Wind power in North Dakota facts for kids
North Dakota is a leading U.S. state in wind power generation. The state generated 26.8% of its electricity from wind during year 2017, enough to power over one million homes.
2,996 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity had been installed for wind power in North Dakota at the end of 2017. Additional capacity had been limited by transmission line constraints until the completion of a transmission line from Fargo to central Minnesota in 2015. Capacity further reached 3,628 MW in 2019.
Very favorable wind conditions in the state enable wind farms to achieve capacity factors in excess of 40 percent. The 105 MW Thunder Spirit wind farm, completed in 2015, was expected to have a capacity factor greater than 45 percent.
List of wind farms in North Dakota
The following is a partial list of North Dakota wind farms.
| Name | Size (MW) | Location | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashtabula Wind Farm | 196 | 46°39′N 98°0′W / 46.650°N 98.000°W | |
| Baldwin Wind Farm | 102 | 47°03′N 100°30′W / 47.050°N 100.500°W | |
| Bison Wind Energy Center | 497 | 47°10′N 101°17′W / 47.167°N 101.283°W | |
| Courtenay Wind Farm | 200 | 46°54′N 98°47′W / 46.900°N 98.783°W | 2016 |
| Langdon Wind Energy Center | 159 | 46°6′N 98°31′W / 46.100°N 98.517°W | |
| Lindahl Wind Farm | 150 | Tioga, ND | approved by NDPSC; construction planned for 2016 |
| Luverne Wind Farm | 169.5 | 47°25′N 98°6′W / 47.417°N 98.100°W | |
| Oliver Wind Energy Center | 98.6 | 47°09′N 101°20′W / 47.150°N 101.333°W | |
| Prairie Winds Wind Farm | 122.6 | 48°14′N 101°17′W / 48.233°N 101.283°W | |
| Rugby Wind Farm | 149.1 | 48°22′N 100°00′W / 48.367°N 100.000°W | |
| Tatanka Wind Farm | 91.5* | 45°56′N 98°58′W / 45.933°N 98.967°W | |
| Thunder Spirit | 105 | 46°6′N 102°20′W / 46.100°N 102.333°W |
- * In North Dakota
Wind generation
| North Dakota Wind Generation (GWh, Million kWh) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2009 | 2,998 | 289 | 237 | 280 | 267 | 253 | 166 | 167 | 176 | 259 | 255 | 338 | 269 |
| 2010 | 4,096 | 338 | 216 | 322 | 377 | 426 | 287 | 261 | 336 | 421 | 400 | 400 | 382 |
| 2011 | 5,150 | 430 | 515 | 434 | 456 | 511 | 378 | 272 | 292 | 360 | 475 | 541 | 526 |
| 2012 | 5,316 | 583 | 398 | 543 | 552 | 477 | 401 | 271 | 308 | 387 | 553 | 418 | 390 |
Source:
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See also
In Spanish: Energía eólica en Dakota del Norte para niños
