Chaska, Minnesota-based Outland Renewable Energy announced major plans in recent weeks to increase its investment in mid-west wind projects.
The company signed a reservation agreement with Siemens PG to supply 200 MW of Siemens’ 2.3 megawatts (MW) wind turbines for a project being developed in Iowa, known as ORE I Wind Farm. The first phase of the project is expected to enter commercial operation in 2010.
In addition, Outland Renewable Energy announced plans to build a power line to move wind energy from the wind-belt of southwest Minnesota to the Twin Cities area.
The company says it intends to fund the line itself, which it believes will significantly increase the ability of wind energy to meet an increasing demand for clean, renewable energy and help Minnesota meet its Renewable Energy Standard, which states 25% of the state’s electricity will come from renewable energy sources by 2025.
"Outland is proud of its mission to harness the power of wind, creating a clean, safe and secure energy future for our communities," said Ingrid Bjorklund, vice president of government affairs and associate general counsel for Outland Renewable Energy. "We are tackling the transmission bottleneck with an innovative solution to get the state’s abundant wind energy to market sooner."
The Minnesota Independence Line will be a high-voltage transmission line approximately 150 miles in length, running from the Buffalo Ridge area to the Twin Cities area. This wind line will have the potential to move up to 3,000 MW of wind out of the wind-rich Buffalo Ridge region. Outland hopes to have the line operational in 2012. This will help the state meet the first milestone in the Renewable Energy Standard, which is 12% by 2012.
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