Join fellow members and support clean, renewable wind energy. To participate in the Wellspring wind energy program, you first must be a member of Kandiyohi Power Cooperative. Interested members are able to purchase wind produced at various farms and projects and are asked to make a minimum one-year commitment to buy electricity from the Wellspring renewable wind energy program. Members purchase wind energy in blocks of 100 kilowatt-hours (kWh) each month at a premium rate of $.30 per block. You can purchase one block or enough to cover your average monthly usage. If you would like to learn more about the Wellspring wind energy program, please contact us.
Trimont Area Farm
Located in southwestern Minnesota near Great River Energy’s natural gas-fired peaking plant, Lakefield Junction Station, the Trimont Area Wind Farm was a project proposed by a coalition of local citizens. Forty three landowners in the area partnered with Iberdrola Renewables and Great River Energy to build the project on 8,900 acres of corn and soybean fields in Martin and Jackson counties. It’s important to note that only 1 to 2 percent of those 8,900 acres is impacted by the facility. Underneath the 67 wind turbines, the harvesting of corn and soybeans proceeds as usual.
The project is equipped with 67 General Electric (GE Wind) 1.5 MW turbines. Each turbine is 262 feet high at the tower’s hub, from which rotors 254 feet in diameter spin. The total capacity of the 67 turbines is 100 MW of wind energy annually. Iberdrola Renewables owns and operates the Trimont Area Wind Farm. Great River Energy has purchased the output since the wind farm began operations in November 2005.
Prairie Star Wind Farm
Prairie Star Wind Farm, built in 2007, is located 15 miles southeast of Austin, Minnesota in Mower County. This project site includes approximately 16,000 acres of privately owned land. The land is primarily used to grow corn and soybean crops. Farming proceeds as usual on most of the land around the turbines.
The 61 wind turbines (1.65 megawatts each) are capable of producing 100 MW of power. The Vesta turbines are 265 feet high at the hub, with 263-foot rotors. Horizon Wind Energy is the owner and developer of Prairie Star Wind Farm. Great River Energy began purchasing the facilities’ output in January 2008.
Elm Creek Wind Power Project
The 100-MW Elm Creek Wind Power Project is located near the Trimont Area Wind Farm in Trimont, Minnesota. Elm Creek provides electricity to more than 29,000 homes served by Great River Energy member cooperatives. The project encompasses about 9,554 acres of land leased from 56 local corn and soybean farmers. The land continues to be used for corn and soybean farming.
The project is equipped with 66 General Electric (GE Wind) 1.5 megawatt wind turbines. Each turbine is 384 feet high at the tower’s hub, from which rotors 253 feet in diameter spin. Iberdrola Renewables owns and operates the Elm Creek Wind Farm. Great River Energy has purchased the wind farm’s output since it began operations in November 2008.
Ashtablua II
Great River Energy purchases 51 MW from the Ashtabula II Wind Energy Center in eastern North Dakota, under a 30-year power purchase agreement with NextEra Energy Resources.
Located in Griggs and Steele counties, the Ashtabula II Wind Energy Center consists of 80 1.5-MW GE XLE turbines for a nameplate capacity of 120 MW, of which Great River Energy will purchase 51 MW of output. The wind farm originally reached commercial operation in November 2009; Great River Energy began receiving power from the facility in August 2010.
Endeavor I Wind Energy Center
Great River Energy purchases 100 MW from the Endeavor I Wind Energy Center in northwest Iowa. Located in Osceola County, the Endeavor I Wind Energy Center consists of 40 2.5-MW Clipper Liberty turbines for a nameplate capacity of 100 MW. The wind farm began commercial operation in April 2008; Great River Energy began receiving power from the facility in April 2011 under a 30-year power purchase agreement with NextEra Energy Resources.
Emmons-Logan Wind Farm
The Emmons-Logan wind farm began producing electricity Jan. 1, becoming largest renewable resource serving Kandiyohi Power Cooperative. The 200-megawatt project will provide carbon-free electricity to members for the next 25 years.
The wind farm is the newest addition to the portfolio of resources for Kandiyohi Power Cooperative’s wholesale power provider, Great River Energy. Over the past five years, all of Great River Energy’s new energy resources have been renewable.
Great River Energy’s carbon emissions have dropped 38% since 2005, and the cooperative continues to seek additional carbon reductions over time. Renewable energy, specifically wind, is Great River Energy’s least-cost resource, so energy has lower emissions while remaining competitive.
The Emmons-Logan wind farm features more than 80 wind turbines that are capable of generating enough clean, renewable energy to power 80,000 homes. With the new project, Great River Energy’s wind capacity will include more than 600 megawatts.
Great River Energy met the requirements of Minnesota’s Renewable Energy Standard in 2017, eight years ahead of the state requirement. In May 2018, Great River Energy established a voluntary goal to provide its all-requirements member-owner cooperatives with energy that is 50% from renewable resources by 2030. The cooperative also set interim renewable energy goals of 30% by 2020 and 40% by 2025.