May 30, 2008
North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota regulators have approved construction of a 200-megawatt wind farm in eastern North Dakota.
The Ashtabula Wind project is just north of Valley City. Developers hope to start construction in June. They want to have the wind farm operating by the end of the year.
It includes 133 wind turbines over 77 square miles in Barnes County. The project is east of Lake Ashtabula in east-central North Dakota.
When it`s completed, Ashtabula Wind will be North Dakota`s largest operating wind farm. Commissioner Tony Clark says it rates as a large project on a national scale.
Commissioner Susan Wefald says the wind farm`s towers will each be taller than the North Dakota Capitol.
North Dakota`s Public Service Commission also gave the go-ahead today for construction of a new nine-and-one-half-mile power line from the wind farm to Pillsbury, North Dakota.
The line will carry electricity from the wind center.
The project`s lead developer is FPL Energy of Juno Beach, Florida. Otter Tail Power Company of Fergus Falls, Minnesota, plans to own 48 megawatts of the wind farm`s output.
Commissioners say the wind project and the power line represent an investment of $350 million.
30 May 2008
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/05/30/nd-regulators-approve-200-megawatt-wind-project-in-eastern-nd/