NextEra to build largest combined solar, wind and storage facility in US

NextEra Energy Resources, the world’s largest generator of wind and solar, will develop the largest co-located wind, solar, and energy storage project in the United States, which will boast total capacity of 700 MW when it is completed in 2023. The Skeleton Creek wind, solar, and energy storage projects were announced this week as the Western Farmers Electric Cooperative (WFEC) revealed it had signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with NextEra Energy Resources for the power from the project. The co-located project is the first of its kind announced in the United States’ Southwest Power Pool – the electric grid region that includes 14 states in the central United States, and which covers 546,000 square miles (over 1,400,000 square kilometres). The project will consist of three separate projects and will come online in two phases. The first phase, Skeleton Creek Wind – which had already been announced – will be a 250 MW onshore wind farm which is expected to begin operations by the end of 2019. The second phase will consist of Skeleton Creek Solar – a 250 MW solar energy project – and Skeleton Creek Storage – a 200 MW, 4-hour battery energy storage project – both of which are expected to come online and begin operations by the end of 2023.