Xcel Energy fired up another large wind power project over the past month, the Odell Wind Farm in southwestern Minnesota.
Another big wind farm opens for Xcel in Minnesota
The electricity producer adds 100 turbines of generating capacity.
August 31, 2016 at 11:01PM
It includes 100 wind turbines in four counties, which together can generate 200 megawatts of electricity. That's enough juice to power 105,000 homes.
Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy is the nation's top utility for wind energy production. Wind drives about 14 percent of its power generation in the Upper Midwest, a number expected to rise to 22 percent by 2020.
Like most of Xcel's wind capacity, output from the Odell Wind Farm comes through a long-term power purchase agreement.
Algonquin Power & Utilities, a Canadian company, owns Odell, a project initially developed by Edina-based Geronimo Energy. It spans the counties of Cottonwood, Jackson, Martin and Watonwan.
![Field service technician Donovan Kobs readied a friction stir welding system used in manufacturing for the aerospace industry to demo a weld. ] ANTHONY SOUFFLE ï anthony.souffle@startribune.com Business profile on PaR Systems photographed Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018 at their headquarters in Shoreview, Minn. The engineering firm specializes in automated manufacturing and material handling equipment including cranes and robots for Chernobyl, Fukushima, NASA and med tech firms.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/XBNOCPVPFF7APVL4YGN2RPGVVU.jpg?&w=436&ar=3:2&fit=crop)
The company is building a new laboratory and production facility in Shoreview.
