Minnesota Regulators Approve Xcel Wind Project Buildout

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Late last week, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved Xcel Energy Incorporated's (NYSE:XEL) (Minneapolis, Minnesota) plans to construct windfarms in the state. The Minnesota projects are part of Xcel's plans to build out 1,550 megawatts (MW) of wind energy in the U.S. Upper Midwest by 2020. Other states for the proposed projects are North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa. The North Dakota Public Service Commission will review the plans later this year.

Xcel will own 1,150 MW of the new power generation and will purchase the remaining 400 MW through long-term power purchase agreements. Construction is expected to begin on most of the windfarms next year to be in service by 2020. The windfarms include:

• Freeborn Wind Energy Center, a 200-MW project in Minnesota and Iowa
• Foxtail Windfarm, a 150-MW project in North Dakota
• Blazing Star 1 Windfarm, a 200-MW project in North Dakota
• Blazing Star 2 Windfarm, a 200-MW project in North Dakota
• Crowned Ridge Wind Project, a 600-MW project in South Dakota
• Lake Benton Wind Project, a 100-MW project in Minnesota
• Clean Energy 1 Windfarm, a 100-MW project in North Dakota

In Minnesota and Iowa, Invenergy Wind North America LLC (Glenville, Minnesota) expects to begin construction on the Freeborn Wind Energy Center in late 2018 for completion by early 2020. Barr Engineering is performing environmental permitting work on the project, which is expected to use 100 2-MW turbines. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

The Blazing Star Windfarm will be constructed near Hendricks, Minnesota, with Phase I kicking off in the first half of 2018, followed by Phase II. Both phases will have a generating capacity of 200 MW. Geronimo Energy LLC (Edina, Minnesota) is responsible for constructing the projects. For more information, see Industrial Info's project reports on Phase I and Phase II of the project.

The Crowned Ridge Wind Project near Watertown, South Dakota, remains the most ambitious project in Xcel's proposed wind energy buildout. A site study is still being performed for the 600-MW project, which has a total investment value of approximately $1 billion. Construction is tentatively planned to begin mid-2018 for completion by the end of 2020. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

The 100-MW Clean Energy 1 Windfarm in North Dakota is owned by Allette Clean Energy LLC (Duluth, Minnesota) and is planned for completion in the first half of 2019. The project has an estimated total investment value of $200 million. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

Industrial Info is tracking more than $10 billion in projects involving Xcel. Among the company's other wind projects is the $769 million Hale Wind Project near Plainview, Texas. Construction on the 478-MW project is planned to begin in the first quarter of 2018 and will include 239 2-MW wind turbine generators and associated facilities. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

In Colorado, Xcel is under way with Phase I construction of the Rush Creek windfarm near Simla. The 300-MW windfarm is planned to be completed next summer. M.A. Mortenson Company (Minneapolis, Minnesota) is acting as engineering, procurement and construction firm on the project, which will include 150 2-MW Vestas (Aarhus, Denmark) wind turbine-generators. The project has an estimated total investment value of $550 million. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

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