Mississippi is home to the tallest onshore turbines in the United States, having launched its first utility-scale wind farm in June.
As detailed by Electrek, Delta Wind is online in Tunica County, and it expects to provide long-term dividends for the community and environment.
According to a project overview on the website of owner and operator AES Corporation, "peak construction" resulted in nearly 300 new jobs. While the farm is now complete, others were created for operations.
The turbines are projected to generate 184.5 megawatts of wind energy, bringing clean, affordable power to approximately 80,000 Mississippi homes every year in an area that Electrek noted has been hesitant to adopt onshore wind, including because of concerns about feasibility.
The Southeastern United States generally has lower altitudes, so there are lower wind speeds. However, as one commenter suggested, "the larger rotor allows them to generate power even in low winds."
This indeed appears to be the case. Woody Rubin, the chief development officer of AES Corporation's U.S. renewable energy business, told Canary Media that the 692-foot blades are a game-changer for the region.
"As technology has improved, it's really unlocked some areas like Mississippi that don't have a hugely robust wind resource," Rubin said. "Now it's possible to take advantage of and have a really competitive levelized cost of energy for the region."
Delta Wind sits on 14,000 acres of private agricultural land. However, according to the project overview, the turbines should not hinder farmers from growing staple crops like rice, soybeans, corn, and wheat, making it a dual-use operation.
Electrek didn't point to specific controversy over the farm's location, but worries about land degradation have been a sticking point for clean-energy initiatives in other communities.
To address this, one project in Kansas partnered with The Nature Conservancy to develop a plan incorporating pollinator-friendly plants underneath solar panels, which can even help protect crops from extreme weather conditions supercharged by an overheating planet.
In Mississippi, specially designed turbine foundations help ensure crop production isn't negatively impacted, according to Rubin's interview with Canary Media.
Moreover, per Electrek, the Delta Wind project has caught the eye of retail giant Amazon, which intends to build two data centers in the Magnolia State and will purchase energy from Delta for its regional hubs. All in all, the project is projected to create $100 million in local tax revenue — nearly half of which will go to school districts.
Other benefits highlighted by AES include a reliable power grid without sky-high electric bills, as renewable sources like wind and solar generally save consumers thousands on utilities. Moving away from dirty fuels, which cause temperatures to rise, will also contribute to healthier air quality.
"The Delta Wind project is a key part of our efforts to build a sustainable economy on the Mississippi Delta that works for everyone," Tunica County administrator Dr. Billy Willis said in a media release by AES. "Change is often difficult but … we believe this project can be a catalyst for accelerated renewable energy and economic development throughout the South."
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