99MW wind farm dedicated in South Dakota

June 23, 2010

South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds and 150 invited guests celebrated the dedication of a new 99-megawatt wind farm near Groton yesterday.

The Day County Wind Energy Center comprises 66 wind turbines, each rated to produce 1.5MW of power, with commercial operation starting up in April.

The facility was developed by Florida-based NextEra Energy Resources, the largest wind energy producer in North America.

Power is being sold to the federally-owned Western Area Power Administration for the first three years, followed by the Basin Electric Power Cooperative.

“It’s extremely gratifying to see this impressive project in our state,” Gov. Rounds said. “South Dakota has an abundance of wind, and we hope it will continue to be harnessed far and wide in the future to make clean energy, boost local economies, provide good jobs, and add to the already excellent quality of life enjoyed by South Dakota citizens.”

Located in Day County about 20 miles east of Groton, the Day County Wind Energy Center is capable of providing enough power for nearly 25,000 homes.

Potential

NextEra Energy, which has its HQ in Juno Beach, Fla, said the project was the latest example of its ongoing interest in South Dakota wind power potential.

The Day County project is NextEra Energy Resources’ third wind project in South Dakota. Through its affiliates, the company also owns and operates the 40.5-MW South Dakota Wind Energy Center in Hyde County and the 51-MW Wessington Springs Wind Energy Center in Jerauld County.

In total, NextEra Energy Resources currently operates more than 9,000 wind turbines in 17 states and Canada that are capable of generating enough power for more than 1.9 million average homes.

Mike O’Sullivan, senior vice president of development for NextEra Energy Resources, said: “In addition to generating clean, emission-free energy, this project will have an impact on the local economy through the jobs created, taxes paid, lease payments to landowners, and goods and services sourced locally.”

Apologies from BrighterEnergy.org:

Owing to technical difficulties, the text of this story has been lost, along with our output from June 18-25, 2010. We are working to try to restore it as soon as possible.