LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]


Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Xcel gets OK for North Dakota wind project 

Credit:  Xcel gets OK for N.D. wind project | By JAMES MacPHERSON | Associated Press | August 25, 2015 | www.startribune.com ~~

North Dakota regulators approved the ownership transfer Monday of an unfinished $300 million wind farm project in the southeastern part of the state to a Minneapolis utility.

The Public Service Commission (PSC) approved the transfer of the Courtenay Wind Farm near Jamestown from Edina-based Geronimo Energy to Xcel Energy.

The three-member panel approved the 100-turbine project for Geronimo Energy in 2013, after the company agreed to downsize the proposal after safety concerns were brought up by the owner of a crop-spraying business in the area.

Xcel previously agreed to buy all power produced from the 100-turbine wind farm, which has the capacity to power up to 105,000 homes. But regulatory filings said Geronimo Energy could not secure financing to construct the project.

PSC Chairwoman Julie Fedorchak and Commissioner Brian Kalk said the transfer of ownership will save ratepayers about $97 million over the life of the project.

“It cuts out the middleman,” Kalk said.

The project covers some 21,000 acres in Stutsman County, or about 33 square miles, Geronimo Energy has said. The company has leased land from about 60 landowners in the county, and those leases are still in effect with the transfer to Xcel, the PSC said.

Kalk said the wind farm would be the first “asset” in North Dakota to be owned by Xcel, which has done business in the state for more than a century.

Dave Sederquist, Xcel’s regulatory affairs manager, said construction would start this month and the project will be completed by the end of next year. Minnesota regulators approved the transfer earlier in the summer, he said.

The wind farm will provide about $850,000 in annual tax revenue for Stutsman County and will create an estimated 200 construction jobs and up to 10 permanent jobs in North Dakota, the company said.

Xcel said the project will create about 200 construction jobs and about 10 permanent jobs for operations and maintenance. The company said the wind farm will generate about $850,000 annually in tax revenue to local governments.

Source:  Xcel gets OK for N.D. wind project | By JAMES MacPHERSON | Associated Press | August 25, 2015 | www.startribune.com

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Funding
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook

Wind Watch on Linked In Wind Watch on Mastodon