Enbridge plans 110 MW wind farm in Texas

CALGARY, Alberta, Jan. 7 (UPI) -- Canadian energy company Enbridge Inc. announced it would spend about $200 million building a 110-megawatt wind energy project in northern Texas.

Enbridge said it reached an agreement with Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc. to build the Keechi Wind Project. The Canadian energy company said it expects the 55-turbine facility to start commercial operations during the first quarter of 2015.

Once it comes online, Enbridge will have a stake in more than 1,800 MW worth of low-carbon energy production in the United States.

"As the nation's leader in wind energy, both in installed capacity and number of turbines, Texas represents a natural extension for Enbridge's growing U.S. renewable energy portfolio," Don Thompson, a vice president in charge of renewable energy for Enbridge, said in a statement Monday.

Enbridge said the Keechi wind farm will provide electricity to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc., under the terms of a 20-year purchase agreement with Microsoft Corp.

A lead oil-producing state, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said that, as of 2010, Texas was the nation's leader in wind-powered electricity generation.