By Elizabeth Dunbar
Minnesota Public Radio

ST. PAUL — Three new wind energy projects in Minnesota and North Dakota would help Xcel Energy boost its Midwest wind portfolio by a third, the utility said Tuesday.

Xcel said it submitted paperwork to state regulators to add 600 megawatts of wind energy to its portfolio, which is enough electricity to power 180,000 homes, officials said. The utility’s Midwest presence covers parts of Minnesota, the Dakotas, Wisconsin and Michigan.

Two of the new wind projects are in southern Minnesota: Odell Wind Farm near Windom and Pleasant Valley near Austin. The third, Courtenay Wind Farm, is located near Jamestown, N.D. Both the Courtenay and Odell projects are under a power purchase agreement with Geronimo Energy, and the Pleasant Valley farm is a project Xcel would own after it’s developed.

All three projects are expected to be completed by 2016, assuming they get regulatory approval. The projects are also expected to qualify for a federal production tax credit.

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