National Renewable Solutions LLC (NRS), a community wind project developer, has announced that Dakota Wind Energy, Norfolk Wind Energy and Little Rock Wind each have received notice of approval of $50,000 in technical feasibility grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The funds will be used to study work on wind project assessment, transmission interconnection and environmental assessment.
The grants require matching funds and will result in completion of a third-party feasibility report for each of the projects.
Dakota Wind Energy is located in Roberts, Marshall and Day counties in northeast South Dakota. The project company was formed in January 2008 with the goal of building 450 MW of wind generation capacity.
Little Rock Wind is located in Big Stone County in western Minnesota. The company plans to develop a 50 MW to 200 MW wind farm in various phases. Little Rock was formed in May 2008 and has also acquired the assets of Big Stone Wind LLC, an adjacent 20 MW development-stage project.Â
Norfolk Wind Energy is developing a 40 MW to 150 MW project based out of Renville County, Minn. To date, the project has leased over 9,000 acres and will pursue an additional 8,000 to 10,000 acres during an expansion effort.
National Renewable Solutions LLC is the project developer and manager for each of these project companies. Based out of Minneapolis, NRS focuses on the community ownership model for each of their ongoing and future wind development projects, and currently manages four other wind development projects in Texas, New Mexico, Montana and Maryland.
NRS expects the feasibility studies will be completed within the next 12 to 18 months, and hopes to have various phases of these projects ready for construction in the next 24 to 36 months.
