Broomfield, CO with regional offices located in Austin, TX, Minneapolis, MN, Old Saybrook, CT, and Sacramento, CA. Globally, RES has developed and/or built over 12 GW of renewable energy capacity, has an asset management portfolio exceeding 2 GW, and is active in a range of renewable technologies including wind, solar, energy storage, and transmission. For more information visit www.res-group.com

 

About EDP Renewables (EDPR)

EDP Renewables (Euronext: EDPR) is a global leader in the renewable energy sector and the world’s fourth-largest wind energy producer. With a sound development pipeline, first class assets and market-leading operating capacity, EDPR has undergone exceptional development in recent years and is currently present in 12 markets (Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, the UK and the US). Energias de Portugal, S.A. (“EDP”), the principal shareholder of EDPR, is a global energy company and a leader in value creation, innovation and sustainability. EDP has been a Dow Jones Sustainability Index for eight consecutive years.

 

For further information, please visit www.edpr.com.

 

About SMECO – The Cooperative Difference

Eighty years ago, when rural areas needed electricity, cooperatives were created. Visionary men and women helped to form SMECO, which now provides electric service to more than 160,000 customers in Charles County, St. Mary’s County, southern Prince George’s County, and most of Calvert County.

Co-ops are distinctly different from investor-owned utilities because co-ops are owned by their customers. Customer-members elect the men and women who serve on the Board of Directors. They share the responsibility of ownership by financing the cooperative’s operations, but they also share its rewards.

Each year, SMECO’s margins—revenue less expenses—are allocated to customers’ capital credit accounts. SMECO uses margins as working capital for new construction and system improvements. Then, when the Board determines that the financial condition of the co-op warrants, members receive a refund.

As a cooperative, SMECO will always put its members first and be responsive, reliable, and resourceful—the power you can count on.

www.smeco.coop     www.facebook.com/SMECO.coop     www.twitter.com/somdelectric

 

About NRCO

Formed in 2008 by 21 cooperatives, the NRCO aims to increase access to cost-effective renewable energy resources for electric cooperatives around the country. NRCO provides full origination and development services for its Owner-Members and cooperative customers, with nearly one gigawatt of wind and solar projects completed to date including 41 cooperative-run community solar farms. For more information see www.nrco.coop.

 

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