Gulf Wind Farm

Coordinates: 27°05′16.02″N 97°35′22.02″W / 27.0877833°N 97.5894500°W / 27.0877833; -97.5894500
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Gulf Wind
Map
Country
  • United States
LocationKenedy County, Texas
Coordinates27°05′16.02″N 97°35′22.02″W / 27.0877833°N 97.5894500°W / 27.0877833; -97.5894500
Commission date2009[1]
Construction cost$740 million[2]
Owner(s)Pattern Energy Group
Wind farm
Type
Power generation
Units operational118 × 2.3 MW[1]
Make and modelSiemens Gamesa[1] SWT-2.3-108
Nameplate capacity271 MW[1]
External links
Websitepatternenergy.com/projects/gulf-wind/

Gulf Wind is a 271 megawatt wind farm located on the Texas Gulf Coast in Kenedy County. It is operated by Pattern Energy which is based in San Francisco.[3] The wind farm’s output is contracted under a 20-year power purchase agreement with Austin Energy.[1]

History[edit]

Gulf Wind first generated electricity for the Texas power grid in November 2008,[4] with all turbines expected operational by September 2010.[5] Gulf Wind's former owner Babcock & Brown sold the development rights to Pattern Energy in 2009.[6][4]

In 2021 Pattern Energy replaced its Mitsubishi[7] 2.4 MW turbines with Siemens Gamesa SWT-2.3-108 turbines.[8] This changed total output from 283.3[9] to 271.4 MW.[1]

Hurricane Harvey[edit]

Gulf Wind farm was operational during most of Hurricane Harvey's landfall in Texas in August 2017, with turbines only shutting down when winds reach 55 miles per hour (89 km/h), and returning to normal operation the next day.[10][11]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Gulf Wind Factsheet" (PDF). Pattern Energy. October 2022.
  2. ^ Zamora, Michael (January 8, 2009). "Energy in the wind". Corpus Christi Caller-Times – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Pattern Energy Group Acquires 283 MW Texas Wind Farm From Babcock & Brown". Green Energy Reporter. March 18, 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-11-14.
  4. ^ a b Chirinos, Fanny S. (April 21, 2009). "Kenedy Gulf Wind site put on shopping block". Corpus Christi Caller-Times. p. 6B – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Chirinos, Fanny S. (January 6, 2009). "Two area wind farms have turbines turning". Corpus Christi Caller-Times – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Chirinos, Fanny S. (June 26, 2009). "Portion of Kenedy County wind farm project sold". Corpus Christi Caller-Times. p. 6C – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Kelley, Dan (September 5, 2009). "Lawsuit could affect Kenedy County wind farms". Corpus Christi Caller-Times – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Ramirez, Chris (January 6, 2020). "Who is the Pattern Energy Group and why is it becoming more of a player in Texas?". Corpus Christi Caller-Times.
  9. ^ Collette, Mark (January 6, 2013). "Coastal bend wind farms". Corpus Christi Caller-Times. p. 5B – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Mahan, Simon (August 30, 2017). "Texas Wind Farms Survive Hurricane Harvey". Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. Archived from the original on 2017-08-30.
  11. ^ Kessler, Richard A. (29 August 2017). "Most Texas coastal wind farms avoid Harvey storm damage". Recharge.