Xcel Energy has secured approval from the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (NMPRC) to build 1.2GW wind farms along the Texas-New Mexico border. The two wind farms include an estimated 552MW Sagamore Wind Project near Portales, New Mexico and a 478MW Hale Wind Project near Plainview, Texas. The commission voted unanimously for the New Mexican wind farm. In order to proceed with the projects, Xcel still needs to secure permission from Public Utility Commission of Texas, which is expected in April. The Sagamore and Hale wind farms will be built with an investment of $1.6bn. Xcel Energy New Mexico and Texas president David Hudson was quoted by The Washington Post as saying: “These wind facilities will power the regional economy with energy from our abundant, fuel-free wind resource and save customers hundreds of millions of dollars in energy costs for decades to come.” In March last year, Xcel Energy proposed to build 11 new wind farms across seven states in the US, with a total capacity of 3.38GW. The proposed projects, which also include the Sagamore and Hale wind farms, will increase its wind portfolio to account for 35% of its total energy mix by 2021. Western Resource Advocates senior energy policy advisor Dave Effross said: “The unanimous approval today of Xcel Energy’s Sagamore wind farm is a win for New Mexicans, their clean air, public health, and consumer’s electric bills. "With an estimated 552 MW of wind power brought on line for this project and an estimated $2.8 billion in cost savings over 30 years, New Mexico and Texas Xcel customers will see lower cost power while significantly expanding their clean renewable energy resources." Xcel also proposed to build a 150MW project in North Dakota, two 200MW projects in Minnesota, a 300MW project and a 300MW PPA in South Dakota, a 100MW project in Minnesota, a 100MW project in North Dakota and a 600MW project in Colorado. Image: Xcel Energy’s 552MW New Mexico wind farm is expected to be operational by 2021. Photo: Courtesy of cristina miguel/FreeImages.com.
The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission has approved Duke Energy 's 500 MW Sagamore Wind Project , part of a proposed 1.2 billion wind project straddling the Texas - New Mexico border that Xcel plans to build at a cost of $ 1.6bn . The Public Utility Commission of Texas is expected to make a decision on the linked 478 MW Hale Wind Project in April . Xcel said last year that eventually it plans to build eight wind farms , with a combined 10 GW capacity , across seven US states .