"The MinnDakota wind farm is an important addition to South Dakota's renewable generating sources," said Dave Sparby, Acting President and CEO of Northern States Power-Minnesota, an Xcel Energy company. "With this addition, South Dakota ranks fifth in the nation in the percentage of electricity generated by wind, according to the American Wind Energy Association. The wind farm also contributes to Xcel Energy remaining the No. 1 wind power provider in the country. Those are significant accomplishments, and we congratulate South Dakota on its commitment to renewable energy." 

MinnDakota Wind Power Project manager Dave Sweet at work on the site

"Our continued partnership with Xcel Energy means that more areas of the country can now count wind energy as part of their supply, and our operations continue to grow," said Kevin Devlin, Vice President of Wind Operations for PPM Energy. "Our parent company, Iberdrola Renewables, alone has committed to bringing online 1,000 MW of new wind energy in North America every year. That's nearly ten MinnDakotas every year."

"Brookings County has experienced a long history of steady population and job growth," said Al Heuton, Executive Director of Brookings Economic Development Corp. "The MinnDakota project has been a tremendous addition to our new economy development efforts, and our goal is to see a continued expansion of wind energy, as well as other renewable resources such as ethanol and photovoltaic technologies."Positive Economic and Environmental Impact
MinnDakota is expected to generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in positive economic impact for the community each year. At the peak of construction there were 250 workers on site. Going forward, there will be 10 to 12 full-time operations and maintenance employees based in the region.

MinnDakota is a model for sensitive land use. While the entire project spans approximately 15,000 acres, the actual footprint of the turbines and associated facilities uses less than two percent of the total area within leased land. Landowners continue using the remainder of the land, primarily for farming.

Engaging the Wind Technicians of Tomorrow
MinnDakota represents a successful collaboration among the wind industry, national and regional government and institutions such as South Dakota State University. PPM plans to have an office at the university's new Innovation Campus, in the Innovation Center Building, now under construction.

"The Innovation Campus is South Dakota's first university-related research park, where people and ideas will come together and create technology solutions that will change how we live," said Teresa McKnight, CEO and Executive Director of South Dakota State University Innovation Campus. "Companies like PPM will be able to partner with SDSU faculty and researchers, and have opportunities to employ SDSU students through internships, assistantships, part-time and full-time employment."

In addition to the company's collaboration with SDSU, PPM Energy recently engaged three classes at Elkton Public School to create their own model wind turbines. The following day, the students visited a working turbine at the MinnDakota site and learned about a day in the life of a wind technician.

"We want all our students to make that connection from the classroom to the real world," said Tony Simons, Superintendent of Elkton Public School. "The wind turbines and this project are the wave of the future, and our students need to learn about careers associated with these industries. It's a huge opportunity for our students and teachers to get involved."

About PPM Energy

PPM Energy, headquartered in Portland, Ore., is one of North America's leading wind power providers with more than 2,000 MW of wind power in operation, plus over 800 MW of clean gas-fired generation and over 58 BCF of gas storage. PPM is part of Iberdrola Renewables, the leading wind energy provider in the world, with more than 7,700 MW of wind power online worldwide and with a pipeline of more than 42,000 MW of wind power. www.ppmenergy.com