Ørsted has completed Willow Creek Wind, a 103 MW project located in Butte County, South Dakota, US. As the second Ørsted project in SPP (Southwest Power Pool) territory, it further diversifies the operational portfolio into a market which will play an important part of Ørsted's growth in North America.
Willow Creek will generate new property tax revenue that can support local services and provide support to project landowners, who will receive long-term rental income by hosting the turbines.
BHE Renewables, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy Company, provided tax equity for Willow Creek as part of a portfolio with the 230 MW Plum Creek project in Nebraska, US, which was commissioned in June 2020.
Investment decision on Western Trail Wind
In addition, Ørsted has also strengthened their ERCOT asset base with the final investment decision of the onshore wind project, Western Trail Wind. Located near the Ørsted Lockett Wind project, the 367 MW project is expected to reach commercial operation in 2021.
With the completion of Willow Creek and addition of Western Trail Wind, Ørsted’s onshore business now has 2.7GW in operation and under construction, a growth of 2 GW over the past 2 years.