BROOKSTON — Indiana’s ranking as the fastest growing state in the nation for wind power growth over the past 24 months recently received another boost.

Earlier this month, officials from Horizon Wind Energy, the U.S. subsidiary of EDP Renewables, the world’s fourth largest wind energy player, stood alongside state and local dignitaries and project landowners in Brookston to commemorate the start of operations at Meadow Lake I Wind Farm.

Phase one of the project, which is located in White County, has an installed capacity of 200 megawatts, enough to power approximately 60,000 average Indiana homes with renewable energy each year.

One of only a handful of operating wind farms in the Hoosier state, Meadow Lake I comprises 121 wind turbines, each of which stand 262-feet tall.

Electricity generated by the turbines’ three-bladed rotors, which span 269 feet and rotate at 14 revolutions per minute, is being sold into the regional wholesale market. The associated energy credits are being used by businesses and organizations to comply with state renewable energy mandates or to voluntarily reduce the environmental impact of their operations.

The project’s second phase, which is currently under construction and will consist of 66 wind turbines, has a proposed installed capacity of 99 megawatts, enough to power 30,000 average Indiana homes annually.

Horizon Wind Energy’s development team is working on additional phases that could potentially have an installed capacity of up to 700 additional megawatts in White and Benton counties.

Horizon Wind Energy is also considering additional projects in the state totaling 500 MW.

When combined, the first two phases of Meadow Lake Wind Farm, which rest on 37,000 acres, will prevent the annual emission of 960,000 tons of carbon dioxide, a contributor to climate change; nearly 3.3 million pounds of nitrogen oxide, which causes smog; and, 12.5 million pounds of sulfur dioxide, which causes acid rain. The annual environmental benefits are reportedly equivalent to taking 104,000 cars off of the road.

“Indiana is becoming a leader in wind energy production, bringing many economic benefits to our state, helping to create jobs and increasing the use of clean, renewable energy,” said State Sen. Brandt Hershman in a news release.

As the nation continues to rebound from the recession, Meadow Lake I Wind Farm has been a boon for local job seekers. Horizon Wind’s 20th project to come on line created 450 temporary jobs during construction and 10 permanent, full-time jobs in operations. The project has also yielded significant economic benefits to the community in the form of payments to landowners, local spending and annual community investment.

According to June 2009 statistics from the American Wind Energy Association, Indiana is an emerging player in the U.S. wind energy market. The state, which ranks 16th in the nation by existing capacity, has 604.15 megawatts currently under construction.

In Cass County, officials hired a consultant to conduct a study to determine the county’s potential to produce energy from wind. Results from a preliminary assessment are expected in the coming weeks. The study will show what areas in the county would be most profitable for harnessing the wind.

Kevin Lilly is news editor of the Pharos-Tribune. He can be reached at 574-732-5117 or kevin.lilly@pharostribune.com.