SAN FRANCISCO—Clearway Energy Group (“Clearway”) today announced the financial close and start of construction on the repowered Cedro Hill wind farm in Webb County, Texas.
The upgrade will boost Cedro Hill’s capacity from 150 to 160 megawatts, generating enough electricity to power nearly 40,000 homes during peak times.
“Cedro Hill is a prime example of Clearway’s commitment to modernizing our existing fleet,” said Chris Fox, Senior Vice President of Construction at Clearway Energy Group. “By repowering this site, we’re extending its life, increasing its output, and benefiting the local community for decades to come.”
This is Clearway’s fifth wind farm repowering in Texas and sixth overall, totaling over 700 megawatts of upgraded capacity. The Cedro Hill project represents a $269 million investment in South Texas, extending the project's lifespan by 15 years and generating an additional $27 million in property taxes and landowner payments for Webb County.
The repowering involves replacing turbine blades and nacelles with new GE equipment across all 100 turbines. Clearway is partnering with Wanzek Construction, Inc., a MasTec Renewables company, to recycle or repurpose existing materials, including fiberglass, to minimize environmental impact. Over 200 skilled workers will be involved in the construction process.
Originally built in 2010, Cedro Hill’s power is sold to CPS Energy under a long-term power purchase agreement. The repowering extends this partnership as CPS Energy continues to expand its renewable energy portfolio.
To fund the project, Clearway secured $261 million in financing from a group of banks, including DNB Markets, Inc., Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, National Australia Bank Limited, and Deutsche Zentral-Genossenschaftsbank.
“We’re excited to collaborate with Clearway again on another wind farm project,” said Brendon Lamppa, Director of Construction at MasTec Renewable. “This repowering is special because our team was involved in the original build, and we’re committed to sustainable practices by recycling the old components.”