Work could begin later this year on one of the largest wind farms in the Southwest on a site to the north of Flagstaff.
The project belongs to NextEra Energy Resources, whose corporate headquarters are located in Juno Beach, Florida, and will see construction off of U.S. Route 180.
Slated to feed the utility company Salt River Project, the farm upon completion is expected to have enough power to supply up to 40,000 residences.
In a statement, Kelly Barr, chief of strategy for the Salt River Project, said the new wind farm will “bring more diversity to our resource mix which is growing rapidly in clean energy generation.”
Barr added that wind power in general is a “great compliment to solar power generation, as wind often blows at times when the sun is not shining.”
The project will go up on what is known as the Babbitt Ranches land, some 25 miles north of Flagstaff. That property comprises around 750,000 acres of private, federal, and state land.
What is being called the Babbitt Ranch Energy Center will have the capability of generating a minimum of 160 megawatts of electricity in optimal wind conditions. Power from the farm, heading to the metro Phoenix area, will be sent via existing high-voltage transmission lines.
Although the Salt River Project, based in Phoenix, will purchase power from the Babbitt Ranch Energy Center, it will not own the facility.
The company has noted that with metro Phoenix experiencing epic growth in population, efforts must be taken to “build new generation resources that will help meet rising energy demand from customers,” while also supporting the Salt River Project in its “long-term decarbonization goals.”
If all goes as planned, work on the new wind fam is expected to be completed, with the facility fully operational, by the end of next year.
By Garry Boulard
