Geronimo Energy Announces Commercial Operation of 200 MW South Dakota Wind Farm

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Dec 05, 2019, 09:00 ET

MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Geronimo Energy (Geronimo), a wholly owned subsidiary of National Grid Plc (NYSE: NGG), announced today the start of commercial operations for its Crocker Wind Farm (Crocker), a 200 megawatt (MW) wind energy project located in Clark County, South Dakota. Crocker has Virtual Power Purchase Agreements (VPPAs) in place with leading corporations, Walmart and Cargill. The project was built by Wanzek Construction and utilizes GE 2.7-116 wind turbines.

"Crocker coming online represents the culmination of many years of collaboration with the community and has and will continue to bring economic development to rural South Dakota," said Blake Nixon, Chief Executive Officer for Geronimo Energy. "Crocker is unique in that it is 100% contracted by corporate Virtual Power Purchase Agreements. Increasingly more corporations are making the choice to include renewable energy procurement in their sustainability goals - and Geronimo is proud to be playing a role in our industry's continued growth and expansion into corporate power purchasing."

Geronimo began working with local landowners to develop Crocker with the intent to positively impact its local and state host communities. Crocker is estimated to have provided hundreds of millions of dollars in economic impact throughout the development and construction phases, including job creation, increased local spending, and capital infrastructure improvements. In the first 20 years of operation, the project is anticipated to further benefit the economy with tens of millions in tax revenue, landowner payments, and new full-time job creation, as well as $800,000 in charitable funding.

"Sourcing from wind energy projects – like the Crocker Wind Farm – brings Walmart closer to our goal to be supplied by 50 percent renewable energy by 2025," said Mark Vanderhelm, Vice President of Energy for Walmart. "The energy we'll procure from this facility represents a significant step in our renewable energy journey."

"We're excited to see the Crocker Wind Farm begin operations," said Peter Dahm, Cargill's Sustainability Director for Operations and Natural Resources. "Not only will the wind farm play a vital role in helping us reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, we're also proud of the positive impact it will have on the Clark county community and helping local landowners diversify their source of income."

About Geronimo Energy
Geronimo Energy, a National Grid company, is a leading North American renewable energy development company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with satellite offices located throughout multiple states in the regions where it develops, constructs, and operates. As a farmer-friendly and community driven company, Geronimo develops projects for corporations and utilities that seek to repower America's grid by reigniting local economies and reinvesting in a sustainable future. Geronimo has developed over 2,400 megawatts of wind and solar projects that are either operational or currently under construction, resulting in an investment of over $4 billion in critical energy infrastructure and the revitalization of rural economies. Geronimo has a vast development pipeline of wind and solar projects in various stages of development throughout the United States. Please visit www.geronimoenergy.com to learn more.