Mortenson Construction and enXco Partnership Build Sister Wind Projects in Minnesota Totaling 400 Megawatts

Minneapolis, MN — Long-time partners in the wind industry, Mortenson Construction and San Diego-based developer, enXco, an EDF Energies Nouvelles Company (PARIS: EEN) have completed the 201-megawatt Nobles Wind Project in Reading, Minnesota. The Nobles Wind Project represents about half of the 400 megawatts the enXco-Mortenson partnership plans to install in Minnesota by the summer of 2011. Mortenson and enXco are building the 205.5-megawatt Lakefield Wind Project about 30 miles from the Nobles project site in the southwest corner of Minnesota which will be completed by September of 2011. 

The Nobles and Lakefield Wind Projects mark the 17th and 18th wind power facilities, respectively, which will be built by the enXco-Mortenson team. Together the projects will require erection of 271 GE 1.5-megawatt wind turbines, representing 18 percent of total installed wind power in Minnesota. Tim Maag, a vice president and general manager for Mortenson’s Renewable Energy Groups said, “The Mortenson-enXco alliance has resulted in the installation of more than 2,000 megawatts of wind power across the United States. Mortenson and enXco have built more than 708 megawatts and over 35 percent of all the wind power projects in Minnesota. Our partnership remains one of the strongest in the renewables industry.”

Construction began on the Nobles Wind Project on May 17th, 2010, and the last turbine was erected a month ahead of schedule, despite record rainfall in the area. The Nobles project site received rainfall exceeding the 20-year average each month from June through October.  

enXco, Mortenson, and Indianapolis Power and Light celebrated the construction of the Lakefield Wind Project with a ground breaking event at the Lakefield Wind Project site on November 10th. The ground breaking ceremony was attended by about 125 people including Minnesota State Representative Rod Hamilton and State Senator Elect Doug Magnus. Indianapolis Power and Light will purchase the power generated from the Lakefield Wind Project under a 20-year power purchase agreement. The Lakefield Wind Project will mark the first time wind power generated in Minnesota will be purchased for use by another state.