Staff Writers
Mortenson Construction and ACCIONA Energy North America are partnering again to expand wind power in western Oklahoma. The 132-megawatt Dempsey Ridge Wind Farm located on the rolling hills of Roger Mills County is now under construction just 20 miles west of the Red Hills Wind Farm near Elk City, which Mortenson and ACCIONA built together in 2008.
During construction of the Dempsey Ridge Wind Farm, Mortenson will erect 66 wind turbines and install underground collection, transmission line, a project substation, and an operations and maintenance facility. The Dempsey Wind Farm site also includes 30 active oil wells and pipelines which Mortenson will ensure remain operational during the construction phase.
"Mortenson welcomes this opportunity to partner again with Acciona Energy North America and assist the state of Oklahoma with their aggressive, long-term wind power development goals. We are prepared to deliver the Dempsey Ridge Wind Farm, and any future wind power facilities that are now anticipated for this region, on time, on budget and exceeding the expectations of all of the stake holders", said Kevin Deters, general manager, for Mortenson's Renewable Energy Groups.
The Dempsey Ridge Wind Farm is the fourth wind power facility that Mortenson has constructed in the state of Oklahoma and represents the third wind power project that Mortenson has built with ACCIONA.
Dempsey Ridge will be connected to the AEP transmission system, and will generate enough electricity to power 46,000 average American homes. Construction of the Dempsey Ridge Wind Farm will be complete in December of 2011, and if greater demand dictates, ACCIONA may look to expand the Dempsey Ridge Wind Farm in the future.
Since entering the renewable energy market in 1995, Mortenson Construction has become a leading builder of wind power facilities in North America and has erected 5,000 wind turbines across the United States and Canada.
With 100 percent of Mortenson's business in the power sector coming from renewable energy, Engineering News-Record ranked Mortenson the 11th largest power contractor in the U.S. for 2009. In addition to wind power, Mortenson's Renewable Energy Groups, also construct facilities that generate solar power, biofuels and hydro-electric power.
