Pattern Energy is to supply Uniper with electricity from the 1050MW Western Spirit wind farm in the US state of New Mexico under a 15-year power purchase agreement.
The deal will see Uniper receive up to 219,000 megawatt-hours of electricity a year from Western Spirit, enough to power more than 20,000 homes annually.
The wind farm is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by the end of 2021.
It is being constructed in conjunction with the Western Spirit Transmission Line, an approximately 241km 345kV AC link that will bring New Mexico’s wind resources to the electricity grid in the state and broader western markets in the US.
The Western Spirit Transmission line is being developed jointly between Pattern Energy and the New Mexico Renewable Energy Transmission Authority and will interconnect directly into the Public Service Company of New Mexico system (PNM).
PNM will acquire and operate the transmission line upon its commissioning.
Pattern Energy chief executive Mike Garland said: “We welcome this partnership with Uniper and look forward to providing New Mexico wind power to New Mexico consumers from our new Western Spirit Wind project.
“Construction on Western Spirit Wind – the largest wind project in North America – is on schedule with 1000 workers on site.
“The wind resource at Western Spirit is one of the strongest in the country and has an evening ramp that creates an ideal complement to daytime solar power.”
Uniper North America president and chief executive Marc Merrill said: “A large part of our business is about helping communities, municipalities, cooperatives, utility companies, and commercial and industrial loads achieve their energy decarbonization objectives in a cost-effective manner.
“We provide customised energy solutions that collectively address both reliability-of-supply and environmental concerns, which is why we’re happy to be working with Pattern Energy to bring additional renewable generation benefits to New Mexico and other western states.”