Desert Wind Farm

Wind farm in North Carolina, US

36°18′36″N 76°25′12″W / 36.31000°N 76.42000°W / 36.31000; -76.42000StatusOperationalConstruction beganJuly 2015Commission dateFebruary 2017Construction cost$400 millionOwner(s)Iberdrola RenewablesOperator(s)Avangrid RenewablesWind farm TypeOnshorePower generation Units operational104 turbinesMake and modelGamesa G114 2.0 MWNameplate capacity208 MWCapacity factor29.1% (average 2018-2021)Annual net output529 GW·h

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The Desert Wind Farm, also known as Amazon Wind Farm US East, spans Perquimans and Pasquotank County on the Atlantic coastal plain in northeast North Carolina. With a total generating capacity of 208 megawatts (MW), it became the first large wind farm in the southeast United States when it came online at the end of 2016. All of the electricity is contracted to Amazon to power its growing data centers in Virginia and the region.^[1]^[2]

Facility details

The project was developed starting in about 2006 by Atlantic Wind, a U.S. subsidiary of the Spanish company Iberdrola Renewables to occupy a region of coastal farmland locally known as "the desert" near the Albemarle Sound port of Elizabeth City. Initially planned for a total capacity of 300 MW, the contract with Amazon enabled financing of a first phase of construction to begin on over 22,000 acres in the summer of 2015.^[1]

Wanzek Construction, a subsidiary of Mastec provided EPC services.^[3] The 18-month construction project employed more than 500 people in cooperation with about 60 landowners.^[2] The wind turbines were manufactured by Gamesa, each with a hub height of 92 meters and rotor diameter of 114 meters capable of generating up to 2.0 MW of electrical power.^[4]

The completed facility consists of 104 turbines and their foundations, underground collection lines, electrical substation, maintenance building, access roads, and accompanying stormwater system.^[3] It is operated and maintained by Avangrid Renewables and permanently employs about 10-15 people.^[2] It is projected to produce about 670 GW·h of electricity annually, corresponding to a capacity factor in excess of 35%.^[5]

A legal challenge to impose the newer (2013) state regulations on the project was pursued during its construction and was dismissed.^[6] Interference of the facility with ROTHR and other military and surveillance operations along the east coast have thus far been determined to be acceptable.^[7]^[8] Criticism of the facility's performance and economics, and concerns regarding possible impacts of future similar projects, have persisted following the start of operations.^[9]^[10]

Electricity production

Desert Wind Electricity Generation (MW·h)^[11]
Year	Total Annual MW·h
2016	6,233*
2017	470,743*
2018	542,772
2019	523,139
2020	546,267
2021	505,164
Average (years 2018-2021) --->	529,336

(*) partial year of operation

References

^ ^a ^b "North Carolina's First Wind Farm". Pasquotank County Economic Development Commission. Archived from the original on May 5, 2019. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Amazon Wind Farm US East completed in North Carolina". Electric Light & Power. February 9, 2017.
^ ^a ^b "Desert Wind Project". wanzek.com. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
^ "Amazon Wind Farm US East (USA)". thewindpower.net. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
^ "AWS & Sustainability - Desert Wind". Amazon Web Services. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
^ John Murawski (June 15, 2016). "Judge clears way for Amazon Wind Farm along NC coast". Raleigh News & Observer.
^ "EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Avangrid Wind Turbine Energy Radar Interference Study" (PDF). U.S. Navy. June 18, 2018.
^ Don Carrington (July 19, 2018). "Navy study says no more wind turbines at Amazon site". Carolina Journal.
^ James Conca (September 14, 2015). "Amazon's Jeff Bezos Parachutes Into North Carolina To Save Wind Power". Forbes.
^ Emery P. Dalesio (March 28, 2019). "North Carolina may ban wind power near coast, military flights". Marine Corps Times.
^ "Desert Wind, Annual". Electricity Data Browser. Energy Information Administration. Retrieved January 11, 2023.