Leeward Completes Two Aragonne Wind Projects

Leeward Renewable Energy, LLC announced that it has successfully completed construction of its two Aragonne projects, which included repowering of its existing Aragonne Wind project and the construction of the new Aragonne Mesa Wind project.

Located in Guadalupe County, New Mexico the projects will provide 200 megawatts of wind power generation over a 20-year period to Arizona Public Service Company  under a previously announced agreement, with the capacity to generate up to 235 MW of renewable energy.

This agreement builds on Leeward’s long-term operating success with APS and further supports APS’s clean energy goals.

“Adding more renewable energy to our resource mix is integral to APS’s Clean Energy Commitment. We are striving to serve customers with 100% clean and carbon-free power by 2050 and partnerships like this to strengthen our already diverse portfolio are key to achieving that goal and securing a brighter future for Arizona,” said Justin Joiner, APS Vice President of Resource Management.

Collectively, the new projects are comprised of 86 advanced GE wind turbines capable of generating more than three times the amount of power produced by the legacy Aragonne Wind project while using 60 percent less land.

Additionally, as part of Leeward’s commitment to environmental stewardship and to further enhance sustainability, 100 percent of the blades from the decommissioned Aragonne Wind turbines were recycled or reused, as were a majority of the other materials removed from service.

Construction financing and tax equity commitments secured for the projects were provided by Wells Fargo and Santander.

Andrew Flanagan, Chief Development Officer at Leeward commented, “This announcement is an important milestone for Leeward as it showcases our ability to deliver high value renewable energy facilities through innovation, long-term trusted relationships and by positively impacting the communities we serve. We are pleased to be extending our long-standing partnership with APS and the trusted relationships we have built with Guadalupe County community for another 20 years.”