Energy company seeks to harness wind

Minneapolis -- A Minnesota energy provider says it will build its first wind farm in the land of 10,000 lakes to help it meet the state's new renewable-energy standard.

Xcel Energy said the Grand Meadow Wind Farm would generate 100 megawatts of power -- enough to power 25,000 to 30,000 homes -- from a site in southern Minnesota.

Xcel is the nation's top wind-energy provider, according to the American Wind Energy Association. However, it needs an additional 3,000 to 3,400 megawatts of wind-generated energy in its Minnesota system by 2020 to meet the renewable-energy standard signed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty this year, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported Tuesday.

Based in Minneapolis, Xcel has 1,400 megawatts of wind power now for its eight-state territory and expects to have 2,800 megawatts of wind-energy generation by the end of the year.

If Xcel's request to build the facility is approved, the utility said it could be generating electricity by the end of 2008.

Its efforts earned kudos from Michael Noble, executive director of the alternative energy group Fresh Energy, who said Xcel "is widening its national leadership among all American utilities with this step."

Copyright 2007 by United Press International.