The Austin City Council has approved three new wind contracts totaling 570MW. This will bring Austin Energy’s total wind portfolio to 1,225 MW and puts the utility four years ahead of schedule for meeting its 35% renewable energy resources goal by 2020.
Two contracts with Duke Energy Renewables, Inc., each for 200MW, will buy power generated in Starr County in the Rio Grande Valley about 30 miles northwest of McAllen. The Los Vientos 3 wind project is expected to be online at the end of 2014 and Los Vientos 4 is expected to be complete by mid-2016. The third contract buys 170MW of generation from E.ON Climate and Renewables North America, LLC, in Nueces County. The Patriot Wind project, located 25 miles southwest of Corpus Christi, is expected to be online by the end of 2014.
