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Wind Power News: Minnesota
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational effort to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Lyon Co. hears Avangrid wind farm proposal
MARSHALL – Energy company Avangrid Renewables is in the process of acquiring land for a proposed wind project that would affect parts of Yellow Medicine and Lyon counties, Lyon County commissioners learned this week. A representative of Avangrid spoke about the proposal during the county board’s Tuesday meeting. Jesse Bermel of Avangrid Renewables told commissioners that the company is acquiring leases for land that could be used to build wind turbines. “We’ve been in the county a few months now,” Bermel . . . Complete story »
Dodge County Wind proposing turbine project for 2023
A new wind turbine project could be coming to Dodge, Mower and Steele counties this time next year. Dodge County Wind LLC, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy based in Jupiter, Fla., has proposed a 259 megawatt powered wind farm that will stretch through the three counties. The wind farm would have up to 79 turbines that with heights up to 486.5 feet tall. The proposed turbine project is still in the early stages of development. Will Seuffet, executive secretary of . . . Complete story »
Box Car Wind touts ‘generational opportunity’
More than 100 landowners and potential stakeholders gathered at The Caboose in Tracy last Tuesday for a meal and, more importantly, much-needed information pertaining to the proposed Box Car Wind wind farm between Tracy and Balaton. The meeting – a sales pitch of sorts to local landowners – was as much about what the company behind the wind farm has given back to the community than it was about facts, figures and projections. “This is an exciting process,” said Sean Stocker, director . . . Complete story »
Iowa regulators deny requests to halt construction of controversial power line
Iowa utility regulators say work can continue on a power line between Dubuque and Middleton despite a court order blocking the Mississippi River crossing. The Iowa Utilities Board on Tuesday denied petitions by power line opponents who sought to halt construction of the Cardinal-Hickory Creek project in light of a federal judge’s ruling that it could not cross the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. Opponents argued that without the crossing the line cannot fulfill its purpose of . . . Complete story »
Area briefs: PUC holding public meetings for wind project in Dodge, Mower counties
KASSON – The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission will hold a pair of in-person meetings and one remote meeting concerning a proposed project by Dodge County Wind, LLC, a company planning a wind energy project in Dodge, Mower and Steele counties. The meeting will focus on a Certificate of Need, a Site Permit, and a Route Permit for the up to 259-megawatt large wind energy conversion system and associated 161-kilovolt transmission line in Dodge, Mower and Steele counties. In-person meetings will be . . . Complete story »
Wind turbine spins again near Hewitt
At first plans were to build 12 more turbines by 2008. Than the plan expanded to 22 units. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission authorized the construction and issued a permit that was set to expire in 2039. Even so, with no action taken since May 2009, the permit was revoked in September 2014. Developers said in 2013 that they no longer planned to pursue the project. Complete story »
Murray County wind turbine upgrades get PUC approval
MARSHALL – A project to replace 65 existing wind turbines in western Murray County will be moving forward. On Thursday, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved a 120 megawatt project by Northern Wind Energy Redevelopment, LLC. The Northern Wind project will replace turbines in two existing wind farms, the Chanarambie and Viking projects. The existing turbines would be replaced with a total of 45 new turbines that are larger and more efficient, the PUC said. A summary of the project said . . . Complete story »
Wind project touted as potential economic driver for area cities
Although the timelines are not set in stone, the City of Tracy will likely be flanked by not one, but two wind farms in the near future. With plans in the works for a wind farm to be built to the east of town, another clean energy undertaking – Box Car Wind – is in the planning stages to the west, straddling the Lyon-Murray County line. Drew Christensen, public engagement manager for Apex Clean Energy, said Xcel Energy would be a customer . . . Complete story »
$400 million Jackson County wind farm project is still in development
While the location of turbines isn’t set in stone, Three Waters Wind Farm will likely consist of turbines in Alba, Ewing, West Heron Lake, Rost and Sioux Valley townships, with another one or two turbines each located in Hunter and Round Lake townships. “There may be a possibility that some of those turbines move as things are finalized,” Cameron said. Complete story »
MidAmerican plans to add 2 GW of wind energy in Iowa, study carbon capture
MidAmerican Energy said it plans to to spend $3.9 billion to add more than 2 GW of wind energy and 50 MW of solar generation in Iowa. The company also proposed feasibility studies to look at other clean generation technologies, including carbon capture, energy storage and small modular nuclear reactors. The company said that since 2004, it has invested around $14 billion in renewable energy projects across Iowa. If approved, the new capacity–known as Wind PRIME–would enable the utility to cover . . . Complete story »
