[Western Farmers Electric Cooperative, 23 July 2019]

The Western Farmers Electric Cooperative (WFEC) will enter into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with NextEra Energy Resources. The project will be the “largest combined wind, solar and energy storage project in the U.S.” There will be two phases to the project, the Skeleton Creek Wind site (250 MW capacity) will come online by the end of 2019; Skeleton Creek Solar (250 MW of solar) and Skeleton Creek Storage (200 MW – 4 hour duration battery project) will both come online at the end of 2023. The Skeleton Creek projects will help WFEC diversify their energy portfolio which will soon consist of 521 MW of solar generation, 955 MW of wind generation, and 270 MW of hydroelectric generation. Additionally, by the time these projects come online, 50% of WFEC’s nameplate capacity will come from wind, solar, and hydro energy. Furthermore, these new projects will also revitalize the local economy, create hundreds of construction jobs, full-time operational jobs, and millions of dollars of additional revenue to the residents and the communities in the region. John Ketchum, President and CEO of NextEra Energy Resources, said of the upcoming projects, ““Pairing renewable energy with battery storage presents a tremendous advantage for Western Farmers and its customers. With this combined facility, we can optimize and maximize the amount of low-cost, emissions-free electricity we provide, while helping Western Farmers diversify its power generation portfolio, reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and set a great example for others to follow.”