New Wind Farm Planned For Southwestern Wisconsin

Dairyland Power Cooperative has announced the construction of a new wind farm in southwestern Wisconsin.

The cooperative will purchase 98 megawatts of wind energy from the new Quilt Block Wind Farm near Platteville. EDP Renewables plans to begin construction on the farm’s 49 wind turbines next year and start producing power by the end of 2017.

Dairyland vice president of strategic planning John Carr said the new project will triple the cooperative’s existing wind power.

“We do have wind farms that we’re contracting from in Minnesota and Iowa,” Carr said. “So we’re not new to the wind game, but this is a large expansion of our wind projects.”

Renewable energy advocates are also celebrating Dairyland’s announcement. Tyler Huebner, executive director of RENEW Wisconsin, said the new project is exciting after several years of no new wind power throughout the state.

“Wind energy has been developing throughout the Midwest at a very good pace in the last six years and in Wisconsin, this will be the first new wind farm that we’ve had in six years,” Huebner said.

And Dairyland’s new project may be the first of many. Huebner said WPPI Energy and Madison Gas and Electric are also expected to invest in wind power in the next few years.

Carr said Dairyland’s customers want to source their energy from renewable resources, but having wind energy also benefits Dairyland from a business standpoint.

“You don’t want too many of your eggs in one basket,” Carr said. “Having a mix of different resources, in this case adding wind along with solar, coal, natural gas, makes sense to us.”