St. Paul, Minn. – The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (Commission) approved the certificate of need and site and route permits for the Dodge County Wind Project. The electricity generated from the 252-megawatt wind farm will be sold to Great River Energy which supplies power to its 27 member-owned cooperatives.
The project, developed by NextEra Energy Resources, will consist of 72 turbines. Most of the turbines will be in western Dodge County, with some in Steele County. The 27 miles of 161-kilovolt transmission lines will go to Great River Energy’s Pleasant Valley Substation in Mower County.
In 2023 a stakeholder group made up of representatives from Ashland, Hayfield, Ripley, and Sargeant townships, and Dodge and Mower counties, helped guide discussions on some of the challenges facing the project, including transmission line route options.
At Thursday’s meeting the Commission reviewed the proposed routes and approved the “hybrid route alternative.” This route, recommended by many stakeholders, impacts fewer residences, allows more flexibility when siting poles, and makes it easier to address safety concerns and environmental impacts.
“The Dodge County Wind Project is a prime example of how public input is vital to the Commission,” said Commissioner John Tuma. “The recommendations from the stakeholder group, along with hundreds of public comments really changed the trajectory of the project, and honestly, is one of the main reasons we were able to approve it.”
According to the applicant, the project will bring more than 400 construction jobs as well as millions in economic activity to the area during construction.
The Dodge County Wind Project was included in Great River Energy’s 2023-2037 integrated resource plan that the Commission accepted in early March.
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The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission regulates three cornerstone service industries in Minnesota's economy: electricity, natural gas and telephone. The Commission’s mission is to create and maintain a regulatory environment that ensures safe, adequate and efficient utility services at fair, reasonable rates consistent with State telecommunications and energy policies. It does so by providing independent, consistent, professional and comprehensive oversight and regulation of utility service providers. Learn more at mn.gov/puc.
