MDU will be adding to its wind power generation.
The utility has signed an agreement with Duluth-based Allete Clean Energy to buy a wind farm to be built in Hettinger County. Allete will build the 107 megawatt, 43 turbine wind farm – and then will sell it to MDU for $200 million.
"We have a growing customer demand, and so we needed to address that," said MDU spokesman Mark Hanson. "Once this comes on line, it will diversify our generation portfolio even more, and put our renewable generation at 20 percent of our production."
Hanson says there is an advantage to owning the wind farm – instead of buying the power.
"We'll have more control over the power production," said Hanson. "Also, you're more assured of the construction and completion of the project. And it also provides us the ability to expand, with the economies of scale and the exiting assets."
The project is expected to be finished in December, 2015. MDU currently has 49.5 megawatts of wind power in its portfolio. Allete has developed nearly 500 megawatts of wind power in North Dakota.