Geronimo Energy Begins Operation on 200 MW South Dakota Wind Farm

Geronimo Energy has announced the start of the commercial operations for its Crocker Wind Farm, a 200 MW wind energy project located in South Dakota.

Geronimo Energy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of National Grid Plc, has announced the start of the commercial operations for its Crocker Wind Farm, a 200 megawatt (MW) wind energy project located in Clark County, South Dakota.

The project has a Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (VPPAs) in place with leading corporations, Walmart and Cargill. The project was built by Wanzek Construction and utilises GE 2.7-116 wind turbines.

“Crocker coming online represents the culmination of many years of collaboration with the community and has and will continue to bring economic development to rural South Dakota,” said Blake Nixon, chief executive officer for Geronimo Energy.

“Crocker is unique in that it is 100 percent contracted by corporate Virtual Power Purchase Agreements. Increasingly more corporations are making the choice to include renewable energy procurement in their sustainability goals – and Geronimo is proud to be playing a role in our industry’s continued growth and expansion into corporate power purchasing.”

The firm began working with local landowners to develop the project with the intent to positively impact its local and state host communities. It is estimated to have provided hundreds of millions of dollars in economic impact throughout the development and construction phases, including job creation, increased local spending, and capital infrastructure improvements. In the first 20 years of operation, the project is anticipated to further benefit the economy with tens of millions in tax revenue, landowner payments, and new full-time job creation, as well as USD 800,000 in charitable funding.

“Sourcing from wind energy projects – like the Crocker Wind Farm – brings Walmart closer to our goal to be supplied by 50 percent renewable energy by 2025,” said Mark Vanderhelm, vice president of Energy for Walmart. “The energy we’ll procure from this facility represents a significant step in our renewable energy journey.”

In November, Enel, through its US-based renewable company Enel Green Power North America, has announced that it has begun construction of the 299 MW Aurora wind farm in North Dakota.