ALLETE Clean Energy said March 15 it will build, own and operate an 80-MW wind project in Montana to supply electricity to NorthWestern Corp.
ALLETE Clean Energy, a subsidiary of ALLETE Inc., said it acquired the South Peak project from Peak Clean Energy. South Peak, located neat Great Falls, Mont., is scheduled to come online in late 2019, according to a news release. The project will supply energy via a direct connection to NorthWestern's transmission grid under a 15-year power purchase agreement.
The project is equipped with GE wind turbines and will be constructed next to NorthWestern's existing Spion Kop wind facility.
To qualify for federal renewable energy production tax credits, the project will utilize a share of wind turbines ALLETE Clean Energy purchased in 2016 that meet the standards for the production tax credit "safe harbor" provision.
ALLETE Clean Energy in 2017 announced plans to begin the construction of the 106-MW Clean Energy No. 1 wind project in Morton and Mercer counties, N.D., and the Thunder Spirit wind farm expansion near Hettinger, N.D.
The Clean Energy wind project has a commitment to supply power to Xcel Energy Inc. subsidiary Northern States Power Co. - Minnesota, and Thunder Spirit will deliver power to MDU Resources Group Inc. subsidiary Montana-Dakota Utilities Co.
