At the end of 2016, the installed capacity for wind power in Minnesota was 3,500
megawatts
The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantify the rate of energy transfer. The watt is named after James Wat ...
(MW). Wind power generated nearly 18 percent of Minnesota’s electricity in 2016, ranking sixth in the nation
for wind energy as a share of total electricity generation.
Large wind farms in
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
include the
Buffalo Ridge Wind Farm
Buffalo Ridge Wind Farm is a large wind farm on Buffalo Ridge near Lake Benton, Minnesota, United States.
History
In 1994, a Minnesota legislative mandate increased the demand for wind power in Minnesota. Buffalo Ridge's geography is well suit ...
(225 MW), the
Fenton Wind Farm The Fenton Wind Farm is a 205.5 megawatt[Fenton Wind Farm](_blank)
Westwood wind energy pro ...
(205.5 MW), the Nobles Wind Farm (201 MW), the Odell Wind Farm (200 MW) and the Bent Tree Wind Farm (201 MW).
Transmission Grid Improvements
The CapX2020 project (capacity expansion 2020) is developing the transmission grid infrastructure to improve capacity, reliability, and support further wind power development. The project is mostly in Minnesota but reaches into North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin as well. One phase of the project, a line from
Monticello
Monticello ( ) was the primary plantation of Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, who began designing Monticello after inheriting land from his father at age 26. Located just outside Charlottesville, V ...
to
St. Cloud was completed in 2011. Other lines will run from near
Brookings, South Dakota
Brookings is a city in Brookings County, South Dakota, United States. Brookings is South Dakota's fourth largest city, with a population of 23,377 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Brookings County, and home to South Dakota State Un ...
to
Hampton, Minnesota
Hampton is a city in Dakota County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 689 at the 2010 census.
History
A post office called Hampton has been in operation since 1856. The city took its name from Hampton Township.
Geography
According t ...
, from
Fargo, North Dakota to St. Cloud, and from
La Crosse, Wisconsin to Hampton. The project involves constructing about 590 miles of 345 kV transmission line and 68 miles of 238 kV transmission line. CapX2020 is expected to be completed around 2015. in
Minnesota has a
renewable portfolio standard requiring 25% of electricity come from renewable sources by 2025.
Statistics
Source:
See also
*
Solar power in Minnesota
*
Wind power in the United States
Wind power is a branch of the energy industry that has expanded quickly in the United States over the last several years. From January through December 2021, 379.8 terawatt-hours were generated by wind power, or 9.23% of electricity in the ...
*
Renewable energy in the United States
According to preliminary data from the US Energy Information Administration, renewable energy accounted for about 12.6% of total primary energy consumption and about 19.8% of the domestically produced electricity in the United States in 202 ...
References
External links
Minnesota Department of CommerceAWEA State Wind Fact Sheets*
{{Wind power in the United States