Duke Energy Plans ‘Top of the World Windpower Project’

Duke Energy recently went public with plans to build and manage a 200 MW wind energy facility outside Casper, Wyoming. The wind farm, dubbed the Top of the World Windpower Project, will be the ninth, U.S. based-wind farm for the company, and the fourth of its kind in Wyoming.

Duke Energy, a large utility firm, will construct the new wind farm on 17,000 acres spread across both privately and publicly held land. The company recently leased the land in Converse County, Wyoming, where Casper is located. The Top of the World Windpower Project should be completed towards the end of 2010 and is anticipated to produce enough energy to provide electricity to 50,000-60,000 residences per year.

Duke Energy has a purchasing agreement with PacifiCorp, known as Rocky Mountain Power in Wyoming, for the electricity generated by the proposed facility. PacifiCorp will also receive the renewable energy credits under the terms of the twenty year long power purchase agreement. 

Duke Energy told media that construction on the Casper, Wyoming project will begin sometime towards the end of 2009 or early 2010 pending receipt of required permits and certification. The company said the new wind farm will require at least 66 wind turbines, which they propose to purchase from GE. Each GE turbine has a capacity of 1.5 MW. The utility said they are currently negotiating a purchase agreement with GE for the turbines. 

In total, Duke Energy has a combined capacity of 370 MW of electricity generated by wind energy in existing and proposed wind farm developments. By the end of 2010, Duke Energy expects all 370 MW of capacity to open, operational, and running, giving the utility a large base in the wind energy sector.