Wind farm operator Enel North America says it’s providing $160,000 to more than two dozen organizations in Oklahoma to support COVID-19 preparedness and response.
The company operates 10 wind farms in the state and the contribution is part of a $1.3 million community-based relief effort the company is initiating with over 75 local agencies across the US and Canada in response to the pandemic.
“At Enel North America we have always felt a deep responsibility to support the health and well-being of the communities where we live and work, and even more so during this crisis,” said Enrico Viale, Head of Enel North America. “COVID-19 has caused unprecedented economic challenges for critical service organizations in many communities and we hope our support can provide some sense of relief. From rural hospitals to first responders, local schools and foodbanks, these organizations and their workers are on the frontlines and we thank essential workers everywhere for their extraordinary and unwavering response to this crisis.”
Enel North America is committed to a multi-phase, community-based response to address both immediate health and social services needs, plus long-term socioeconomic impacts from this crisis. In Oklahoma, the company’s commitment to its host communities includes $25,000 to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, $10,000 to Texas County Hospital, $5,000 to the Hennessey Senior Citizens Center, and funds to first responders in Noble County, Rush Springs, Rocky, Gotebo, Cloud Chief, Hunter, Goodwell, Texhoma, Hennepin, Red Rock, Tonkawa, Marland, Dover, Crescent and Hennessey. Enel will also provide funding to support educational continuity at Fairfax and Shidler public schools as well as Pioneer Technology Center.
In addition to supporting these local organizations, as an essential power generator, Enel North America has implemented enhanced safety measures and restructured its workforce plan to maintain physical distancing and teams separation across its portfolio of more than 80 renewable energy power plants. This restructuring will help to ensure a continued, reliable electricity supply to homes, businesses and critical services in the communities where it operates. Enel North America also plans to support the economy by moving forward with its 2020 hiring plan.
In Oklahoma, Enel operates 10 wind farms across the state through its renewables arm Enel Green Power, including Thunder Ranch (298 MW), Red Dirt (300 MW), Rocky Ridge (150 MW), Chisholm View I & II (300 MW in total), Origin (150 MW), Osage Wind (150 MW), Little Elk (74 MW), Goodwell (200 MW) and Drift Sand (108 MW). The company is the second-largest wind operator in Oklahoma with an overall investment of more than 2.7 billion US dollars in the state since 2012.
Source: Enel North America