A Mexican wind farm is more than doubling its capacity to supply more affordable, clean electricity than ever to California's cities, Energy Global reports.
The expansion, called the Cimarron wind project, is the third phase of the Energía Sierra Juárez wind complex. Located just south of the border, between Tijuana and Mexicali, ESJ already supplies 263 megawatts to San Diego Gas & Electric.
Now, with the addition of 64 new wind turbines, the complex will add 320 megawatts of capacity. It has already entered a 20-year contract with Silicon Valley Power to send that electricity to the City of Santa Clara, California, Energy Global reveals.
To achieve that, the Cimarron wind project is bringing together several different suppliers and infrastructure providers. It will get its turbines from Vestas, the rest of the plant's construction from Elecnor, and will rely on Sempra Infrastructure's existing high-voltage lines to carry the power across the border.
It's the deal with Sempra that has given this project the green light. Construction will begin soon, with the plant expected to begin producing power in 2025.
According to Energy Global, "Cimarron will produce energy equivalent to the annual energy consumption of more than 84,000 homes."
Wind power is an abundant source of non-polluting energy wherever the wind is strong and steady enough to produce it. It's often cheaper than power from traditional, polluting sources like coal plants — plus, it avoids putting heat-trapping gases into the air.
All of that makes wind power a vital part of the world's transition to cheaper, more eco-friendly energy. ESJ isn't the only wind project expanding — countries all over the world are starting to invest. Also, wind power is being adopted in some surprising places, like Amish communities.
The result has been explosive growth in our capacity to generate clean energy. California is even supplying 100% of its energy needs with clean energy some days.
Wind power in the region is still growing, too. Energy Global reports that Sempra Infrastructure has requested an additional 300 megawatts of connection capacity at the ESJ site, and it speculates that Sempra could reach as much as 1,200 megawatts of capacity in the region in the near future.
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