(Trimont, Mn.)– Construction will soon be getting underway on another major wind farm in the region.
Officials with PPM Energy say their latest project will consist of 67 wind turbines that will be erected on eight thousand acres of land in Jackson and Martin counties in southwest Minnesota. Each G-E turbine will produce one and-a-half megawatts of electricity…the same as the Flying Cloud Wind Farm between Spirit Lake and Lake Park.
But Jan Johnson, a spokesperson for PPM, says the Jackson and Martin county project, known as “The Trimont Wind Project” will be different in that it will be among the first “community” wind projects in the country. Johnson says that provides a provision for gross revenue to be shared with the landowners in addition to the revenues from lease payments. Johnson adds the gross revenue payments are expected to be almost double the traditional lease payment.
Johnson estimates the project will generate about 350-thousand to 400-thousand dollars in property taxes for Jackson and Martin counties with lease payments to landowners expected to range from 250-thousand to 300-thousand dollars a year.
Johnson says the project will bring about 50 construction jobs to the region this spring, which will also impact the economy.
Johnson says construction will be getting underway as soon as the weather allows this spring. She says the turbines should be fully operational by the end of the year.
Johnson adds PPM Energy has signed a 15-year agreement with Great River Energy, a southern Minnesota electric cooperative, which will purchase the power generated by the Trimont facility.
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