Montana-Dakota Utilities has completed the previously announced acquisition of the Thunder Spirit wind farm from developer ALLETE Clean Energy. The 107.5 MW project, located near Hettinger, N.D., features 43 Nordex wind turbines and recently went online.
Montana-Dakota says it was able to take advantage of the wind farm's location, as the project is connected to a transmission system in an area the utility already provides electric service, further enhancing the company's deliverability of power to its customers.
‘It is so rewarding to see a project of this magnitude come together to provide our customers with a low-cost source of power,’ says Nicole Kivisto, president and CEO of Montana-Dakota. ‘We could not have finished this project in a timely manner without the dedicated work of our employees, ALLETE Clean Energy's construction management and the construction provided by Wanzek Construction and Nordex. It was a great partnership.’
Montana-Dakota will have employees on site to manage the site and grounds maintenance; Nordex will have staff on site to operate and maintain the towers.
‘I'm so impressed and grateful for the outstanding cooperation and partnership with MDU,’ says ALLETE Clean Energy President Eric Norberg. ‘Thunder Spirit is a tremendous carbon-free energy resource in an energy-rich state, and we are pleased to play a role in MDU's delivery of renewable energy to its utility customers.’
