Interior approves BP Wind Energy project in Arizona

Department of the Interior wind power project Arizona BP Wind Energy North America Mohave County Wind Farm

The U.S. Department of Interior has approved a wind power project in Arizona proposed by BP Wind Energy North America Inc. The project would place up to 243 wind turbines on federal lands in northwestern Arizona and have a capacity of 500 MW or 425 MW, depending on the transmission line to which it connects.

Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell said the Mohave County Wind Farm “shows that reducing our carbon pollution can also generate jobs and cut our reliance on foreign oil.”

The department did not give a timeframe for when construction might begin on the project. BP announced last April it would be selling its wind power assets in the U.S. to focus on its oil and gas business.

The Department of Interior has approved 46 wind, solar and geothermal utility-scale projects on public lands since 2009, according to the department. It has also identified an additional 14 active renewable energy proposals that will be reviewed this year and next.