Wind turbine donated to Minnesota West

An 180,000-pound “nacelle” wind turbine has been donated by NextEra Energy Resources, LLC to the Minneota West Community and Technical College Wind Energy program.

The nacelle houses all the generating components of a wind turbine and has been incorporated into the program’s curriculum. It will provide students with hands-on training.

The nacelle was transported by freight on July 16 from Lake Benton II Wind Energy Center, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, located in Pipestone County.

“We’re proud to partner with Minnesota West Community and Technical College’s Wind Energy Technology program and contribute to such a prestigious training program for wind turbine technicians,” said Danell Herzig, NextEra Energy Resources project director.

“Wind technician is one of the fastest growing jobs in the United States, so the direct experience these students can receive from working with the equipment will help them as they progress in their journey to becoming a wind technician.”

“Minnesota West added this training unit to our Wind Energy program. With this nacelle we will be able to simulated confined space environments as well as perform the many service and maintenance operations required of wind technicians.

“Our students will experience the “real world” of a commercial production site here on our campus,” said Bruce Peterson Minnesota West Dean of Energy Technologies and Executive Director for the Minnesota State Energy Center of Excellence.

The nacelle provided by NextEra came directly from a working wind farm. “We greatly appreciate the benefits our students will have to enhance their educational experience,” Peterson added. NextEra Energy Resources’ subsidiaries currently own and operate two wind facilities in Minnesota and have been providing clean, low-cost energy in the state since 2000.