3. Los Vientos Wind Farm
> Installed capacity, in megawatts: 900
> State: Texas
The Los Vientos Wind Farm in south Texas near the Rio Grande River was built in five phases between 2012 and 2016 for Duke Energy Renewables. To reduce the deaths of bats flying through wind farms, Duke Energy worked with the University of Texas and other partners on a study at the farm, which led to the creation of an ultrasound system that can reduce bat deaths by 50%.
2. Western Spirit
> Installed capacity, in megawatts: 1,050
> State: New Mexico
The Western Spirit Wind Project, a combination of four wind farms in central New Mexico, began full construction in January 2021, making it the largest “single phase” wind farm in the country. It consists of 377 turbines spread across the lands of 40 different landowners and provides enough electricity to service 590,000 homes.
1. Alta Wind Energy Center I-XI
> Installed capacity, in megawatts: 1,548
> State: California
Located in the Tehachapi Mountains 100 miles north of Los Angeles, the Alta Wind Energy Center is the largest wind farm in the country and the third largest in the world. It was built in 11 phases beginning in 2010, with costs totalling nearly $3 billion. Its plan is to continue to expand to an anticipated capacity of 3000 MW.
