E.ON completes US wind farm on former coal mine


E.ON is further expanding its wind energy portfolio in the United States by opening its new Stony Creek wind farm in Western Pennsylvania. The wind farm is the fifth such project successfully completed this year. It brings E.ON’s installed wind power capacity in the US to nearly 1,700 megawatts (MW). Only a few weeks ago, E.ON Climate & Renewables, which is responsible in the E.ON Group for renewable energies and climate protection projects, completed the fourth and last section of the world’s largest wind farm (782 MW) in Roscoe, Texas.

Stony Creek is the first wind farm of E.ON Climate & Renewables located in Western Pennsylvania. It has been set up on the site of a former surface mine, which has now been put to new use. The project comprises 35 General Electric wind turbines with an installed capacity of approximately 53 MW. The wind farm can supply about 16,000 homes with electricity.

The US is considered one of the best markets for wind power because of the natural conditions. In states like Texas and Pennsylvania, operators can find not only sizable areas but also excellent weather conditions. E.ON has therefore identified the US as one of the key markets for the expansion of wind power. In the period from 2007 to 2011, E.ON is investing around EUR8 billion worldwide in renewables, especially in wind and solar projects. E.ON currently has around 15 gigawatts (GW) of wind projects in the development pipeline, about half of them are in the US.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by E.ON Group management and other information currently available to E.ON. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. E.ON AG does not intend, and does not assume any liability whatsoever, to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.