Colorado has given a green light to Xcel Energy’s 600MW Rush Creek wind farm in the eastern part of the state.
The Public Utilities Commission approved a settlement agreement between the utility and a dozen interested parties designed to speed up development and construction.
The deal caps the cost of the project at $1.096bn and provides for cost saving sharing with customers if the final investment is less than that amount.
The Rush Creek project will include 300 Vestas 2MW turbines on two sites spanning 116,000 acres in Elbert, Lincoln, Kit Carson and Cheyenne counties. A 90-mile 345-kV transmission line will tie in to Xcel’s electric system.
Xcel selected Invenergy as the project developer. Construction is set to begin in 2017, with commercial operation expected to start in late 2018.
The utility anticipates the project will qualify for full federal production tax credits.
Image: Xcel Energy
