International firm to buy power from New Mexico wind farms

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A California-based renewable energy company that is building a collection of wind farms in New Mexico announced Monday that an international firm has signed a 15-year deal to purchase power from the development.

Pattern Energy did not disclose the value of the transaction with Uniper but said it will involve up to 219,000 megawatt hours ayear, or enough to supply electricity to more than 20,000 homes annually.

In North America, Uniper conducts sales, trading and marketing activities to help customers meet goals for reducing their carbon footprint. Company officials said the agreement with Pattern Energy will provide another option for accessing more renewable generation.

Spanning Guadalupe, Lincoln and Torrance counties, the Western Spirit Wind project will have a total capacity of more than a gigawatt when completed later this year — enough to power 590,000 homes. Developers have billed it as the largest single-phase renewable power build out in the U.S.

The wind project is being developed in conjunction with a transmission line that will be capable of funneling wind power from central New Mexico to other markets.

The line is being developed jointly by Pattern Energy and the New Mexico Renewable Energy Transmission Authority. It will connect directly to the Public Service Co. of New Mexico system and will be operated by the utility once complete.

That is expected to be another boon for Avangrid — the U.S. subsidiary of global energy giant Iberdrola that is working to acquire PNM — as more states mandate higher percentages of renewable energy.