Exelon Generation Company has signed an agreement to boost its average annual purchase of wind power to approximately one million MWh, enough electricity to power nearly 100,000 homes.

The electric utility, with more than $15 billion in annual revenues, achieved this milestone as it acquired the rights to purchase 198 MW of output from the 396 MW Twin Groves Wind Farm in Bloomington, Ill., about 150 miles southwest of Chicago.

Exelon purchased the "off take" agreement, or rights to buy power from the wind farm, from Constellation Energy Commodities Group, Inc.

The company, which earlier this year worked upon its Exelon 2020 strategy (a low-carbon roadmap with a corporate goal of reducing, offsetting or displacing more than 15 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year by 2020), is counting on wind power along with other renewable sources to address climate change.

Exelon stated that the addition of the clean energy produced by Twin Groves brings Exelon Generation's wind power portfolio to 352 MW installed, "making Exelon the biggest wholesale wind marketer east of the Mississippi."

As per the information available, EDP Renovaveis' Horizon Wind Energy will continue to own and operate the Twin Groves Wind Farm, which went commercial in January 2008.