Spanish construction firm Acciona, the world’s largest wind power developer, said Thursday it has won exclusive rights to develop 1300 megawatts (MW) of wind assets in the US states of Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin.

Acciona acquired projects from EcoEnergy, LLC, an alternative energy solutions developer and unit of The Morse Group and sees the Spanish firm shore-up expansion in North America as a long-term owner and operator of wind developments and renewable energy solutions.

The firm did not disclose the financial details of the deal.

Acciona said it plans to install approximately 150 MW in 2008 from its US pipeline, a development it said would help Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with traditional electric generation facilities.

Acciona said it would be supplying its own wind turbines for the development projects from its new US production facility in Iowa.

“We are very excited to collaborate with Acciona on providing wind energy solutions to local communities in which we have been operating for more than 63 years,“ Acciona quoted Shawn Gaffney, president of EcoEnergy, LLC as saying.

“We feel this is an excellent time to integrate the latest in wind energy technology with the need for new local career opportunities in this fast-growing new industry.

Peter Duprey, CEO of Acciona Energy North America, said the deal “fits extremely well with the addition of our wind turbine manufacturing facility in Iowa and leveraging the local support for wind energy in the Midwest.

“Wind power creates a strong value proposition by providing clean energy; stable, long-term energy costs; and local economic development through the creation of jobs and the payment of property taxes.“

Acciona noted it had recently begun construction of its first wind turbine manufacturing plant in the United States, located in West Branch, Iowa.

Due for completion by year’s end, the plant will supply turbines for Acciona wind farms throughout North America.

The West Branch facility will be Acciona’s fourth wind turbine assembly plant with two already onstream in Spain and one in China.

Acciona Energy is the largest wind developer in the world with a portfolio of 4,653 megawatts installed in 173 wind farms in 10 countries.

PIN/AFP