Sempra Infrastructure, a subsidiary of Sempra, announced that Phase II of its Energía Sierra Juárez (ESJ) wind farm in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico, began operations. ESJ, the first cross-border renewable energy project between Mexico and the US, now provides 263 MW of zero-carbon electricity to the California electricity market.
“The expansion of our ESJ wind farm demonstrates our efforts to help support the continued integration of the North American energy markets in a sustainable way,” said Justin Bird, CEO of Sempra Infrastructure. “Our latest investment underscores the confidence Sempra Infrastructure has in the Baja region as we look to connect abundant wind and solar resources to key customers in the US and Mexico.”
The Phase II expansion of ESJ added 26 new wind turbines with a total incremental capacity of 108 MW. The increased production is equivalent to the annual energy consumption of over 180 000 homes and is expected to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by nearly 170 000 tpy of carbon dioxide (CO2).
The construction of the new facility created more than 1700 direct and indirect jobs in Mexico. In addition, ESJ holds lease agreements with landowners who will continue receiving payments based on the company’s revenue from electricity sales, as well as other important social investment plans the company has in place as part of Sempra Infrastructure’s commitment to the communities where the company operates.
Building clean energy networks
With a focus on safe and reliable integration of electrical grids in North America, Sempra Infrastructure is among the top producers of renewable energy in Mexico, operating more than 1600 MW of clean power generation facilities, including two wind farms, five operating solar photovoltaic parks, and a natural gas combined-cycle plant. The company is also working to develop additional renewable energy generation and related electric transmission infrastructure to supply US and Mexico energy markets with new solar, wind, and battery storage.
