Public hearing set on Morton County wind farm

GLEN ULLIN, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) — The public will get a chance to comment on a Morton County wind farm and powerline project.

The North Dakota Public Service Commission has set a public hearing for 10 a.m. May 18 at the City Auditorium in Glen Ullin.

Minnesota Power is seeking a siting permit for up to 45 wind turbine generators over more than 26 acres for what it calls the Longspur Wind Project. The wind farm could generate up to 202.5 megawatts of electricity.

The wind farm and a transmission line in Morton and Mercer counties have an estimated cost of $791 million.

A 2.5-mile 23 kilovolt electric transmission line would connect the wind project to a substation in Mercer County.

People wanting their comments to be part of the record in the case must make those comments at the hearing.

Minnesota Power is part of ALLETE, both based in Duluth, Minnesota.

In announcing the project in August 2025, Minnesota Power said the Morton County project is one of several renewable energy and powerline projects being built to achieve 90% renewable energy by 2035 and meet Minnesota’s carbon-free energy standard.

“Longspur is part of the approximately $5 billion in investments we will be making over the next five years to serve our region,” ALLETE CEO Bethany Owen said in a news release.

Construction is expected to begin in 2026 and be operational in late 2027.

The project is near Minnesota Power’s Bison Wind Energy Center and will use the company’s 465-mile high-voltage transmission line to deliver energy to northern Minnesota.

ALLETE is also the parent company of BNI Energy, which mines coal near Center, North Dakota.

(Story written by Jeff Beach – North Dakota Monitor)