Mesquite Creek Wind

Mesquite Creek Wind sits on nearly 25,000 acres in Dawson and Borden Counties, Texas, about eight miles from the city of Lamesa. The project’s proximity to its interconnection point -- the Long Draw substation, part of the state's $7 billion CREZ transmission upgrades, designed specifically to carry renewable energy generated in West Texas to load centers in the east -- and unique topography along the caprock escarpment made it a particularly attractive site for a wind farm. As originating developer, BNB collected and analyzed wind data; secured leases,  transmission rights-of-way, and an interconnection agreement with ERCOT; procured tax abatements; designed the electrical and turbine layout; and worked hand-in-hand with local landowners. In late 2012, BNB initiated conversations with Mars about long-term power agreements and, in August of 2013, entered into a joint development agreement with Sumitomo Corporation of America.

BNB's development of the Mesquite Creek Wind farm came to fruition in 2014, when the project inked a long-term contractual agreement with Mars, Inc., for 100% of the power and renewable energy certificates generated by the farm. At 211MWac, Mesquite Creek, which wouldn't have been built without Mars's involvement, generates about 800,000MWh per year, the equivalent of 100% of the electricity needs of Mars's U.S. operations at the time of COD (2015),or the equivalent of the electricity required to power 61,000 U.S. households. At the time, Mars's agreement with Mesquite Creek represented the largest long-term commitment to clean energy by any food-manufacturing business in the United States. The energy generated from Mesquite Creek, which comprises 118 GE 1.7MW turbines, offsets 24% of Mars’s total global factory and office carbon footprint, a giant leap toward achieving its 2040 goal of completely eliminating its greenhouse gases.

Project Overview:

• Location: Dawson and Borden Counties, Texas

• Size: 211MW

• Status: Operational (2015)

BNB To learn more, visit http://www.mars.com/global/about-mars/mars-pia/our-operations/mesquite-creek-wind-farm.aspx.