CU hits goal of 40% renewable energy

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Ready for Renewables: Springfield targets 40% renewable wind energy by 2019

City Utilities of Springfield penned a deal that brings its renewable energy portfolio to a goal of more than 40 percent.

CU announced it's buying 100 megawatts of power from Enel Green Power's new Diamond Vista wind farm near Salina, Kansas, according to a news release.

“We’re happy to provide another source of affordable renewable energy to our community,” CU General Manager Scott Miller said in the release. “Our mission each day is to provide affordable, reliable and environmentally responsible energy resources to all of our customers.

"This renewable energy, combined with our existing generation portfolio, well positions our community for the foreseeable future.”

In an Oct. 15 Springfield Business Journal article, “Ready for Renewables: Springfield targets 40 percent renewable wind energy by 2019," CU officials said they were looking at wind farm contracts to complete their goal.

Coal use for 2018 is projected to come in at 39 percent of CU's system sales with a projected decrease to 28 percent in 2019, SBJ previously reported.

Enel Green Power's Diamond Vista wind farm creates some 300 MW of energy annually. The company spent around $400 million to build it, according to a separate news release.

The Enel release indicated the Diamond Vista farm is supported by three long-term power purchase agreements with CU, global manufacturing company Kohler Co. and Tri-County Electric Cooperative of Oklahoma.

Enel also launched a 320 MW wind farm called Rattlesnake Creek in Nebraska, according to the release.