LS Power Acquiring bp's U.S. Onshore Wind Business

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A leading developer of North American power and energy infrastructure projects said it has an agreement to acquire several U.S. onshore wind farms from a UK-based energy group. LS Power and bp Wind Energy North America announced the deal on July 18. LS Power said the deal comprises about 1,700 MW of operating onshore wind power generation capacity from 10 projects. LS Power, headquartered in New York, said the assets will be added to the company's existing fleet of renewable, energy storage, flexible gas, and renewable fuels assets, which comprises a 21,000-MW operating portfolio, and more than 780 miles of high-voltage transmission lines. LS Power also has another 350-plus miles of transmission infrastructure currently under construction or development. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2025. Once the acquisition is complete, bp Wind Energy will be owned and operated as part of LS Power portfolio company Clearlight Energy, which focuses on renewable power generation in the U.S. and Canada. The deal will increase Clearlight Energy's operating fleet to about 4,300 MW. LS Power said the purchase will further diversify Clearlight's operations beyond that company's existing wind, solar, and battery storage fleet. 'LS Power's mission is to solve complex energy problems to improve the world and make lives better by developing a cleaner, more reliable, and affordable energy ecosystem, and today's announcement represents a material investment in reaching that goal,' said Paul Segal, CEO of LS Power. 'As an integrated business, bp Wind Energy is a natural addition to Clearlight Energy's growing portfolio of scalable solutions that will broaden our reach geographically and supports our strategy to make energy more efficient, affordable and available.' William Lin, bp EVP for gas & low carbon energy, said, 'We have been clear that while low-carbon energy has a role to play in a simpler, more focused bp, we will continue to rationalize and optimize our portfolio to generate value. The onshore U.S. wind business has great assets and fantastic people, but we have concluded we are no longer the best owners to take it forward. I am pleased we have reached a mutually beneficial deal with LS Power and I look forward to working with them to support our people in maintaining safe and reliable operations as we transition ownership.' The bp wind farms are located in Indiana, Kansas, South Dakota, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Hawaii, and Idaho. They provide electricity for more than 15 off-takers. The 10 facilities included in the deal are:
Fowler Ridge 1, Indiana: 288 MW gross capacity.
Fowler Ridge 3, Indiana: 99 MW gross capacity.
Flat Ridge 1, Kansas: 44 MW gross capacity.
Flat Ridge 2, Kansas: 470 MW gross capacity.
Titan, South Dakota: 25 MW gross capacity.
Cedar Creek 2, Colorado: 248 MW gross capacity.
Fowler Ridge 2, Indiana: 200 MW gross capacity.
Mehoopany, Pennsylvania: 141 MW gross capacity.
Auwahi, Hawaii: 21 MW gross capacity.
Goshen 2, Idaho: 125 MW gross capacity.
'We are excited to welcome bp Wind Energy to the Clearlight Energy family as we work to execute on a long-term value creation and growth strategy that will help accelerate the transition to a cleaner future,' said Jeff Norman, CEO of Clearlight Energy. 'As part of an organization entirely focused on natural energy solutions, bp Wind Energy will have the resources it needs to reach its full potential while our talented, complementary teams will benefit from our enhanced set of collective capabilities and expertise.' Said Segal, 'We are focused on a holistic approach to advancing American energy infrastructure that includes improving existing energy assets while investing in transformative strategies that make energy more efficient, affordable and available. Well-located with well-structured contracts, these new assets will expand our renewable energy presence and help to meet growing energy demand across the U.S. We look forward to welcoming the talented teams operating these assets to LS Power and partnering with them to drive value for our stakeholders.' —Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER.