High Country Energy LLC, a community-based wind energy development located in Olmsted and Dodge counties, announced on Friday that it has sold a 150-megawatt portion of its wind farm to Wisconsin Public Service Corp., based in Green Bay, Wis.
The High County Energy project, which is managed by National Wind LLC and will be in both Dodge and Olmsted counties, allows landowners to invest in the project.
Since National Wind is a minority owner, most of the proceeds from the sale will go to High Country Energy landowners, National Wind co-chairman Patrick Pelstring said.
A year ago, only seven landowners were involved, but 55 to 60 landowners have since jumped on board.
"Now we truly do have a community wind project," Pelstring said to an audience of mostly farmers at the Oak Country Club near Hayfield. "To gain this much success in only 12 months is very, very favorable."
The first phase will include an estimated 100 turbines. However, it could be more than two years before landowners see turbines on their horizons.
After placement of the turbines has been negotiated, they will be erected and connected to a transmission grid.
WPSC Renewable Energy manager Eric Corroy said getting the turbines connected to the transmission grid is the hardest part.
Like water being poured into a bucket, energy produced by the turbines will have to travel from the turbines to the transmission grid, then to homes and businesses as if there were holes in that bucket, Corroy said.
