Duke Energy Chooses Siemens Turbines to Build Kansas Wind Farm

ANAHEIM, Calif., May 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) will use 73 Siemens wind turbines, each capable of generating 2.3 megawatts of emission-free electricity, to build its first wind farm in Kansas.

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Duke Energy Renewables, a commercial business unit of Duke Energy, will build, own and operate the 168-megawatt (MW) Ironwood Windpower Project in Ford County – approximately 150 miles west of Wichita. Topeka-based Westar Energy will purchase all of the electricity and associated renewable energy credits produced by the site under the terms of a 20-year agreement.

Duke Energy Renewables plans to start construction of the Ironwood Windpower Project in the fall of 2011. The wind farm – expected to reach commercial operation by mid-2012 – will be capable of generating enough electricity to power more than 50,000 homes.

"The Ironwood Windpower Project, which will help Westar deliver clean energy to its customers for decades to come, marks another milestone for Duke Energy: it's our first wind farm in Kansas and will put us well over 1,000 megawatts of wind power capacity in the U.S.," said Greg Wolf, president of Duke Energy Renewables.

Each nacelle (containing the gearbox and other mechanical components) that will sit atop the 73 wind turbine towers at Ironwood will be supplied by Siemens' new 300,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Hutchinson, Kan. The facility, which opened in December 2010, produces nacelles for Siemens' 2.3-MW and 3.0-MW wind turbines.

"We are delighted that Duke Energy has once again chosen Siemens' highly advanced wind turbines and service solutions, and we look forward to working closely with them to advance their renewable energy plans in the U.S.," said Jan Kjaersgaard, vice president and general manager of Siemens' Americas Wind Power business. "We are especially proud that the nacelles for these turbines are being assembled at our Hutchinson facility, marking the first time Kansas-built nacelles will be operating at a Kansas wind farm."

Duke Energy Renewables owns nearly 1,000 MW of generating capacity at nine U.S. wind farms – four in Wyoming, three in Texas, one in Colorado and one in Pennsylvania. Since 2007, Duke Energy has invested more than $1.5 billion to grow its commercial wind and solar power businesses.

About Duke Energy Renewables

Duke Energy Renewables, part of Duke Energy's Commercial Businesses, is a leader in developing innovative wind and solar energy solutions for customers throughout the United States. The company's growing portfolio of commercial renewable assets includes nine wind farms and four solar farms in operation in five states, totaling approximately 1,000 megawatts in electric-generating capacity.

Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 500 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. More information about the company is available on the Internet at: www.duke-energy.com.

About Siemens

Wind power is part of Siemens' Environmental Portfolio. In fiscal 2010, revenue from the Portfolio totaled about EUR28 billion, making Siemens the world's largest supplier of ecofriendly technologies. In the same period, our products and solutions enabled customers to reduce their carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by 270 million tons, an amount equal to the total annual CO₂ emissions of the megacities Hong Kong, London, New York, Tokyo, Delhi and Singapore.

The Siemens Energy Sector is the world's leading supplier of a complete spectrum of products, services and solutions for the generation, transmission and distribution of power and for the extraction, conversion and transport of oil and gas. In fiscal 2010 (ended September 30), the Energy Sector had revenues of approximately EUR25.5 billion and received new orders totaling more than EUR30.1 billion and posted a profit of more than EUR3.3 billion. On September 30, 2010, the Energy Sector had a work force of more than 88,000. Further information is available at: www.siemens.com/energy.

SOURCE Duke Energy