Reported by Staff

March went ‘out like a lion’ when it comes to Colorado energy deals and important policy developments like the new 30% RES standard. The latest news that relates directly to the new state mandate: Xcel Energy says it will  purchase power from a wind firm in the northeast area of the state planned by Broomfield-based RES Americas.

The companies reached a 20-year deal for Public Service Co. of Colorado to buy 252 megawatts of electricity from the Cedar Point wind farm that Broomfield-based RES Americas will begin building this summer and have operating next year.

“The power purchase agreement with [Xcel’s Colorado unit] Public Service Company of Colorado represents a major milestone in the development and construction of Cedar Point Wind, noted Craig Mataczynski, president of RES Americas, in a press release. “With the agreement in place, RES Americas is one step closer to bringing clean power and jobs to the state of Colorado.”

The Cedar Point project, located in Lincoln and Elbert counties, will be the second-largest wind farm in the state once completed. It will help Xcel Energy meet the state-mandated renewable energy percentage which was recently increased to 30%. RES Americas will also build and own a 42-mile transmission line connecting the wind farm to a Public Service Co. substation.

RES Americas is keeping the project “Colorado-branded” in more ways than just location. It will be using Vestas wind turbines built here and will be hosting a jobs fair in Limon before construction on Cedar Point begins this summer. Those interested in employment should check back with the RES Americas website for further information.

“Not only will this project help us meet our renewable energy standard for Colorado in, it will be our first wind energy purchase from a facility constructed in Colorado using turbines built in Colorado,” said Tom Imbler, Xcel Energy vice president for commercial operations.

The Xcel deal wasn’t the only news for RES Americas this week. It also announced a joint development on the north shore of Lake Superior with EnBridge Inc., a utility company in Canada. The $275 million project is expected to produce 99 megawatts of electricity.