New wind resource to power what’s next

Agreement for South Deuel Wind adds 250 MW of renewable energy to help meet members' future electricity needs

Great River Energy took another step toward meeting the future energy needs of its member-owner cooperatives by signing a power purchase agreement for the South Deuel Wind Energy Center, a new facility being developed by Invenergy in Deuel County, South Dakota.

Through the agreement, Great River Energy will purchase the energy, capacity and renewable attributes produced by the project. When complete, South Deuel Wind is expected to add about 250 megawatts of new wind energy to Great River Energy's power supply portfolio.

The project will support Great River Energy's work to provide reliable, affordable electricity while also helping the cooperative remain on track to meet Minnesota's carbon reduction goals. As electricity use continues to grow across the region, Great River Energy is planning ahead to make sure it has the resources needed to serve its members well into the future.

Great River Energy finalized the agreement with Deuel Harvest Wind Energy South, LLC, after a detailed review and negotiation process with the project developer, giving both organizations a clearer path forward as development work continues.

"This project provides Great River Energy with a cost-effective source of energy at a time when demand for electricity continues to grow across the region," said Great River Energy Director of Resource Planning Zac Ruzycki. "South Deuel strengthens our long-term resource portfolio by adding a new resource that will help meet our members' future energy needs for years to come."

For Great River Energy, the output provided by the South Deuel Wind Energy Center is one way to help manage costs, reduce reliance on market purchases and prepare for future energy needs across the cooperative system.

The project has already secured key permits and site control, with more than 29,000 acres under long-term agreements. South Deuel also has a signed generator interconnection agreement with MISO and is expected to connect to the electric grid through the new Astoria switchyard.

South Deuel Wind is expected to begin commercial operation in 2030. Once online, it will become part of Great River Energy's diverse mix of power supply resources and will help serve member-owner cooperatives with renewable energy for decades to come.

Projects like South Deuel Wind reflect Great River Energy's continued focus on balancing reliability, affordability and sustainability for the communities it serves.