North Dakota approves 110 MW wind energy

The North Dakota Public Service Commission has approved a 110 megawatt wind energy project in the state proposed by Infinity Wind Power.

The renewable energy developer plans to build the $180 million Sunflower wind project in Stark and Morton counties of North Dakota. Infinity expects the farm will either be equipped with 55 wind turbines made by Vestas that have a power generation capacity of 2 MW each or have 59 wind turbines from GE (NYSE: GE) with 1.85 MW each. Power producer Basin Electric has already agreed to purchase the energy generated by the wind farm.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, wind power accounted for 16 percent of the electricity generated in North Dakota and coal dominated with 79 percent. Wind industry leaders are optimistic wind power could catch up, The Associated Press reported. New regulations could push North Dakota to increase its wind energy exports to its neighbors, according to Tom Vinson, senior director of federal regulatory affairs at the American Wind Energy Association. Infinity said it may begin building the Sunflower wind project in the spring of 2015.