TIOGA – Enel Green Power announced Tuesday the company has started construction of the 299-megawatt Aurora wind farm in Mountrail and Williams counties.

Expected to be fully operational by the end of 2020, Aurora has agreements to supply power to global apparel retailer Gap Inc. and to Basin Electric Power Cooperative.

“The construction of Aurora means new jobs and economic growth in North Dakota, where we are excited to continue growing,” said Georg Becker-Birck, senior project manager. “North Dakota is an important energy hub for the U.S. and the world. This project is an example of the state’s strong wind resource enabling corporate offtakers to reach their sustainability goals and helping utilities meet their customers’ needs.”

Aurora is Enel Green Power’s second project in the state. The project is located near the 150-megawatt Lindahl wind farm in Williams County, which began operations in 2017. Once fully operational, the Aurora wind project will be able to generate about 1.3 terawatt-hours annually while avoiding the emission of around 850,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year.

Aurora will be responsible for approximately 300 jobs at the peak of construction and 12 to 15 permanent jobs during operations. The project is expected to generate around a combined $85 million in new tax revenue and payments to landowners over the life of the project.

During construction and operation of the project, Enel Green Power will initiate activities to further improve its environmental impact and identify opportunities to create long-term value for both the community and the project. These initiatives include support for emergency response equipment and coordinated drill training with local volunteer fire districts; investment in the Nesson Public School District #2’s science, technology, engineering, and math programs; and scholarships for host school district students to attend the wind technician training program at Lake Region State College.

The 23-year bundled agreement with Basin Electric involves the purchase of energy delivered to the grid by a 142-megawatt portion of the Aurora wind farm. In addition to Aurora, Basin Electric also purchases the full 150-megawatt electricity output of Enel Green Power’s Lindahl wind farm.

“We look forward to this project getting underway in the Williston Basin,” said Basin Electric’s CEO and General Manager Paul Sukut. “This additional resource will help us serve our members’ increasing load in that area.”

Enel Green Power will also sell the energy produced by a 90-megawatt portion of Aurora to Gap Inc. through a 12-year virtual power purchase agreement announced last August. The electricity output purchased by Gap Inc. will be enough to power over 1,500 of its retail stores, equivalent to around 50% of the electricity needs of the more than 3,300 stores operated by Gap Inc. worldwide. This electricity output is expected to total nearly 400 gigawatt hours each year, equivalent to avoiding the emission of about 262,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year.

With Aurora, Enel Green Power is currently building over 1.5 gigawatts of new capacity in the United States. Other Enel Green Power projects are located in Missouri, Illinois and Texas.

Enel Green Power North America, which is part of Enel Green Power, is dedicated to renewables and owns, operates or is developing projects in 25 states and two Canadian provinces. The company operates around 100 plants with a managed capacity of over 5 gigawatts powered by renewable hydropower, wind, geothermal and solar energy.

Enel Green Power is a global leader in the green energy sector with a managed capacity of more than 43 gigawatts across a generation mix that includes wind, solar, geothermal and hydropower, and is at the forefront of integrating innovative technologies into renewable power plants.