Goodhue Wind is developing a 78-megawatt (MW) wind park in Goodhue County, Minnesota. The county’s optimal wind resource covers a 12,000-acre area just west and north of the town of Goodhue. The site is situated approximately 50 miles southeast of Minneapolis and is served by Highway 58.
“’Location, location, location,’ is a fitting mantra to describe Goodhue Wind’s great start,” said Tiff Thompson, project developer. “The project’s location boasts a great site for wind, available interconnection to the transmission grid, and a community generally enthusiastic about wind and local ownership opportunities. It has all the ingredients for a successful project.”
Getting Goodhue’s wind power onto the grid is in large part determined by the Midwest Independent System Operator (MISO). Goodhue is lucky to have two interconnection requests in MISO’s “Definitive Planning Phase,” the most advanced stage of review before requests are granted. The two sites are located in and around Goodhue Wind’s footprint and have 78MW of available capacity in total. Based on indications from MISO about when an interconnection agreement could be finalized, Goodhue Wind plans to start operating its wind farm in 2010.
“What makes Goodhue Wind unique from other projects is three-fold: first, we anticipate the ability to bring renewable energy to the grid quickly; second, the project is locally owned; and third, all residents in Goodhue county, as well as other Minnesota residents, have the opportunity to invest in the project and share in potential project dividends,” said field specialist Doug Nowicki. “Most landowners have had a favorable impression of the project and we’re very fortunate for that, but signing a lease can be a tough decision.”
“We know that signing up with a wind project involves commitment,” said Advisory Board member Dennis Gadient. “As a community project, Goodhue Wind wants to ensure that all landowners in the footprint have enough information about the project to make informed decisions.”
Contact one of our field specialists to learn more about Goodhue Wind and wind energy in general. We look forward to speaking with you.
