NSP's Lake Benton Wind Farm
On July 12 a group of faculty and staff from CSB/SJU toured NSP's wind power installation on the Buffalo Ridge near Lake Benton, MN.
Seen from highway US 14 between Marshall and Lake Benton, the wind farm is visible along the Buffalo Ridge. |
The 76 turbines presently installed south-east of Lake Benton have a generating capacity of 25MW. |
This installation is the first of three phases in an installation that will have a generating capacity of 425 MW. |
You gain an appreciation for the size of these turbines when you stand at the base of one. |
Unlike wind turbines located in warmer climates, the blades on NSP's turbines are painted black to improve their ability to shed ice. |
The wind sensors - vane and anemometer - atop the turbine nacelle are kept free of ice by heat lamps positioned above them. |
All photos copyright ©1996 Roger Sorensen
Buffalo Ridge and Lake Benton locator maps
Minnesota |
Location of Lake Benton and the ridge. The ridge divides the drainage basins of the Minnesota and Missouri Rivers. |
Maps are from the Color Landform Atlas of the United States.