Plans for wind farm move ahead

Denali Energy Inc., on Cypress Drive in Baxter, announced the North Dakota Public Service Commission has accepted a letter of intent for the Hartland Wind Farm LLC, which is a partnership between Denali Energy, and Houston-based Montgomery Energy.

The Hartland Wind Farm is in northwestern North Dakota. The proposed project, on about 720 square miles of land throughout Ward, Burke, and Mountrail counties, is about 25 miles northwest of Minot.

Denali Energy reported "the certificate is a major milestone in the development process for a wind energy facility in ... North Dakota that would provide up to 2,000 megawatts of renewable energy."

In a news release, Craig Fink, Hartland Wind Farm principal and Denali Energy president, said the letter of intent is "a significant preliminary step in the development of this $4 billion project. The project will consist of up to 1,333 wind turbine generators with construction expected to be completed in multiple phases. Plans are to begin construction in the fall of 2010."