Black Hills Energy's Peak View Wind Project is Bringing More Renewable Energy to Southern Colorado

Black Hills Energy is bringing new energy to its more than 94,000 customers in Southern Colorado with the completion and integration of the 34-turbine Peak View Wind Project located near Walsenburg, Colo. The new 60-megawatt wind energy facility is a major step forward in the utility’s continued commitment to renewable energy in Southern Colorado.

“Developing renewable energy at a reasonable cost is important to the communities we serve and allows us to continue providing customers with the safe, reliable energy they’ve come to expect. The Peak View Wind Project was chosen because of its cost-competitiveness and high potential for wind generation,” said Christopher Burke, Black Hills Energy’s vice president of Colorado’s electric utility operations.

Black Hills now receives 19 percent of its energy from renewable energy sources and is one of the only utilities in the state fueled entirely by natural gas and renewable energy. With the Peak View Wind Project, Black Hills Energy is on track for compliance with Colorado’s Renewable Energy Standard, requiring investor-owned utilities to receive 30 percent of generating capacity from renewable sources by 2020.

“Since 2011, our Southern Colorado team has worked tirelessly to evaluate the energy needs of the communities we serve, balanced with some of the most stringent regulatory requirements for clean energy in the country,” said David Emery, chairman and chief executive officer of Black Hills Corp. “Southern Colorado has a lot to be proud of, as it boasts one of the state’s cleanest and most forward-looking energy grids fueled by natural gas and renewable energy.”

Black Hills Energy’s Southern Colorado system also includes the Busch Ranch Wind Farm and Pueblo Airport Generating Station. Together, Busch Ranch and Peak View provide nearly 90 MW of combined wind power – and when the wind is not blowing, the Pueblo Airport Generating Station works around the clock providing clean, natural gas power with the ability to generate 460 MW of energy.

Completed in October 2016, the Peak View Wind Project was constructed under a build-transfer agreement with Invenergy Wind Development Colorado, LLC and fueled as many as 120 Southern Colorado jobs during construction. A team of four renewable energy professionals will manage ongoing operations and maintenance for the facility from an office in Walsenburg. Construction and system integration of the Peak View Wind Project is covered by the Renewable Energy Standard Adjustment rider, or RESA charge, and costs related to this project will be recovered through existing bill charges.

“Invenergy is proud to have partnered with a utility that shares our commitment to the development and construction of safe, reliable and clean energy sources,” said Greg Leuchtmann, director of origination for Invenergy. “Wind energy provides a cost-effective means of delivering energy to Black Hills’ Southern Colorado customers, and completion of the Peak View Wind Project is a milestone worth celebrating.”