Vestas to make turbines for wind farm in Minnesota

Source: By Steve Lynn, Northern Colorado Business Report  • Posted: Monday, July 7, 2014

Danish wind-turbine maker Vestas Wind Systems said its factories in Colorado will help fill an order from Broomfield-based Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc. for 83 wind turbines.

Vestas workers in Colorado will make towers, blades and nacelles for the project in Minnesota, the company said this week. The company has factories in Brighton, Windsor and Pueblo.

The order announced by Vestas on Tuesday marks the company’s fourth in the past week. The company said it had received orders for wind projects in Kansas, New Mexico, North Dakota and France.

Vestas said in Tuesday’s announcement that it would make 166 megawatts of turbines for the Pleasant Valley Wind Project in Minnesota.

Vestas will supply the wind farm with V100-2.0 megawatt turbines, a model launched last year with an improved drive train that generates more power.

Pleasant Valley will generate 804,000 megawatt hours of electricity annually, avoiding 419,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

Vestas plans to deliver the turbines by the fourth quarter of 2015. RES Americas will then sell the wind farm to Xcel Energy Inc. (NYSE: XEL).

“Pleasant Valley will deploy efficient, cutting-edge technology to generate carbon-free electricity while providing meaningful cost savings to Xcel Energy’s customers in southeastern Minnesota,” said Rob Morgan, chief development officer for RES Americas, in a statement.