Plum Creek Wind Farm and Associated 345 kV Transmission Line Project
Project Details
Plum Creek Wind Farm, LLC proposes to construct a 414 megawatt (MW) wind farm and associated 345 kV transmission line in Cottonwood, Murray, and Redwood County, Minnesota.
Project Contact
Project Summary
On September 23, 2021, the Commission issued an order approving a certificate of need, site permit, and route permit to Plum Creek Wind Farm, LLC (Plum Creek or Applicant) for the Plum Creek Project. In response to requests from Plum Creek, the Commission amended the site permits in January 2022 to clarify certain reporting requirements and in July 2023 to extend the time by which construction on the project must commence to four years from the date the permit was initially issued.
Plum Creek proposes to construct a 414 MW wind farm in Cottonwood, Murray, and Redwood County. The wind farm would include up to 74 wind turbines; the final number of turbines will depend on the turbine type(s) selected for the project. Electric power from the turbines would be collected at two collector substations. The wind farm would be connected to the electric transmission grid by approximately 31 miles of 345 kilovolt (kV) transmission line. The line would interconnect with the existing Brookings County to Hampton 345 kV transmission line via a switching station in Redwood County.
Key Project Documents
| Date | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| January 6, 2025 | Site and Route Permits | Current site and route permits issued by the Commission |
| September 23, 2021 | Certificate of Need, Site Permit, and Route Permit | The certificate of need, site permit, and route permit issued by the Commission for the Plum Creek Wind Project. |
| April 12, 2021 | Final EIS Plum Creek Wind Project | The Plum Creek Wind Project EIS was issued in draft form on January 11, 2021. Comments on the draft EIS were accepted through February 1, 2021. All comments received on the draft EIS and responses to these comments are included in this final EIS in Appendix G (Comment Response Document). Changes to the EIS text as a result of comments received are indicated by underlined passages (additions) or strikeouts (deletions). In addition, errors, and omissions in the draft EIS identified by Department staff have been corrected. |
| January 4, 2021 | Plum Creek Wind Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement | This draft environmental impact statement (EIS) has been prepared for the Plum Creek Wind Project proposed by Plum Creek Wind Farm, LLC. This EIS evaluates the potential human and environmental impacts of the proposed project and possible mitigation measures including route, route segment, and alignment alternatives. Additionally, it evaluates alternatives to the Project itself. |
| September 28, 2020 | Revised LWECS Site Permit Application | Plum Creek Wind Farm, LLC, an affiliate of Geronimo Energy, LLC, respectfully submits this Supplemental and Amended Site Permit Application to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission for a Site Permit to construct and operate the up-to-414-megawatt (MW) nameplate capacity Plum Creek Wind Farm. Plum Creek filed an initial Site Permit Application on November 12, 2019. Since that filing, Plum Creek has withdrawn the GE-2.8-127 and Vestas 5.6-V150 turbine models for consideration, modified the layout for the Vestas 5.6-V162 turbine, and added the Siemens Gamesa 6.2-SG170 turbine and associated layout for consideration. |
| November 12, 2019 | Route Permit Application | The route permit application submitted by Plum Creek Wind Farm, LLC for the 345 kV transmission line associated with the Plum Creek Wind Farm. The application discusses the 345 kV transmission line that will contact the wind farm to the electrical grid and possible routes for the line. |
| November 12, 2019 | Site Permit Application | The site permit application submitted by Plum Creek Wind Farm, LLC for the 414 MW Plum Creek Wind Farm. The application discusses the proposed wind turbines and associated facilities for the project. |
| November 12, 2019 | Certificate of Need Application | The certificate of need application filed by Plum Creek Wind Farm, LLC for the Plum Creek Wind Farm Project -- the wind farm and the associated 345 kV transmission line. |
Environmental Review and Permitting Process
The applicant's proposed project requires three approvals from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (Commission) before it can be constructed -- a certificate of need (CN), a site permit for the wind farm, and a route permit for the 345 kV transmission line.
Department of Commerce, Energy Environmental Review and Analysis (EERA) staff prepared an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the project.