Steve Bergo, chairman of the Lake Country Wind Energy advisory board said that the company is partnering with National Wind, LLC for the project.
Lake Country Wind Energy is starting the permit process this month. It’s a rigorous procedure that requires a series of permits and approval from the state.
On being operational, the project could pump money into the local economy in the form of revenue for landowners and renewable energy opportunities for local utilities, as well as energy production tax revenues.
“The response has been tremendous,” Bergo said.
“We’re promoting a community-owned project,” Bergo said. “We wanted a business model where landowners can benefit.”
Buffalo Ridge, in southwestern Minnesota, has one of the highest wind speeds and was one of the first regions to start developing wind power on a large scale.
Wind speeds in central Minnesota aren’t far behind, however, Bergo said. “We’re some of the next logical development areas for wind energy in the state of Minnesota.”
A meteorological tower north of Atwater has been collecting data since September 2008, Bergo said. The company plans to gather a year’s worth of information on wind speeds and directions.
Many of the preliminary steps — wind and environmental studies and a preliminary transmission analysis — have already been completed, Bergo said.
“Roughly we’ve been estimating a two- to three-year development time frame,” Bergo said.
