Hoosier Wind Farm
Encyclopedia
Hoosier Wind Farm is a wind farm
in Benton County
, Indiana
. It consists of 53 REpower
2 MW wind turbine
s, for a total nameplate capacity
of 106 MW. The enXco subsidiary of EDF Energies Nouvelles
built the wind farm, with Mortenson Construction's Renewable Energy Group as the subcontractor. Indianapolis Power & Light
(IPL) has a 20 year contract to purchase and distribute the wind farm's output.
1.5 MW wind turbines. By the time construction started in April 2009, the plan had changed to use REpower 2.0 MW wind turbines instead, with 80m towers. At the time of construction, Hoosier was only the third wind farm in the United States to use REpower wind turbines, after Goodnoe Hills Wind Farm in Goldendale, Washington
, and Shiloh Wind Farm Phase II in Birds Landing, California
(also constructed by enXco and Mortenson). Construction took six months.
The groundbreaking ceremony on April 17, 2009 included Indiana Lt. Governor Becky Skillman
and other government and industry officials.
Wind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
in Benton County
Benton County, Indiana
Benton County is located along in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Indiana, along the border with Illinois. As of 2010, the county's population was 8,854. It contains six incorporated towns as well as several small unincorporated settlements; it is also divided into 11 townships which...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. It consists of 53 REpower
REpower
REpower is a German wind turbine company founded in 2001, purchased December 2009 by Suzlon Energy Ltd. Its product range comprises several types of turbines with rated outputs of between 1.5 and 6 megawatts. It created the 5M, in 2005....
2 MW wind turbine
Wind turbine
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
s, for a total nameplate capacity
Nameplate capacity
Nameplate capacity, also known as the rated capacity, nominal capacity, installed capacity or maximum effect, refers to the intended technical full–load sustained output of a facility such as a power plant, a chemical plant, fuel plant, metal refinery, mine, and many others.For dispatchable power,...
of 106 MW. The enXco subsidiary of EDF Energies Nouvelles
EDF Energies Nouvelles
EDF Energies Nouvelles is a French renewable energy corporation, half owned by French electric utility Électricité de France. It was formed in 2004 from its predecessor SIIF Energies and was floated on the Paris stock exchange in 2006....
built the wind farm, with Mortenson Construction's Renewable Energy Group as the subcontractor. Indianapolis Power & Light
Indianapolis Power & Light
Indianapolis Power & Light Company, also known as IPL or IPALCO, is a utility company providing electric service to the city of Indianapolis. It is a subsidiary and largest utility of AES Corporation, which acquired it in 2000....
(IPL) has a 20 year contract to purchase and distribute the wind farm's output.
History
IPL and enXco announced their plan to build the wind farm in April, 2008. The original plan called for 67 GEGeneral Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
1.5 MW wind turbines. By the time construction started in April 2009, the plan had changed to use REpower 2.0 MW wind turbines instead, with 80m towers. At the time of construction, Hoosier was only the third wind farm in the United States to use REpower wind turbines, after Goodnoe Hills Wind Farm in Goldendale, Washington
Goldendale, Washington
Goldendale is a rural agricultural town in and the county seat of Klickitat County, Washington, United States, near the Columbia River Gorge. The population within city limits was 3,760 at the 2000 census and 3,407, a 9.4% decrease at the 2010 census. A nationally known point of interest is north...
, and Shiloh Wind Farm Phase II in Birds Landing, California
Birds Landing, California
Birds Landing is an unincorporated community in southern Solano County, California, United States. It lies at the intersection of Collinsville and Montezuma Hills Roads, southeast of the city of Fairfield, the county seat of Solano County. Situated just north of the Sacramento River, the...
(also constructed by enXco and Mortenson). Construction took six months.
The groundbreaking ceremony on April 17, 2009 included Indiana Lt. Governor Becky Skillman
Becky Skillman
Rebecca S. "Becky" Skillman is the 49th and current Lieutenant Governor of the State of Indiana. She is a member of the Republican Party. She was sworn in on January 10, 2005.-Early life and career:...
and other government and industry officials.
Environmental impact
IPL expects Hoosier to generate enough power for 29,000 homes and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 348,000 tons per year. This is equivalent to the annual emissions from 58,000 cars.See also
- Benton County Wind FarmBenton County Wind FarmThe Benton County Wind Farm consists of 87 model sl/sle Gen4 GE 1.5 MW wind turbines near Earl Park, Indiana in northern Benton County, Indiana. The farm's nameplate capacity is 130.5 MW. It began commercial operation in April 2008. At the time of its construction, it was Indiana's only...
- Fowler Ridge Wind FarmFowler Ridge Wind FarmThe Fowler Ridge Wind Farm currently consists of two completed phases with the possibility of a third phase some time in the near future. The wind farm is in Benton County, Indiana, near the city of Fowler, IN about northwest of Lafayette and northwest of Indianapolis...
- Meadow Lake Wind FarmMeadow Lake Wind FarmMeadow Lake Wind Farm is a wind farm near Brookston and Chalmers, Indiana, spreading over portions of White, Jasper, and Benton Counties in Indiana, owned and operated by Horizon Wind Energy...
- Wind power in IndianaWind power in IndianaWind power in Indiana was limited to a few small water-pumping windmills on farms until 2008 with construction of Indiana's first utility-scale wind power facility, Goodland with a nameplate capacity of 130 MW. In 2009, three more wind farms opened: Fowler Ridge , Meadow Lake , and Hoosier...