A wind project capable of producing enough power to meet the energy needs of about 10,000 homes has been dedicated by Edison Mission Group, parent company of project operator Edison Mission Energy.

The electricity the Community Wind North Project produces is being sold under a 20-year power purchase agreement to Xcel Energy’s Northern States Power Co.

“The USDA is proud to have played a role in this important project,” said Colleen Landkamer, state director, United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development Office. “It is imperative that we develop more self-sufficient energy resources in this country. Energy from renewable sources protects our nation’s farmland, boosts the rural economy and makes our rural communities even better places to live.”

Southwest Wind Consulting LLC, the Community Energy Developers Board and Lincoln County Enterprise Development Corp. jointly developed the project, which has benefited from more than $3 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture grants. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved the contract with Northern States Power.

Community Wind North is in Lincoln County, about six miles west of Lake Benton, along Minnesota’s Buffalo Ridge. A dozen 2.5-MW Clipper turbines there will produce enough power to meet the energy needs of about 10,000 homes.

EMG invested $58 million to build the project, which created 120 jobs and injected an estimated $15 million into the local economy during construction. The project also will benefit the local and state economies through about $28 million in taxes and fees paid over the next 20 years.