Wind

Basin Electric is a recognized leader of wind energy development in the Upper Midwest. Through joint projects and purchase power agreements, we have added approximately 451 megawatts (MW) of wind energy to our energy portfolio in the past decade.

Wind energy in the works

Basin Electric recently added more wind generation. In North Dakota, Basin Electric-owned and operated wind projects were recently put into operation 15 miles south of Minot along U.S. Highway 83.

Another wind project in South Dakota is in the engineering and permitting stages. It is scheduled to be operational in early 2011.

PrairieWinds 1 & Minot Wind

Basin Electric subsidiary PrairieWinds ND 1 Inc. was formed to develop the 115-megawatt PrairieWinds 1 wind project near Minot, ND, which is the largest wind project owned and operated by an electric cooperative in the United States. Construction began on the PrairieWinds project in August 2009 and was finished in late December 2009. Renewable power from the wind turbines will supply Basin Electric’s customers through an interconnection with Western Area Power Administration’s transmission system.

Incentives and regulations to encourage or require the generation of power from renewable or low environmental impact resources are actively considered and/or implemented within the Basin Electric member service areas. At the same time, a number of proposals for national Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) are pending in Congress. With members in nine states, Basin Electric recognizes the need for additional renewable energy capacity to service forecasted member load growth demands and to meet state mandated RPS.

Located south of Minot, ND, five wind turbines are owned and operated by Basin Electric. Two 1.3-MW turbines were built there in 2002; three GE 1.5-MW turbines were added in 2009. All five are now owned by PrairieWinds ND 1, Inc.

These North Dakota wind projects provide benefits to rural communities including an increase to the state’s tax base resulting from the increase in revenues from property taxes, which are based on the value of the facility. In addition, landowners will receive payments through the life of the Minot Wind Project. The project encompasses 30,000 acres (47 sections); however, each turbine requires less than one acre of land.

More about wind ...

Visit these pages to learn more about Basin Electric's wind portfolio:

Chamberlain turbines

Located north of Chamberlain, SD, this wind energy facility is owned and operated by Basin Electric and consists of two 1.3-MW wind turbines.

Other sources

Basin Electric purchases all of the energy from five wind projects owned and operated by NextEra Energy Resources (formerly FPL Energy), Juno Beach, FL. Basin Electric and NextEra Energy Resources signed an agreement in 2010 to develop another wind farm. The project is located near Baldwin, ND. The other five wind projects are located near Wilton (two phases) and Edgeley, ND, and Highmore and Groton, SD.

We also purchase energy from several other sources:

More than 100 small wind turbines throughout our service territory totaling more than 2,200-kilowatt (kW).
A 2.5-MW wind turbine owned by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community located near Mystic Lake in Minnesota.
A 160-kW wind project owned by the Oaklane Hutterite Colony near Alexandria, MN.
A 750-kW wind turbine located on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation in southern South Dakota.
A 750-kW wind turbine located at the Pipestone School in Pipestone, MN.

Generation graph

Go to the Basin Electric's wind generation output graph which shows the combined output of all of the wind generation Basin Electric either owns or has contracted rights to for the prior week through yesterday.

PrairieWinds® generation data

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