Wind act

Irish renewable-energy company NTR and its US-based wind-energy business Wind Capital Group are to develop a $300m wind farm, which is set to power more than 50,000 homes.

Irish renewable-energy company NTR and its US-based wind-energy business Wind Capital Group (WCG) are to develop a $300m (£200m) wind farm, which is set to power more than 50,000 homes.

The 150MW Lost Creek project in Missouri is set to be one of the first wind development projects to avail itself of the recently announced American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

Commonly known as the US Federal Stimulus Package, the act aims to inject impetus into US renewable-energy programmes through a range of taxes, grants and loans.

WCG will own and operate the Lost Creek wind farm development, which is due to break ground in Missouri in August this year.

It will source 100 1.5MW wind turbines from GEfor the farm and form a long-term power purchase agreement with Associated Electric Cooperative.

Earlier this year, NTR announced that WCG had sold Minnesota-based wind farm project Bent Tree to Wisconsin Power and Light - a subsidiary of Alliant Energy Corporation.

The Bent Tree project is a construction-ready site, with a capacity of up to 400MW. Wisconsin Power and Light expects to commission the project’s initial 200MW phase by the end of 2010.