Exus Renewables North America, a leading developer and operator of utility-scale renewable energy projects, recently announced that it has begun repowering the 139 MW Twin Ridges Wind Farm in Somerset County, Pennsylvania as part of a planned $200m investment in the community.
This process typically includes replacing outdated components such as turbines, blades, and nacelles with more modern, efficient versions.
The Twin Ridges repowering, which involves replacing the nacelles and blades of the existing wind turbines while retaining the towers and foundations, will produce a 30% increase in energy generation for the project and residents of Southwestern Pennsylvania.
“As the wind energy industry faces increasingly complex obstacles to growth, including a nearly 3 gigawatt interconnection queue of renewable energy projects trying to connect to the grid, repowering has become a path to help meet clean energy goals,” said Jim Spencer, CEO of Exus Renewables North America.
Exus Renewables will invest approximately $200 million in the project, creating 150 union construction jobs.
It expects to inject over $7.35 million into the local economy through the procurement of materials and services from local suppliers and anticipates that over the 30-year life of the project, more than $100 million will be invested in the community through tax and landowner payments.
Vestas American Wind Technology supplied American-made nacelles, hubs, blades, and tower adaptors for the project.