National Wind LLC, a Minneapolis-headquartered developer of utility-scale wind power projects, has partnered with local landowners to form and capitalize High Country Energy LLC. When completed, High Country Energy's wind farm will be the largest community-based energy development (C-BED) wind energy project in the U.S., according to National Wind.
National Wind will manage the development and construction of High Country Energy's 300 MW wind farm that will be located in Minnesota's eastern Dodge and western Olmsted counties. The project is expected to qualify for C-BED status, meaning that it is owned by Minnesota residents and that 51% of the profits are returned to the Minnesota community members over the life of the project.
Seven members of the community – Barry Rogne, Bryant Hokeness, Dan Hoffman, Eric Lee, Ken Binkley, Kevin Green and Larry Larson – have invested in the project, National Wind adds.
‘We are grateful to the community for their strong local support of this project and to the local landowners who have decided to partner with us,’ says Pat Pelstring, co-founder and chairperson of National Wind. ‘This is a ground-breaking community-owned project because it compares in size to some of the nation's largest utility projects.’
