- Several photos below -
Beatitudes of Ada received a $5,000 donation for its emergency food pantry on Tuesday from the Hog Creek Wind Project’s parent company EDP Renewables.
Eric Rivera, operations manager of the project, presented the check. Deb Curlis, Beatitudes manager, and several board members attended the check presentation and toured the 30-turbine project’s office located in Washington Township east of Ada.
Board members attending were Jennifer Grant, board president, Susan Hord, board secretary, David McDonald, board treasurer, and Becky Neville, board member.
“We really appreciate this donation,” said Curlis. “It will go a long way in assisting Beatitudes with food distribution emergencies. It’s local organizations like EDP Renewables that make a difference in Ada.”
Rivera said that EDP is happy to be a partner with the Ada community in this important endeavor. He added the EDP Renewables is interested in supporting the communities it serves and this is one way it can do so.
More about Hog Creek Wind Project
When you first think of a farm, you think, grain or livestock. The Hog Creek wind farm, officially known as the Hog Creek Wind Project, is a farm located within several farms that grow and raise grain and livestock.
But, rather than harvesting those commodies, Hog Creek Wind Project harvests the wind and sells it as energy.
Rivera shared with the board some of the wind project’s details. The energy supplier went live in 2017.
It operates 30 turbines and each can generation 2.5 megawatts of power. That power flows immediately to the AEP substation located on the wind project land. Hog Creek project has an installed capacity of 66 megawatts (MW), enough to power approximately 18,000 average Ohio homes.
Each of the turbines has an enclosed 300-foot ladder from ground level reaching to the top. Rivera said that a three-year maintenance to the turbines is currently in process.
The Hog Creek project extend approximately 10 to 15 square miles and its main office, located just off County Road 95 is in Washington Township, located in the Hardin Northern School District.
Each turbine is one-half mile apart from the next. Each has the ability to turn 300 miles per hour.
Rivera explained that when it is too windy the turbines have a sensor that will shut them down. The turbines have the ability to “yaw,” meaning they can twist or oscillate as the wind changes direction. Each turbine cost between $1.5 and $2 million.
Energy created by the turbines have underground lines connected directly to AEP’s substation. From the substation, the power goes to the power company’s grid.
Rivera says that the company is conscious of large birds and if a bald eagle or golden eagle, for example, is sighted between 800 and 1,000 meters from one of the turbines, that turbine shuts down.
EDP Renewables is a globe company and is the world fourth-largest wind energy producer. It operates 13 countries in addition to the United States.
