Wind
Wind power has experienced remarkable growth in recent years, and is expected to
continue growing at a rate of about 30% per year in the coming years.
In Italy, it has been the fastest growing source of energy over
the last decade. And Enel Green Power has made a significant contribution to
this growth. Starting with Italy's first wind farm, which Enel built
in Alta Nurra (Sardinia) in 1984, we now operate 17 wind farms with a total generation
capacity of 331 MW.
We also have a significant, rapidly growing presence in the rest of Europe
(about 420 MW), Latin America (24 MW) and North America
(231 MW). In the United States in particular, where we have projects for some 1,000
additional megawatts, with the Smoky Hills plant in Kansas (250 MW), while in January 2008 we completed the installation of 21 wind turbines for 3 MW each in Snyder (Texas) on the tallest towers ever erected in the United States.
Enel Green Power intends to maintain the company's commitment to the environment,
continuing to place the utmost importance on ensuring that the wind farms are in
harmony with the surrounding area and boosting local communities. All while also
pursuing innovation and the new frontiers of wind power, such as off-shore plants.
For the plants currently under construction, Enel's guidelines call for the design
of layouts that are environmentally compatible, with an appropriate number of wind
turbines for the area concerned. We also make use of other techniques, such as low-glare
paints and "camouflage" paints that are being tested with the help of a number of
universities. These will be of particular interest for off-shore plants.
