Los Vientos I & II wind farms have been completed in south Texas and now operational, have the capacity to produce 402 megawatts of wind power. Both projects are owned by Duke Energy Renewables and the project marks the company’s largest wind-power project to date. With the geographic location, approximately 120 miles south of Corpus Christi and 20 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico, the two wind farms will generate the majority of their power during the day, when peak power demand is highest.

“2012 was a very significant year for us,” said Duke Energy Renewables President Greg Wolf. “With five new windpower projects and three new solar power projects commissioned into service, we added 800 megawatts of clean, emissions-free energy to our fleet last year alone. Now that Los Vientos I and II are on line, our total renewable power capacity grows to more than 1,700 MW, enough to power about half-million homes.”

All of the output and associated renewable energy credits from the 200 MW Los Vientos I Windpower Project in Willacy County are being sold to San Antonio-based CPS Energy under a 25-year agreement. In addition, Austin Energy is buying all of the output and associated renewable energy credits from the 202 MW Los Vientos II Windpower Project, sited in Willacy and Cameron Counties.

Duke Energy Renewables Vice President Milton Howard added, “We’re proud to be partnering with CPS Energy and Austin Energy to bring renewable energy to this region. And, we couldn’t have done it without the foresight of the leaders, landowners and people of Willacy County. Thanks to them, we were able to bring 600 jobs to the area during construction, and going forward, the Los Vientos projects will continue to boost economic development, support the local school districts, and be a source of dependable tax revenue for years to come.”