The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on Dec. 3 approved the transfer of a site permit for a 41-MW wind project from Lake Country Wind Energy LLC to Trishe Wind Minnesota LLC.
This largely unbuilt project is located in Kandiyohi and Meeker counties, Minn. In February 2011, the commission issued a site permit to Lake Country Wind Energy for this project. In June 2013, the commission approved an extension of the site permit. Construction on the Lake Country Wind Farm was initiated in December 2013 with construction of the substation foundation, in accordance with the requirements of the commission’s amended site permit dated June 3, 2013. But construction was then halted due to financial issues.
Trishe earlier this year got this project out of a bankruptcy case involving the original developer, and lately had to supply to the commission extra proof of ownership related to that deal before the commission made its final permit transfer decision.
Under the approved permit, the project will consist of an array of up to 20 Repower 2.0 MW MM100 wind turbines on 328-foot (100 meter) towers with a rotor diameter of 328 feet (100 meters), or up to 20 Gamesa 2.0 MW G97 wind turbines on 295-foot (90-meter) towers with a rotor diameter of 318 feet (97 meters), or up to 23 General Electric 1.7-100 turbines on 262-foot (80-meter) towers with a rotor diameter of 328 feet (100 meters).
The project will interconnect to an existing Xcel Energy (NYSE: XEL) 69-kV transmission line with a proposed project substation in section 6, of Acton Township, in Meeker County. The project is expected to generate between 139,480 MW hours and 142,747 MW hours annually.
A project contact is: Ronald P. Peterson, Permitting Manager, Trishe Wind Resources Inc., 5775 Wayzata Boulevard, Suite 700, St. Louis Park, MN 55416, Tel: 612-803-7667, ron@trishe-resources.com.
