More wind power will soon be part of the electricity supplied to electric co-ops buying their power from Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association.
In mid-February, Tri-State G&T and EDP Renewables announced a 104-megawatt, 15-year power purchase agreement that will enable the continued development and eventual construction of the 104-MW Crossing Trails Wind Farm. The project, which is expected to be operational in 2020, marks Tri-State’s fifth investment in a utility-scale wind energy project.
The wind farm is approximately 20 miles south of Seibert within both Kit Carson and Cheyenne counties in K.C. Electric Association’s service territory. When operational, the wind farm will generate enough electricity to annually power more than 47,000 average rural Colorado homes.
Tri-State further expands its emissions-free renewable energy portfolio with this agreement, which is the second power purchase agreement the company announced following its request for proposals for renewable energy in June 2018.
Nearly one-third of the energy consumed by Tri-State’s members comes from renewable energy. With the addition of the Crossing Trails Wind Farm, Tri-State has now invested in five utility-scale wind farms in Colorado, totaling 471 MW.