ALLETE Clean Energy, Mortenson Repower Wind Power Site

ALLETE Clean Energy, a unit of ALLETE, and Mortenson are bringing the economic and environmental benefits of renewable energy to rural Minnesota as the companies repower a wind project at ALLETE Clean Energy’s Northern Wind. Northern Wind is on southwestern Minnesota’s Buffalo Ridge, the second-highest point in Minnesota and a powerful wind resource area. Northern Wind began operations in 2003 and was acquired by ALLETE Clean Energy in 2015.The original Northern Wind site had 65 1.5-MW early generation General Electric wind turbines capable of producing about 280,000 MWh of electricity annually. When repowered with 37 larger, modern turbines, it will produce about 370,000 megawatt-hours per year, an energy production increase of about 30% from 40% fewer turbines.The new turbines at the site will have tower hub heights of 80 to 90 meters, compared with 65 meters for the…

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