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Luverne wind farm progressing |
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Thursday, 18 September 2008 |
M-Power, a locally-owned wind project announced it has contracted with Ottertail Power Company to sell the power.
The proposed wind farm near Luverne would have a total capacity of up to 49.5 megawatts.
“We’ve been at this for about 10 years now. This is a significant achievement for us, especially to be able to strike a deal with a local utility,” said Keith Monson, M-Power’s co-founder.
M-Power is requesting site and transmission route approval for the full 157.5 megawatt project from the North Dakota Public Service Commission. M-Power and Ottertail Power Company expect to close the purchase later in 2008, subject to state PSC approval.
Ottertail Power Company President Chuck MacFarlane said that taking part in this homegrown effort by M-Power will benefit its customers and the region.
The project would “increase the amount of economical wind-generated electricity owned or purchased by Ottertail Power Company to 179.5MW,” he said. “That’s enough to power approximately 52,000 homes.”
The M-Power wind farm would be North Dakota’s first major locally-owned wind project.
Long-term studies show that Griggs and Steele counties have about 500 mewgawatts of developable wind resources, according to the company, which hopes to expand in the future.
--Story courtesy of the Dakota Resource Council
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 23 September 2008 )
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