Indiana wind farm to receive $300M expansion

A $300 million wind energy farm in rural eastern Indiana is expected to help power Facebook's Midwest data center in Ohio.

Houston-based alternative energy company EDP Renewables North America announced Thursday that it plans to build 50 new turbines throughout Randolph County in the next year, the Richmond Palladium-Item reported.

The Headwaters II wind farm will produce enough electricity to power about 52,000 homes annually.

EDP Renewables says Facebook will purchase much of that power for its New Albany, Ohio center. The social media company has agreed to purchase 139 megawatts annually from the wind farm for the next 15 years.

DP Renewables spokeswoman Blair Matocha said work on the project is expected to begin late next year. She said the wind farm should be operational by 2020.