New Basin Electric wind project announced in South Dakota

Basin Electric Power Cooperative and NextEra Energy Resources (formerly FPL Energy) have signed an agreement to develop another wind farm. The project will be located in Day County near Groton, SD. East River Electric Power Cooperative, Madison, S.D., will provide the transmission interconnection for the project.

The 99-megawatt capacity Day County Wind Farm will feature 66, 1.5-megawatt wind turbines; almost identical to the ones operating near Highmore, S.D. Construction will begin as soon as all permits and approvals are received. It’s anticipated the project will be ready for commercial operation by mid-2010.

This is the fifth agreement between Basin Electric and NextEra Energy with NextEra Energy building, owning and operating a large wind project and Basin Electric purchasing the electricity.

The other four wind projects are located near Wilton (two phases) and Edgeley, ND, and Highmore, SD.

Ron Harper, BEPC

Ron Harper, Basin Electric CEO and general manager, said this agreement is a perfect example of working together to accomplish goals. “Back in 2005, our members directed us to provide 10 percent of their electricity needs from renewable forms of energy. Since then, we’ve been working hard to accomplish that goal,” he said. “As wholesale power suppliers, we are obligated to develop facilities that will keep electricity rates affordable…and working with NextEra Energy, we’re able to accomplish that goal.”

For the first three years of commercial operation, Basin Electric has agreed to sell the output of the Day County project to the Western Area Power Administration, a Federal Power Marketing Administration.

Groton Generation Station 2

The cooperative family already has a presence near Groton. Basin Electric has developed a two-unit peaking station just south of Groton. Those units were placed in commercial operation in 2006 and 2008, respectively. The Groton Generation Station not only provides peaking capacity but also transmission stability for Western’s transmission lines in that part of South Dakota.

Additionally, Basin Electric is constructing the nation’s largest cooperative-owned wind farm near Minot, ND. The project, scheduled for completion in early 2010, will have a generating capacity of 115.5 megawatts.

Basin Electric is planning another cooperative-owned 151.5-megawatt wind farm near Crow Lake, S.D. That project is scheduled to be complete in late 2010 or early 2011.

With the addition of the Day County Wind Farm, the total wind energy produced in South Dakota will reach 387 megawatts.