The Nobles 2 wind farm, a 250 MW facility in southwest Minnesota, has achieved commercial operation.
“From day one, local leaders, landowners and the community have been open and receptive to wind development,” says Jerry Crouse, vice chairman and CEO of Tenaska. “We are excited to have worked with them to make the Nobles 2 wind farm a reality. We look forward to the many years of operation ahead, delivering renewable energy to Minnesota Power.”
Tenaska, an energy company based in Omaha, Neb., is a developer and operator of generating facilities across the U.S. Nobles 2 is the 19th power project that the company has brought online to date and its second wind farm to achieve operation this year.
Located near Wilmont in Nobles County, Nobles 2 is comprised of 74 Vestas turbines. The wind farm is owned by Nobles 2 Power Partners LLC, which is made up of affiliates of Tenaska, a subsidiary of ALLETE Inc. and Bright Canyon Energy. The wind farm provides renewable energy under a 20-year power purchase agreement with Minnesota Power.
Construction of the wind farm began in August 2019. Vestas, a global manufacturer of wind turbines, supplied the wind turbines and is providing maintenance services for the project. Mortenson, a builder and provider of energy and engineering services, is the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor.
Construction of the wind farm represented a significant investment in the regional economy. Over the past 14 months, the project has provided approximately 150 local jobs. Some $15.5 million in contracts have been awarded to businesses in the region.
During operation, the Nobles 2 wind farm is supported by a team of 14 local employees staffed through NAES Corp. and Vestas. The facility is anticipated to result in increased tax revenue of more than $1.1 million annually to local units of government and will diversify land use and provide stable income to landowners through lease payments.
