Whitetail Wind Project

Grant County, Wisconsin

Wind energy frequently asked questions

Let’s power the future together

ALLETE Clean Energy is an independent power producer established in 2011 with headquarters in Duluth, Minnesota. ALLETE Clean Energy, through subsidiaries, owns, operates and has built and sold wind farms in seven states with more than 1,450 megawatts of capacity.

What’s happening

ALLETE Clean Energy is developing the Whitetail wind project in Clifton and Wingville townships in Grant County, Wisconsin. Before and during construction, we will host landowner meetings to keep participants apprised of the project’s development schedule, milestones, and projected construction dates.

Landowner participation

Leased land allows the landowner to optimize land use. A small portion of the leased land is needed for siting turbines and development of access roads intended for mutual use. The remaining land continues to be available for landowner use, such as farming or grazing. This dual use provides additional annual income to landowners.

Community support

The Whitetail project will provide direct community benefits through jobs, local business investment, property taxes and other contributions. We value the communities where we live and work, and we look forward to forging partnerships with landowners and the communities near the Whitetail project.

Wind turbines and health

More than 80 studies worldwide have been conducted about wind turbine exposure and health, and to date, the credible, scientific peer-reviewed literature does not support evidence of adverse health effects resulting from wind turbine exposure. There are a number of resources available on the American Clean Power Association website at https://cleanpower.org/resources/types/fact-sheets/.

Project features

Up to 21 wind turbines over about 5,938 acres
About 70 megawatts of renewable energy capacity, enough to power about *24,350 homes per year
Turbines will be erected on foundations of 450 cubic feet of concrete and 40 tons of reinforcing steel
Carbon dioxide offset of about 208,000 tons annually
Grid interconnection at the ATC/Ebenezer substation
Supports local businesses before, during and after construction
Employs 100 people during construction and about 10 people during operation
*electricity home usage from U.S. Energy Information Administration Website https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=97&t=3

Economic benefits

Wind energy projects bring economic development, job growth and tax revenue to their host communities
Landowners who host a wind turbine on their property earn regular lease payments that transfer with the sale of the property, adding to its value
A study of more than 50,000 home sales in nine states found no evidence that wind farms affected nearby home values

Armenia Mountain

ALLETE Clean Energy acquired Armenia Mountain wind in north-central Pennsylvania in 2015. Armenia Mountain delivers energy to Old Dominion and Delmarva through power purchase agreements.

Features

67 1.5-megawatt ESS General Electric turbines
100.5-megawatt renewable energy capacity, enough to power about 25,000 homes
Employs 8 people during normal operations
Carbon dioxide offset of about 176,000 tons annually
Each turbine has an 80-meter hub height and a 77-meter rotor sweep.

Storm Lake I/II

ALLETE Clean Energy purchased the Storm Lake I and Storm Lake II wind farms in northwestern Iowa in 2014. Storm Lake I and Storm Lake II deliver energy to Mid American and Alliant Energy through power purchase agreements.

A major site refurbishment is complete at the Storm Lake I and Storm Lake II wind farms. The refurbishment project is a central part of ALLETE Clean Energy’s strategy to optimize our portfolio and sustain operations well into the future.

Features

240 750-kilowatt Zond turbines
185-megawatt renewable energy capacity, enough to power about 48,000 homes
Employs 24 people during normal operations
Carbon dioxide offset of approximately 500,000 tons annually
39 miles of fiber-optic cable installed as part of the refurbishment project

Cisco Wind Energy

ALLETE Clean Energy purchased Cisco Wind Energy in southwestern Minnesota in 2019. Cisco Wind delivers energy to SNP through a C-BED Wind Generation Purchase Agreement.

