Largest U.S. Wind Farm to Power Nuclear Weapons Work

On Tuesday, construction began in Texas on what will be the largest wind farm in the United States -- and one that is to play a role in nuclear weapons work, Time reported.

Instead of providing green energy to surrounding towns and municipalities, the wind farm's five 2.3 megawatt wind turbines will contribute power to the Pantex plant, a facility "charged with securing America by providing the nation's nuclear deterrent," the news service quotes the facility's website as stating. The U.S. government uses Pantex for the assembly and disassembly of atomic warheads.

The project "will be funded by the energy savings guaranteed by Siemens," Pantex has said. Savings are estimated to be around $50 million over an 18-year period, according to Time.

"The Pantex wind farm is projected to generate approximately 47 million [kilowatt hours] of clean energy annually, which is greater than 65 percent of Pantex's annual electricity needs," Time cites Pantex as saying. Additionally, the plant will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over 35,000 metric tons per year.

Earlier in the year, the Amarillo-based plant was under scrutiny from auditors, who warned that an aging security system at the nuclear-weapon facility could become dysfunctional.  

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