Enel Green Power that operates in the USA through its subsidiary Enel North America Inc. ( ENA), has an agreement to purchase the project from the Lenaxa, Kansas-based TradeWind.
The TVA, a corporation owned by the United States government, provides electricity for utilities and business customers in most of Tennessee and parts of Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia – an area of 80,000 square miles with a population of 9 million.
The TVA will be ENA’s largest customer to date in North America.
“This agreement is a significant milestone for us in North America,” said Francesco Starace, Chief Executive Officer of Enel Green Power. “We are proud to work with the TVA on the Caney River Wind Project and to provide clean, renewable energy to the equivalent of 60,000 homes in the south-eastern United States.”
TradeWind and ENA plan to erect wind turbines on nearly 14,000 acres in west central Elk County. More than 200 workers will be employed during the construction phase. The entire project is expected to cost about 350 million US dollars (250 million euros) and it’s anticipated that the facility will begin commercial operation in 2011.
Additionally, in an effort to promote wildlife and grassland conservation throughout the State of Kansas, the Caney River Project has also entered into a conservation plan with the National Fish and Wildlife Federation to preserve ecologically important areas and encourage research into new ways to protect the environment in Kansas.
