NextEra takes over Walleye Wind project

A different renewable energy company will develop the Walleye Wind project in western Rock County after the original developer sold the wind rights this summer.
NextEra Energy Resources acquired the rights from Renewable Energy Systems (RES) along with the seven existing wind turbines in Beaver Creek Township.
NextEra plans to decommission the existing turbines and erect 36 new ones to produce 111 megawatts as the Walleye Wind Energy Center.
“We intend on developing a project efficiently,” said Mike Weich, NextEra project director. “And effectively communicate that with the county, townships and landowners involved so we’ll have a really good project that everyone will be proud of.”
Weich and fellow colleagues Tom Von Bische and Thomas Michel outlined the project to Rock County commissioners at their Nov. 5 meeting.
While the sale involved wind rights in Martin Township and the western half of Clinton Township, NextEra will focus on selecting turbine sites in the townships of Beaver Creek and Springwater, the western halves of Mound and Luverne, and the southwest corner of Rose Dell.
Landowners who signed contracts with RES would have their land considered. A new “hybrid” contract will be negotiated if the landowner chooses to work with NextEra.
“As the project progresses, they may not get turbines,” Weich said.
Exact locations of potential turbines will be determined by early next year, when NextEra officials plan to apply for a site permit and certificate of need from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.
The permit process may take up to 12 months to complete.
Construction on the new turbines could begin in the fall of 2021, a year after RES planned to begin its own construction.
Meanwhile, NextEra plans to open an office at 222 E. Main St. in Luverne and conduct an open house, information-sharing event in Beaver Creek in December.
“What’s important to us is that we have an opportunity — an open house — to listen to the community … so our engineers and consultants hear directly from you and we can take that back,” Weich said.
“It is also a way for us to show the extensiveness of our research.”
Research includes talks with landowners about agricultural tile locations, access roads to the turbines and county and township roads that may be used during construction.
NextEra Energy Resources is a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Inc., a publicly traded renewable energy company based in Juno Beach, Florida.
In business for 25 years, NextEra is the largest renewable energy developer in North America with 119 wind projects in 19 states and four Canadian provinces.
Walleye Wind Energy Center will be NextEra’s third wind energy project in Minnesota.
Currently, NextEra is developing a 200 MW energy farm in Dodge County and is completing a repowering project of the Buffalo Ridge II Energy Center in Pipestone County.
Once Walleye Wind is complete, three to five employees will work locally for NextEra.
“We’re becoming part of your community. We’re going to be your neighbor,” Weich said.
“We’re going to have an office here. We’re going to manage the wind farm that we are going to own and operate — so it’s a long-term commitment for us.”