Leeward Renewable Energy Completes Repowering of Sweetwater 3 Wind Farm

Leeward Renewable Energy, has announced the successful completion, in late September, of the repowering and final financial close of its Sweetwater 3 Wind Farm (“Sweetwater 3”) in Nolan County, Texas. Leeward procured the wind turbine equipment from GE Renewable Energy, which also provided construction services and is providing operations and maintenance services for the project. GE Energy Financial Services and BHE Renewables provided tax equity financing.

The Sweetwater 3 repower replaced and enhanced major existing components of 90 legacy GE Renewable Energy wind turbines resulting in increased capacity, reliability and performance, and reduced operating cost. The repowering of major components within the turbines will increase Annual Energy Production by double digits.

“We are pleased to complete the repowering and financing of our Sweetwater 3 wind farm and have been fortunate to work alongside the teams at GE Renewable Energy, and our financial partners GE Energy Financial Services and BHE Renewables, to bring a combination of reliable technology, high-quality equipment, and industry leading financing to this project,” said Leeward Renewable Energy Chief Financial Officer Chris Loehr.

Sweetwater 3 will continue to provide clean, renewable energy to its offtake partner, San Antonio-based CPS Energy, under its long-term power purchase agreement. Leeward designed the construction process to allow it to provide continuous delivery throughout.

“We commend the teams for the successful and safe completion of this project, particularly with the added complications we have faced in light of COVID-19,” said Leeward Renewable Energy Vice President, Engineering, Procurement & Construction Sam Mangrum. “This is an exciting milestone for Leeward, as we continue modernizing our legacy assets, as well as developing, operating, and owning new wind, solar and energy storage assets.”

Sweetwater 3, one of Leeward’s original wind farms, has been operating since 2005. Through the repowering, the wind farm’s capacity will increase from 135 megawatts to roughly 146 megawatts, utilizing the same number of turbines and footprint. With the newly repowered project, Sweetwater 3 will also provide significant additional benefits to Nolan County through an increased tax base, supporting school districts, hospitals, and local infrastructure.