Chinese and US firms Thursday signed an agreement to develop a 600MW wind farm in Texas, the largest Chinese investment in US renewable energy.

The US Renewable Energy Group (US-REG) and Cielo Wind Power LP said that they will work with China's Shenyang Power Group (SPG) on the project, which was expected to cost US$1.5 billion.

"US-REG, SPG, and Cielo Wind Power LP are combining investment, expertise, and resources to bring clean, reliable, and affordable renewable technologies to the marketplace," said Cappy McGarr, US-REG Managing Partner in a statement.

"This planned US$1.5 billion investment in wind energy will spur tremendous growth in the renewable energy sector and directly create hundreds of high-paying American jobs," he noted.

"The 600MW wind farm project, if completed according to plan, would demonstrate for the first time Chinese capital and manufacturing and engineering expertise exported to the United States -- the world's largest wind power country -- and how the two countries can share both the risks and the benefits in a huge wind power project," said Vice Mayor Yang Yazhou, who oversees all environmental protection and economic growth and development of the city of Shenyang.

"China and the US of course share the common goal of bringing cost-effective and environmentally responsible renewable energy to millions of homes across the world," said Yang.

"The Chinese government is proud to be a positive force that spurs ground-breaking, broad-range and in-depth cooperation between the US and China and any ensuing mutual benefits for our two great economies," he added.

(Xinhua News Agency October 30, 2009)