Jan. 15—GRAND FORKS — A wind energy project that backers believe could provide a $100 million boost to the economy in rural northeast North Dakota was officially announced Wednesday.
The Flickertail Wind Farm, to be built near New Rockford, will be owned and operated by PRC Wind. The energy it produces will be purchased by Minnkota Power Cooperative after a long-term agreement was signed by the entities.
The news was announced Wednesday morning, Jan. 15. In a statement sent to the media, Minnkota CEO Mac McLennan said it’s part of his organization’s goal to diversify its energy portfolio and offerings.
“Flickertail Wind Farm represents a tremendous opportunity to enhance our energy portfolio with a carbon-free resource, fulfill the vision of local landowners and harness North Dakota’s abundant energy potential,” McLennan said. “As the demand for electricity continues to grow in our region and across the nation, it’s critical for us to develop new energy resources and continue to diversify our power supply strategy.”
Although the project was officially announced in a release sent to the media Wednesday, its background has been publicly noted. For example, the local newspaper in New Rockford — The Transcript — reported in November that Flickertail Wind, LLC, had opened an office in the community of 1,300, situated approximately 40 miles south of Devils Lake and 117 miles west of Grand Forks.
The project’s roots are at the local level, starting as “a collaborative effort between local community members and the New Rockford economic development board,” according to the Minnkota media release. Eventually, the local backers brought in PRC Wind to push the project forward.
“As far as the city is concerned, we’re excited that it’s coming,” New Rockford Mayor Stuart Richter told the Grand Forks Herald. “It’s going to bring quite a few jobs to the area — even the construction phase of it’s going to be huge for our area. So we’re very excited about it.”
He added: “This is huge for us.”
It is expected to include 112 wind turbines, a dedicated substation, 15 miles of transmission line, access roads and an operations and maintenance facility, according to information provided by Minnkota Power. It will cover some 43,000 acres in Wells and Eddy counties and “has been carefully planned to support local agricultural activities and protect the surrounding natural environment,” the Minnkota release noted.
The permitting process likely will begin this year, with construction-related work — engineering, procurement and construction itself — expected to begin by 2027. The project is expected to “inject approximately $100 million directly into the local community and create 300 jobs during construction,” the release said.
The power produced by the wind farm will be integrated into the electric grid on Minnkota’s existing 345,000-volt transmission line. The line takes the energy to a substation in Grand Forks and from there is distributed throughout eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota, Minnkota noted.
“Flickertail Wind Farm exemplifies the power of collaboration, combining community-driven vision with strong utility partnership to meet the growing demand for electric power,” PRC Wind CEO Paul White said in a statement sent to the media. “We’re proud to work alongside Minnkota and its member cooperatives to bring this community-initiated project to life, delivering a cost-effective and homegrown energy source for the long term.”
Eric Myhre, who owns land near New Rockford, believes the wind farm will open the door to “new possibilities for growth” for the community.
“As a lifelong resident and landowner in our rural North Dakota community, I’ve often wondered how we could secure a steady source of revenue to sustain our way of life,” Myhre said in a statement sent to the media. “Through our partnership with the dedicated team at PRC Wind, I am confident the Flickertail Wind project will bring lasting renewable energy opportunities to our local economy.”
If the New Rockford project does indeed result in 112 turbines, it would be one of the largest in the state. According to data found on the North Dakota Public Service Commission website, the largest is a 131-turbine wind farm in Barnes County, followed by a 121-turbine project in Williams County, as of February 2023.
Wind energy production in North Dakota has more than doubled in the past decade, according to statistics from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. A report issued by the EIA in August notes that in 2023, wind was North Dakota’s second-largest electricity-generating source and provided nearly two-fifths of the state’s net generation. Nationally, North Dakota was No. 6 in the share of its electricity generated from wind energy.
According to the EIA’s August report, North Dakota North Dakota had about 4,000 megawatts of installed wind power generating capacity as of early 2024.
In
a 2023 interview
with the Grand Forks Herald and Prairie Business, McLennan said that using a mix of energy sources is the best way to ensure there’s enough safe, reliable electricity generated to meet the needs of its customers. Coal makes up 56% of the co-op’s power generation capacity, with wind providing 34%, hydro 8% and other sources bringing in the remaining 2%, he said at the time.
The Herald’s Delaney Otto contributed to this report.