In 2009, as a member of the Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (MMPA), SPU joined 11 other member utilities in constructing energy-producing wind turbines within our local communities.
MMPA began the Hometown WindPower Project in 2006 giving each member community the chance to become a part of the solution to the state’s mandated renewable energy requirements. Since that time, each MMPA community has constructed a wind turbine to produce power that’s carbon-free and sustainable. The project has helped MMPA achieve a “25 by 25” goal outlined in Minnesota law to have 25% of its electric power generated from renewable resources by 2025.
The approximately $300,000 wind turbine was funded by Clean Renewable Energy Bonds that MMPA obtained for each member community. It is 115 feet tall and sits on a 20 foot diameter concrete footing. Its blades are 45 feet long and revolve once every three to five seconds. The wind turbine produces up to 165 kilowatts of power, which is used as an additional energy source here in Shakopee.
There were nearly twenty sites considered for the wind turbine before choosing the SPU Service Center location. A wind energy potential evaluation was done for each site based on existing wind data from the state of MN. While there were variations between the sites, none were significant enough to warrant purchasing land or compensating other public land owners to host the turbine. Further, the SPU Service Center site was the only one in an industrial zoned area with maximum distance from existing or future residential areas. This location was also considered the least disruptive to the community from an aesthetic perspective while meeting MMPA’s goal of being highly visible along a major traffic corridor.
The wind turbine is an indicator to all that we care about the environment and support clean energy production.
Note: SPU does not generate any power. All power is purchased from MMPA and is then distributed.
