A Spanish renewable energy company’s first wind farm in Texas came online this month between Bayview and the Laguna Madre.
Acciona Energy announced Dec. 12 that its 93-megawatt San Roman Wind Farm had begun commercial operation. The facility is able to power more than 30,000 Texas homes, according to the company, whose U.S. subsidiary is based in Chicago.
The project also is expected to generate $30 million in tax revenue for local school districts and other public services during its 25-year lifespan in addition to $25 million-plus in lease payments to landowners.
The first components for the project arrived at the Port of Brownsville in late May and were delivered to the site via 18-wheelers. Acciona said it had hired a team of local employees to manage the facility’s long-term operations and maintenance.
San Roman consists of 31 wind turbines mounted on towers 287 feet tall, with rotors 410 feet in diameter.
Ilya Hartmann, CEO of Acciona Energy North America, said the company was “proud to complete this latest addition to our U.S. renewable energy portfolio and become a part of the community here in CameronCounty.”
San Roman is Acciona’s eighth wind farm in the United States, bringing the company’s total U.S. wind capacity to 721 megawatts, including wind farms in Illinois, Iowa, Oklahoma, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Acciona also has a 64-megawatt concentrating solar power plant in Nevada, 181 megawatts of operational wind power capacity in Canada and 556 megawatts in Mexico.
The electricity that San Roman generates will be delivered to the grid operated by AEP Texas.
By STEVE CLARK Staff Writer
