The Spanish company leads the way in wind energy after installing a total of 1,074 megawatts (MW) in 2010, according to data released by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).
Iberdrola’s renewable energy subsidiary has managed to become the largest investor in wind energy in the United States. The study by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) shows that the Spanish firm developed 1,074 megawatts (MW) in 2010, representing more than 20% of the total wind energy power installed there (5,115 MW).
Iberdrola Renovables has installed 4,299 MW in the US, leaving it in second position in the market behind Florida Power Energy, which only developed 603 MW in 2010.
Among the most important wise moves made by the company in the United States last year is the start up of the Renewables Control Center (CORE) in Portland, from which the close to 800,000 signals coming from its 2,500 wind turbines installed there are monitored.
Last year also witnessed the entry into service in the US of Iberdrola’s largest wind farm in the world: the wind complex at Peñascal, located in the state of Texas, which has 404MW of capacity.
The company led by Ignacio S. Galán now boasts more than 10% of the North American wind business, and plans to continue developing there in the near future.
In fact, it has projects in the region totaling 25,000 MW, representing 41% of the company’s worldwide total of 62,000 MW. Recently the Spanish company has begun construction on its first forest biomass plant, at Lakeview. This new facility will have capacity of 26.8 MW and is expected to be up and running at the end of 2012. Iberdrola also has a backlog of photovoltaic projects in the US of over 400 MW, which will be developed as opportunity, sustainability and profitability permit.
Iberdrola Renovables employs 800 people in the US and, since 2006, has created more than 14,200 jobs indirectly.
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