Delta Wind Farm

Delta Wind Farm

The Delta Wind Farm will be a 200-megawatt maximum capacity wind energy project in Tunica County, Mississippi, and Mississippi’s first wind farm. Up to 41 wind turbines will allow the Delta Wind Farm to harness the wind resources of the Mississippi Delta to bring economic and environmental benefits to the surrounding communities.

Located about 2.5 miles east of Highway 61 in Tunica County, south of Tunica and Dubbs, the wind turbines are being sited to avoid land use and environmental impacts on approximately 14,000 acres of private land. The project is being designed to minimize agricultural impacts to preserve land use compatibility with existing crop farming operations while bringing millions of dollars of consistent tax revenue to Tunica County. AES is committed to being an involved member of the community while helping harvest new renewable energy resources in the region.

The proposed facilities for the project will include advanced wind energy technology to capture the unique wind resource in Tunica County. In addition, the proposed on-site components of the project include an operations and maintenance building, a project substation and utility switchyard, a permanent meteorological tower and access roads.

Benefits of Delta Wind Farm

AES is committed to being good neighbors to and a strong supporter of the Tunica County community:

Adhere to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s wind energy wildlife guidelines to identify, avoid, minimize, and compensate for potential adverse impacts to wildlife resources thought to be at risk from wind energy development
Comply with the Tunica County Zoning Ordinance
Generate millions of dollars in property taxes and other local economic benefits for Tunica County over the life of the project
Make lease payments to rural agricultural families and landowners
Thoughtfully design the project to avoid impacts to sensitive environmental and agricultural resources.
Generate enough clean energy to power nearly 80,000 homes annually, with no operational air emissions or water use

Project specifications

up to 200Megawatts generated

up to 41Wind turbines

30 YearUseful life

Nearly 80,000Homes powered annually

Over 450,000 tonsof CO2 emissions reduced annually

Over 945,000

Barrels of oil avoided

2024Expected operation date

FAQ's

How much energy can the Delta Wind Farm produce?

The Delta Wind Farm will produce 200 megawatts of wind energy – enough to power nearly 80,000 homes annually.

Why are the wind turbines so tall?

A wind turbine’s ability to produce power increases significantly with height, as does its efficiency. The proposed maximum hub height of the turbines is approximately 136 m (446 ft) from the base to the top of the nacelle.

Are there health concerns associated with wind turbines?

Wind turbines have not been shown to have an adverse impact on human health. No studies have identified a direct link between turbines and long-term health impacts such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, tinnitus, headache/migraine, hearing impairment, or other diseases. Shadow flicker and noise from the turbines have not been shown to pose a health risk.

Shadow Flicker: Shadow flicker is a moving shadow created by turbine blades located between the sun and an observer. For shadow flicker to be observed, there must be a direct line of sight between an observer and the incoming shadow flicker. Sunlight and the blades must be directly facing or facing away from the sun. This means that when shadow flicker effects are observed, it’s typically for a short duration during the low angle sunlight hours, just after sunrise and just before sunset. The farther from the turbine a person is, the less noticeable the shadow flicker would be. Shadow flicker would primarily be contained within the wind farm site and the amount of potential flicker extending into adjacent areas would be short in duration and low in intensity.

Shadow flicker does not have the potential to trigger epileptic seizures as epileptic seizures are precipitated by light flashes in the range from 5 to 30 Hz. The proposed project’s wind turbine blade-pass frequency is approximately 0.59 Hz, or less than 1 alternation per second, so no negative health effects to individuals with photosensitive epilepsy are anticipated. More information is available on the Epilepsy Society website here: https://www.epilepsysociety.org.uk/wind-turbines-and-photosensitive-epilepsy#.XYPRjyhKiUk

Noise: No scientific peer-reviewed study shows a direct link between living close to turbines, and the noise they emit (audible and inaudible), and physiological health effects. Predicted sound levels for the Delta Wind Farm are not expected to result in annoyance, sleep disturbance, or other health effects in the general population. The Delta Wind Farm will comply with Tunica County’s noise limitations as required by the zoning code.

How will AES mitigate impact on the region’s endangered species populations?

The project is not located in an environmentally sensitive area, and bird and bat studies were conducted in the region to understand the avian wildlife presence and site use. The Delta Wind Farm will not significantly impact threatened or endangered species in the area.

How will visual impacts affect neighboring communities?

Federal standards require lights be installed on wind turbines to avoid aircraft conflicts.

How does the Delta Wind Farm contribute to local job growth?

The project will create hundreds of construction jobs during the estimated year of peak construction.

During operations the project will create full-time local career opportunities to operate and maintain the wind farm.

Does the facility cause any pollution?

No. Power generated by wind turbines does not produce any greenhouse gas emissions.

What happens at the end of a wind farm’s useful life?

The anticipated life of the project is 30 years. AES will evaluate whether to continue operations by way of repowered or replaced turbines while coordinating with our landowner partners at the end of the project’s useful life. If the project is decommissioned, the power generation equipment will be removed, and the site restored to pre-existing conditions.

How does severe weather affect turbine operations?

The wind turbines are designed to withstand hurricane force winds and other severe weather such as a lightning strike. When unusual weather events occur, the wind turbines automatically curtail operations.

How does wind power work?

The large propeller-like blades of a turbine are designed to capture the kinetic energy of the wind. When the turbine blades begin moving, they spin a shaft that leads from the hub of the rotor to a generator, which turns that rotational energy into electricity.

Does AES plan to develop other renewable energy projects in the region?

As one of the largest renewable energy companies in the United States, AES plans to continue developing wind, solar, and energy storage projects throughout the country, and is committed to being a dependable, long-term corporate partner and good neighbor in all development projects.