Enel Green Power North America ( EGPNA.) is a subsidiary of Italian energy company Enel. Enel Green Power is a leading owner and operator of renewable energy plants in North America with projects operating and under development in 24 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces.
The Roadrunner solar farm will enter into service in two phases, according to EGPNA. The first phase, comprised of 252MW, is expected to be complete by the end of 2019, while the remaining 245MW of capacity is expected to be operational by the end of 2020.
Once both phases are completed, the solar plant will be able to generate “approximately 1.2 TWh annually, while avoiding the emission of over 800,000 million tons of CO2 per year,” EGPNA announced.
Georgios Papadimitriou, head of Enel Green Power North America, said:
“This plant is the latest major milestone for Enel’s operations in the US renewable market, where we have already started construction of projects for almost 1 GW this year. The US market is rich with opportunities for growth and has an increasing appetite for sustainable electricity. Projects like Roadrunner are indicative of our ability to capitalize on this trend while boosting the diversity of the business both in geography and technology.”
Upton County, besides being the home of the Roadrunner solar farm when completed, also hosts part of the EGPNA 450MW High Lonesome wind project. Construction of the Lonesome Wind project started in January.
Texas has less than 3GW of solar installed today, compared to 25GW of wind, but that is about to change. Texas has become the new battleground for renewables in the U.S. and the state has abundant wind and sunshine to make it all possible. We will watch this state closely this year.
