Wind farm coming to Texas nuclear weapons plant

AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — America’s only plant for disassembling and assembling nuclear weapons will soon be home to the largest federally owned wind farm.

Ground will be broken Tuesday for a wind farm that will have five turbines located on 1,500 acres east of the Pantex Plant, about 18 miles northeast of Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle.

A news release from the plant says the turbines will generate about 47 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, or enough to power nearly 3,500 homes, and supply more than 60 percent of the plant’s yearly electricity need.

The wind farm will help the plant achieve President Barack Obama’s directive that the federal government get 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

- FWBP Digital Partners -

The project is expected to be completed by July 2014.