Salt River Project to purchase power from planned NextEra wind farm in Arizona

Arizona utility the Salt River Project is contracting with a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources LLC to purchase power from the planned Babbitt Ranch Energy Center, which will be built on Babbitt Ranches property in Coconino County, Ariz.

The Babbitt Ranch Energy Center will comprise a 161-MW wind facility and 60-MW solar facility paired with 60 MW of four-hour battery storage, the NextEra Energy Inc. subsidiary said on its website. The Salt River Project will buy the output of the wind farm.

The wind farm is expected to begin delivering energy to the Salt River Project grid by December 2023, the utility said in a Jan. 13 news release, adding that the wind contract will produce enough electricity to power about 40,000 typical residential homes.

Earlier in the week, the Salt River Project signed a contract with a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources to add a 100-MW battery storage system to the operating 100-MW Saint Solar Project in Pinal County, Ariz.