September 1, 2009 (FinancialWire) — Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) said it will build and operate a 200-megawatt wind energy project near Casper, Wyoming. The project will be the company’s ninth U.S. wind farm and its fourth in Wyoming.

Under the plan, Duke will construct the project, which is called Top of the World, on around 17,000 acres of private and public land it holds under long-term lease in Converse County, Wyoming.

The project, which is scheduled to reach commercial operation by the end of 2010, will generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 50,000 to 60,000 homes on an annual basis.

PacifiCorp, which operates as Rocky Mountain Power in Wyoming, will purchase all of the electricity generated by the project and the associated renewable energy credits as part of a 20-year power purchase agreement.

That company previously contracted to buy all of the output and RECs from Duke Energy’s nearby 99-megawatt Campbell Hill Windpower Project, which is scheduled to come on line later this year.

Duke Energy said it expects to start construction of the Top of the World project in late 2009 or early 2010, upon receipt of all necessary permits. The company will use at least 66 G.E. turbines at the Top of the World site.

Charlotte, North Carolina-based Duke Energy is an electric power firm that supplies electricity to around four million U.S. customers in its regulated jurisdictions.

The company has around 35,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity in the Midwest and the Carolinas, and natural gas distribution services in Ohio and Kentucky. It also has more than 4,000 megawatts of electric generation in Latin America, and is a joint-venture partner in a U.S. real estate company.

FinancialWire(tm) is a fully independent, proprietary news wire service. FinancialWire(tm) is not a press release service, and receives no compensation for its news, opinions or distributions. Further disclosure is at the FinancialWire(tm) web site (http://www.financialwire.net/disclosures.php). Contact FinancialWire(tm) directly via inquiries@financialwire.net.

Free annual reports for companies mentioned in the news are available through the Free Annual Reports Service (http://investrend.ar.wilink.com/?level=279).

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.