Renewable Energy Systems (RES) has announce substantial completion of the Bluestem Wind Project in Beaver County, Oklahoma. The project, which consists of 60 Vestas V117-3.3 MW turbines, will distribute power via OG&E’s transmission system, feeding the grids of cities and industries across the state and to the broader Southwest Power Pool region.
Bluestem Wind is expected to generate about 845,000 MWh per year, enough electricity to power 77,000 average U.S. homes.
RES developed Bluestem Wind and also served as the engineering, procurement, and construction contractor. The project is RES’ seventh operational wind farm in Oklahoma and the first in the state for Exelon Generation, who purchased the project in December 2015.
In December of 2015, Google announced a power purchase agreement with Bluestem Wind, advancing Google’s goal to provide 100% of its energy from renewable resources. Google, who buys electricity from local grids to power its data centers across the country, has purchased approximately 572 MW of Oklahoma wind to date – more than 10% of the state’s wind capacity.
“RES is proud of the collaborative environment that was fostered on site with Exelon, Vestas, and the community to make this project so successful,” said Ivor Cato, Chief Executive Officer of RES. “We look forward to creating yet more renewable energy solutions in order to grow the economy and provide more jobs.”
RES employed nearly 500 workers during project construction, with a peak daily workforce of over 200 people at the height of construction. RES logged over 330,000 man-hours to safely deliver the project ahead of the COD deadline.
In addition to collaborating with local contractors and employing local labor, RES contributed an estimated $6 million to the economy of Beaver County, Oklahoma, diverted over 70% of project waste from the landfill, and participated in community programs and events.
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