New 242 megawatt wind farm begins operations in Missouri

A 242 megawatt wind farm in northwest Missouri has begun commercial operations.

Tenaska Clear Creek Energy Center consists of 111 wind turbines across 31,000 acres north of Marysville in Nodaway County.

The $300 million wind farm is owned by Tenaska Clear Creek Wind LLC, which is comprised of affiliates of Tenaska and Arizona-based Bright Canyon Energy.

The Missouri wind power facility produces power under a 25-year power purchase agreement with Associated Electric Cooperative Inc., an electric generation and transmission cooperative in Springfield, Missouri. It provides wholesale power to six regional cooperatives and 51 local cooperatives that serve 910,000 members in Missouri, Iowa and Oklahoma.

“Clear Creek helps us advance Associated’s strategy to deliver reliable, affordable and responsible power to our member owners,” said David Tudor, Associated CEO and general manager, in a statement.

Construction began in spring 2019. Vestas supplied the wind turbines and is providing maintenance services for the project.

During construction, more than 350 construction workers were hired.

A crew of 16 workers will operate the facility.

Tenaska, based in Omaha, Nebraska, has brought online 18 power projects, to date.

It owns and operates 8,200 megawatts of generating facilities and has 7,000 megawatts in development in the U.S.