TEXAS WIND GIANT GOES ONLINE

Iberdrola starts up 404MW Peñascal wind farm in Texas
Ben Backwell, June 21. 2010 (Recharge)

"…Iberdrola Renovables has started production from its Peñascal wind farm in Texas, the company’s largest facility to date. The complex consists of the Peñascal I and Peñascal II wind farms in Kenedy County, Texas. The wind farms comprise 168 Mitsubishi MHI 92 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 2.4 MW.

"Iberdrola says that the wind farm project has created about 20 direct jobs in operation and maintenance…around 200 people were involved in its construction."

The stature of Penascal. (click to enlarge)

"…[Iberdrola] spent over 4,000 hours researching the characteristics and habits of the bird life in the region prior to the wind farm’s construction in order to meet stringent environmental criteria. The complex’s features include a radar that detects the arrival of large flocks of migratory birds and shuts down the turbines if visibility conditions present a danger.

"Iberdrola Renovables is the second largest wind power operator in the US. At the end of the first quarter the company had 39 wind farms in 23 states, with an installed capacity of 3.83 GW. It plans to install 1GW per year in the US in 2011 and 2012."