The first cross-border renewable energy project between the United States and Mexico has begun commercial operations. The project is a wind farm in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico, known as Energia Sierra Juarez (ESJ).
Firstly, it is phase two of the project that began operations, Sempra Infrastructure, the developer, announced this Tuesday. It is now providing 263 megawatts (MW) of zero-carbon electricity to the California electricity market.
Moreover, phase two was an expansion project that added 26 new wind turbines with a total incremental capacity of 108 MW. The increased production is equivalent to the annual energy consumption of over 180,000 homes.
As a result, the project will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 170,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year. Also, the construction of the new facility created more than 1,700 direct and indirect jobs in Mexico.
On the other hand, the project holds lease agreements with landowners who will receive payments based on the company’s revenue from electricity sales. According to the statement, the investment from Sempra Infrastructure to the project was of $150 million.
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First renewable cross-border project to strengthen markets of both countries
Justin Bird, CEO of Sempra Infrastructure, said about the matter. “The expansion of our ESJ wind farm demonstrates our efforts to help support the continued integration of the North American energy markets in a sustainable way.”
He also commented. “Our latest investment underscores the confidence Sempra Infrastructure has in the Baja region as we look to connect abundant wind and solar resources to key customers in the U.S. and Mexico.”
On the other hand, Sempra Infrastructure has become one of the top producers of renewable energy in Mexico. In fact, it operates more than 1,600 MW of clean power generation facilities; including two wind farms, five operating solar photovoltaic parks, and a natural gas combined-cycle plant.
Finally, the company is working to develop additional renewable energy generation; and related electric transmission infrastructure to supply U.S. and Mexico energy markets with new solar, wind, and battery storage.
