GE, Enel Green Power Build Wind Farm

GE Energy Financial Services and Enel Green Power North America are building the 250 MW Buffalo Dunes Wind Project in Kansas.

GE Energy Financial Services now owns 51 percent of the Buffalo Dunes project under construction southwest of Garden City, Kan., in Finney, Grant and Haskell counties. Enel Green Power North America maintains a 49 percent ownership stake, retains an option to increase this stake to 75 percent if elected during certain periods in 2013 and 2014, and serves as project manager.

In addition to capital, GE is supplying 135 wind turbines for the project and will provide operations and maintenance after completion. Alabama Power Company will buy most of the electricity from the project under a 20-year agreement. The strong wind in Kansas will provide power to the eastern United States.

Construction, managed by RES Americas, is expected to be completed by December.

This transaction expands GE Energy Financial Services’ and Enel Green Power North America’s portfolio of co-owned wind projects. Last year, the companies invested in the 235 MW Chisholm View wind project in Oklahoma and in the 200 MW Prairie Rose wind project in Minnesota. Both projects also feature GE wind turbines. The GE unit and Enel Green Power North America also invested in the 101 MW Smoky Hills wind farm in Kansas and the 63 MW Snyder wind farm in Texas.