| Los Vientos Wind Farm | |
| Coordinates: | 26.3548°N -97.6757°W |
| Country: | United States |
| Location: | Texas |
| Status: | O |
| Commissioned: | 2016[1] |
| Owner: | Duke Energy |
| Ps Units Operational: | 426 |
| Ps Units Manu Model: | Siemens SWT-2.3-108, Mitsubishi Heavy Industry MWT 102, Vestas V110-2.0 MW |
| Wind Farm Type: | Onshore |
| Ps Electrical Capacity: | 912 MW[2] |
Los Vientos Wind Farm is a 912 megawatt (MW) wind farm in Starr and Willacy counties in South Texas. It is the second largest wind farm in the United States behind the Alta Wind Energy Center in California.[3]
The project was constructed in five phases. Construction commenced in 2012 and was completed in 2016.[4] The energy generated by the five projects is purchased by five different customers.[5]
A two year study conducted at the facility by Texas State University, Duke Energy Renewables, and NRG Systems found that an ultrasonic system developed by NRG Systems was able to reduce fatalities of some bat species by more than 50%.[6] [7] In 2019, Duke Energy began installing the deterrent systems at 255 turbines in Los Vientos III, IV, and V. Installation of the systems is expected to take five years.[8]
| Plant | Capacity (MW) | Commissioned | Turbines | Customers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Vientos I | 200 | December 2012 | 87 Siemens SWT-2.3-108 | CPS Energy | |
| Los Vientos II | 202 | December 2012 | 84 Mitsubishi Heavy Industry MWT 102 | Austin Energy | |
| Los Vientos III | 200 | May 2015 | 100 Vestas V110-2.0 MW | Austin Energy | |
| Los Vientos IV | 200 | August 2016 | 100 Vestas V110-2.0 MW | Austin Energy | |
| Los Vientos V | 110 | December 2015 | 55 Vesta V110-2.0 MW | Garland Power & Light Greenville Electric Utility System Bryan Texas Utilities |