Enel: 250 MW wind farm inaugurated in Kansas

• “Smoky Hills” is the biggest wind farm ever constructed by Enel and the biggest wind farm ever constructed in Kansas


• It will be operational by the end of  the year 2008, thus meeting the needs of 85,000 American households and avoiding the release in the atmosphere of 750,000 metric tonnes/year CO2 emissions

Enel, acting through its subsidiary Enel North America Inc., dedicated a 250 Megawatt wind farm in Kansas, the biggest wind farm ever constructed by the Group in the world and the biggest wind farm ever built in Kansas.

Enel Chief Executive Officer and General Manager Fulvio Conti stated: “Today we are taking an important new step forward in our plan for the development of renewables and innovative generation solutions. The plan amounts to EUR 7.4 billion to be spent between now and 2012 with the objective to strengthen our renewable activities which have been grouped into a newly established division.”

The project “Smoky Hills” can supply enough energy to meet the needs of 85,000 American households. The new wind plants will avoid the release in the atmosphere of about 750,000 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions every year as well as avoiding the consumption of more than 175,000 metric tonnes oil equivalent per year.

The Smoky Hills, Kansas Wind project is owned by Enel and developed by TradeWind Energy LLC. It is located in Ellsworth and Lincoln counties, 30 km. west of Salinas. The project utilises 56 Vestas 1.8 MW turbines and 99 GE 1.5 MW turbines. Each turbine is 80 metres tall and the diametre of each rotor is about 80 metres.

GE Financial Services is also an investor in the project.

The produced energy is delivered to five local utilities: Sunflower Electric Power Corporation, Midwest Energy Inc. and Kansas City Board of Public Utilities, the City of Independence and the City of Springfield, Missouri.