By David Wichner | Arizona Daily Star
Tucson Electric Power is building its biggest renewable-energy project yet — a massive wind farm in southeastern New Mexico that will help the company more than double its generation of renewable energy by 2021.
The planned Oso Grande Wind Project will generate up to 247 megawatts of power, enough to power nearly 100,000 homes, TEP said. Currently, the biggest renewable-energy project TEP owns or buys energy from is the 72-MW Red Horse wind and solar project near Willcox.
Combined with other existing and planned wind and solar projects, Oso Grande will give TEP enough clean energy to power more than two-thirds of Tucson homes. The company has about 425,000 customers.
TEP — which just five years ago generated about 80 percent of its power from coal — will continue to add renewable-energy generation as it makes sense, said David Hutchens, TEP president and CEO.
