Thunderhead Wind Energy Center : IEA bags construction contract

Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives (IEA) has revealed winning of a construction contract for the 300MW Thunderhead Wind Energy Center (Thunderhead Wind Project) in Nebraska, US from Invenergy.

The Thunderhead wind farm is being developed by Invenergy in the Antelope and Wheeler counties.

Work on the Nebraska wind farm began in November 2019 with completion expected to be in September 2020.

IEA will handle the construction of project access roads, turbine foundations, and erection of the turbines of the Thunderhead Wind Energy Center. The contract was awarded to its subsidiary IEA Constructors, which is engaged in executing utility-scale energy and heavy civil infrastructure projects.

Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives (IEA) bags construction contract for the Thunderhead Wind Energy Center. Photo courtesy of IEA.

Commenting on the Thunderhead Wind Project contract, JP Roehm – IEA CEO said: “The Thunderhead wind farm is an important example of the wind projects that continue to fill our pipeline. IEA has developed a strong reputation for delivering efficiently and safely on wind projects throughout North America, and new business momentum is solid as a result.”

The Thunderhead Wind Project will feature 108 GE turbines and the power generated by them will be transmitted to the Nebraska electrical grid. The Nebraska wind farm will produce enough electricity to power 115,000 plus homes every year.

In November 2019, Invenergy secured a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with AT&T for the Thunderhead Wind Energy Center. Prior to that, in September 2019, WEC Energy Group had agreed to acquire an 80% stake in the Thunderhead wind farm for $338 million.

There will be nearly 400 Thunderhead Wind Energy Center jobs during construction followed by nearly a dozen full-time operations jobs after completion of the project.