Odell Wind Farm LLC, which is building a 200-MW project, told the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission in an Oct. 30 update that the transmission facilities to interconnect this project to the grid should be energized in December.
It noted that the South Central Electric Association relocated a portion of its underground distribution line along County Highway 17 near County Highway 1 to accommodate the construction of the Odell project transmission line. The relocation work was completed on June 19.
Odell’s engineering contractors have completed detailed design of the transmission line structures. Due to the geotechnical conditions, Odell will used a mix of wood and steel structures, with wood structures providing the tangents for the transmission line and steel structures largely providing the turning and dead-end support.
The construction activities in the transmission Line right-of-way started on June 15. Prior to right-of-way preparation and any construction activity associated with the transmission line, Odell coordinated with landowners along the route to ensure they are up to date on the construction schedule.
As of Sept. 28, the construction and installation of both the 345 kV and 115 kV transmission line is complete. Full energization of the transmission lines will occur in December 2015 after the completion of both the Woad Hill Substation and the Odell Substation. Some testing will occur between October and energization in December, the company noted.
Odell Wind Farm on Sept. 9 filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission both a notice of self-certification of its status as an exempt wholesale generator and an application for market-based rate authority. The company’s sole and managing member is Odell Holdings LLC, with its sole and managing member in turn being Odell SponsorCo LLC. Odell SponsorCo has two members with an equal 50% interest: Enel Kansas LLC and Algonquin Power (Odell Holdings) Inc.
The company is installing a 200-MW wind facility located in Cottonwood, Jackson, Martin and Watonwan counties, Minnesota. The facility will interconnect with the Midcontinent Independent System Operator system.
Odell Wind has entered into a power purchase agreement with the Northern States Power unit of Xcel Energy (NYSE: XEL). Under the power purchase agreement, Northern States will purchase 100% of all energy, renewable energy credits (RECs), and installed capacity produced by or available from the facility.
A project contact is: David Cheung Atkinson, Business Development Specialist, Algonquin Power Co., Agent for Odell Wind Farm LLC, 354 Davis Road, Suite 100, Oakville, Ontario L6J 2X1, Phone: (905) 465-6700, david.cheung-atkinson@algonquinpower.com.
In the application for market-based rate authority, the company said this project has an in-service date in 2015, but didn’t narrow it down beyond that.