Features

Four 2-megawatt Suzlon S88 turbines
8-megawatt renewable energy capacity, enough to power about 2,200 homes.
Employs 4 people during normal operations
Carbon dioxide offset of about 28,000 tons annually

Lincoln Heights

ALLETE Clean Energy acquired Lincoln Heights Wind in southwestern Minnesota in 2019. Lincoln Heights delivers energy to Xcel Energy, doing business as Northern States Power, through a power purchase agreement. It is adjacent to ALLETE Clean Energy’s 107-megawatt Lake Benton facility, making it a natural extension of our growing footprint in the community.

Features

7 1.25-megawatt Suzlon S64 turbines
8.8-megawatt renewable energy capacity, enough to power about 2,500 homes.
Employs 4 people during normal operations

Chanarambie/Viking

ALLETE Clean Energy purchased Chanarambie/Viking in western Minnesota in 2015. The site delivers energy to Xcel Energy, doing business as Northern States Power, through a power purchase agreement.

Features

65 1.5-megawatt GE turbines
97.5-megawatt renewable energy capacity, enough to power about 27,000 homes.
Employs 7 people during normal operations
Carbon dioxide offset of about 294,000 tons annually

Lake Benton

ALLETE Clean Energy acquired the Lake Benton wind farm in southwestern Minnesota in 2014. Lake Benton delivers energy to Xcel Energy, doing business as Northern States Power, through a power purchase agreement.

A major site refurbishment is complete at Lake Benton. The refurbishment project is a central part of ALLETE Clean Energy’s strategy to optimize our portfolio and sustain operations well into the future.

Features

140 750-kilowatt Zond turbines
105-megawatt renewable energy capacity, enough to power about 30,000 homes.
Employs 15 people during normal operations

Glen Ullin

The Glen Ullin Energy Center in western North Dakota began producing wind-generated electricity in the fall of 2019. Glen Ullin delivers energy to Xcel Energy through a power purchase agreement.

Project Features

2.3 and 2.5-megawatt General Electric turbines
106-megawatt renewable energy capacity, enough to power about 54,000 homes
Employs 7-10 people during operation
Carbon dioxide offset of approximately 368,000 tons annually
Turbines erected on a foundation of 450 cubic feet of concrete and 40 tons of reinforcing steel

South Peak

ALLETE Clean Energy developed the South Peak wind project in central Montana in 2019-20. South Peak delivers energy to Northwestern Energy customers through a power purchase agreement.

Features

29 GE turbines
80-megawatt renewable energy capacity, enough to power about 35,000 homes
Employs 3-5 people during operation
Carbon dioxide offset of about 207,000 tons annually

Condon

ALLETE Clean Energy acquired the Condon wind farm in east-central Oregon in 2014. Condon delivers energy to the Bonneville Power Administration through a power purchase agreement.

Features

83 600-kilowatt Mitsubishi turbines
Employs 8 people during normal operations

Diamond Spring

ALLETE Clean Energy developed the Diamond Spring wind site in south-central Oklahoma 2019-20. Diamond Spring produces energy for Walmart, Starbucks and Smithfield Foods through power purchase agreements.

Project Features

112 2.3- 2.8-megawatt GE turbines
About 300 megawatts of renewable energy capacity, enough to power about 114,000 homes
Employs 10 people
Turbines erected on a foundation of 450 cubic yards of concrete and 20 tons of reinforcing steel
Carbon dioxide offset of about 884,400 tons annually

Caddo

ALLETE Clean Energy is developing the Caddo wind site in south-central Oklahoma 2019-20. Caddo will produce electricity for three large corporate customers through power purchase agreements. The project will be similar to Diamond Spring in size and scope, and is expected to be online in late 2021.

Thunder Spirit I/II

ALLETE Clean Energy developed Thunder Spirit II, a 48-megawatt expansion of the Thunder Spirit Wind farm in western North Dakota, in 2015 and sold it Montana-Dakota Utilities. The expansion finalized development of the 155.5-megawatt permitted project.

Project Features

16 3-megawatt Nordex turbines
48-megawatts of renewable energy capacity, enough to power about 15,000 homes