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E.ON and GE Unit GE Energy Financial Services celebrated the opening of the Grandview Wind Farm (Grandview) in the Texas Panhandle, 30 miles east of Amarillo. The wind farm is co-owned by E.ON and GE through a 50/50 investment partnership. It started commercial operation last December.
Grandview has 118 GE 1.79 MW turbines that can create 211.2 MW of wind power, enough for approximately 64,000 homes. The wind farm is one of the first projects that helps pave the way for the development of the Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ) where boasts some of the best winds in the world.
"These types of super-windy sites are the ideal developers have been seeking and the outstanding nature of the winds here will test our technology and operating approaches,” said North American chairman Patrick Woodson.
Wind projects like Grandview will not only create local jobs but also support development to the local community. Furthermore, they help to provide stable electricity pricing for the people, such as people in Texas where Grandview locates. Woodson added that building Grandview created 300 temporary and 13 permanent jobs; more than $4 million of local spending on labor, subcontractors, infrastructure and materials; and 40 miles of roads upgrades, with $40 million in projected additional tax revenues generated during the life.
Since 2004, GE Energy Financial Services has committed to invest more than $9 billion in over 14GW of wind power projects worldwide. It plans to continue to invest approximately $1 billion annually in renewable energy globally. On the other side, E.ON Climate & Renewables North America (EC&RNA) has developed 2.7GW of wind projects in the U.S. since 2005.
With representatives from E.ON, GE Energy Financial Services, local and national elected officials in attendance, Woodson and Nason presented the City of Groom Ambulance Service a check for $100,000, to be used toward the purchase of a new ambulance.
(Photo Credit: GE Energy Financial Services)
