Colorado electric cooperatives are benefiting from the new 104-megawatt Crossing Trails Wind Farm south of Seibert, Colorado, in K.C. Electric Association’s Kit Carson and Cheyenne county service territory.
The facility began generating electricity for commercial sale in May and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, which supplies power to 17 of Colorado’s 22 co-ops, is buying all of the electricity generated for its member cooperatives.
Crossing Trails, built, owned and operated by EDP Renewables North America, consists of 20 4.3 MW and five 3.6 MW wind turbines. Crossing Trails will produce enough electricity to annually power the equivalent of approximately 45,000 average Colorado homes.
With blades stretching more than 240 feet, the 4.3 MW wind turbines are among the largest and most advanced turbines installed in Colorado to date.
Tri-State CEO Duane Highley noted that, “Crossing Trails is the first project to come on line since we announced Tri-State’s Responsible Energy Plan in January 2020, under which we are reducing greenhouse gas emissions, while significantly increasing renewable resources, lowering our wholesale rates and expanding member flexibility.”