Windpower Engineering & Development

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Most recent posts
    • News
    • Featured
  • Resources
    • Digital issues
    • Podcasts
    • Suppliers
    • Webinars
    • Events
  • Videos
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
  • Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Oklahoma wind farm begins operation with new name

By Steven Bushong | June 27, 2012

The Big Smile Wind Farm is up and running in Oklahoma. Formerly known as Dempsey Ridge, the farm was renamed after a cherished employee.

The Big Smile Wind Farm at Dempsey Ridge in Oklahoma is up and running with a new name. The 132-MW project is on 10,888 acres of Roger Mills and Beckham Counties. The project is 15 miles west of Acciona’s 123-MW Red Hills Wind Farm that opened in June 2009.

Formerly the Dempsey Ridge Wind Farm, Acciona renamed the project for Jennifer “Jen” Koop-Krass, a popular employee who always wore a big smile. She was one the company’s earlier employees in North America. Koop-Krass died after a battle with ovarian cancer in 2011.

Acciona installed the 66 wind turbines of the new facility prior to the end of last year. They have been powered up and gradually connected to the grid, reaching full commercial operation this week.

The Big Smile Wind Farm will create enough clean energy to power around 46,000 homes in Oklahoma and surrounding states and will avoid the emission of about 339,000 metric tons of CO2 per year from conventional power plants, Acciona says.

The project will generate more than $20 million in tax revenue for Roger Mills County and will provide supplemental income to participating agricultural landowners through its 99 lease agreements. During construction, the project employed 185 workers and the on-going operation of the wind farm has created 13 new skilled jobs.

Acciona Energy
www.acciona-na.com


Filed Under: News, Projects

 

Related Articles Read More >

Equinor launches ECO Liberty service operations vessel for Empire Wind offshore project
Triton Anchor receives U.S. patents for offshore anchor
US government allows Empire Wind offshore project to resume construction
Richardson Electronics to deliver pitch energy modules to TransAlta wind fleets

Podcasts

Wind Spotlight: Looking back at a year of Thrive with ZF Wind Power
See More >

Windpower Engineering & Development Digital Edition Archive

Digital Edition

Explore the full archive of digital issues of Windpower Engineering & Development, presented in a high-quality, user-friendly format. Access current and past editions, clip, share, and download valuable content from the industry’s leading wind power engineering resource.

Windpower Engineering & Development
  • Wind Articles
  • Solar Power World
  • Subscribe to Windpower Engineering
  • About Us/Contact Us

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising

Search Windpower Engineering & Development

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Most recent posts
    • News
    • Featured
  • Resources
    • Digital issues
    • Podcasts
    • Suppliers
    • Webinars
    • Events
  • Videos
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
  • Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe