Duke Energy's Top of the World Windpower Project near Casper, Wyo., is now on line and producing clean, renewable electricity.
The 200-megawatt (MW) wind farm, located in Converse County, supplies wind energy to PacifiCorp under the terms of a 20-year power purchase agreement. The 110 wind turbines that comprise the Top of the World project are capable of producing enough electricity to power approximately 60,000 homes.
With Top of the World now producing electricity, Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) has 935 MW of wind power in commercial operation. This figure will rise to nearly 1,000 MW later this year when the 51-MW Kit Carson Windpower Project in eastern Colorado comes on line. In total, Duke Energy has committed more than $1 billion since 2007 to build its wind power business.
"The remarkable growth of our commercial wind energy unit over the last three years illustrates our commitment to building a significant emissions-free power generation business," said Keith Trent, group executive and president of Duke Energy's Commercial Businesses. "Developing renewables projects under our low-risk business model will continue to be an important part of our company's future."
Top of the World is Duke Energy's fourth – and largest – wind farm in Wyoming. The company's 99-MW Campbell Hill Windpower Project in Converse County came on line in 2009. Duke Energy also owns and operates two wind farms near Cheyenne: the 29-MW Happy Jack Windpower Project, which began commercial operation in 2008, and the 42-MW Silver Sage Windpower Project, which came on line in 2009.
One of the turbine blades atop Tower 90 at Top of the World was inspected by President Barack Obama during his visit to the Siemens manufacturing facility in Fort Madison, Iowa, on April 27, 2010. (Siemens supplied 44 wind turbines for Top of the World; General Electric supplied 66 turbines.) Duke Energy Generation Services (DEGS), part of Duke Energy's Commercial Businesses, is a leader in developing innovative renewable energy solutions, including wind, solar and biopower projects. DEGS builds, owns and operates electric generation for large energy consumers, municipalities, utilities and industrial facilities. DEGS is also working to build commercial transmission capacity to help the U.S. meet its energy needs of the future.
